Ashleigh Gentle finishes second in Edmonton leg of World Triathlon Series

Ashleigh Gentle will return to the scene of her greatest World Triathlon Series triumph full of confidence after securing silver in Edmonton.

Gold Coaster Ashleigh Gentle finished second in the Edmonton leg of the World Triathlon Series. Picture: Wagner Araujo, ITU Media.

Ashleigh Gentle will return to the scene of her greatest World Triathlon Series triumph full of confidence after securing silver in Edmonton.

Gentle finished second behind Britain’s Vicki Holland in what was the Gold Coast triathlete’s best result of a difficult series and the highest finish since she recorded her maiden WTS victory in Montreal in August last year.

The 27-year-old completed the 750m swim, 20km bike ride and 5km run in a time of 57 minutes and two seconds, 11 seconds shy of Holland.

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Gentle has endured a challenging WTS season in 2018. A bike crash contributed to her 13th place finish in Abu Dhabi before she bounced back to claim fourth in Yokohama.

Illness and then team strategy meant she failed to finish in Leeds and Hamburg but the women who finished second in the world last year put the results behind her to deliver one of the best performances of her career in Edmonton.

“It hasn’t been a great start (to the series),” Gentle said.

Britain's Jodie Stimpson, followed by Ashleigh Gentle (17), of Australia, as they turn the corner while riding the bike during the women's elite race at the ITU World Triathlon Series in Edmonton, Alberta, Friday, July 27, 2018. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

“I’m a bit in shock actually. It feels really great to be here in second and I’m just really happy.”

Gentle exited the water 41 seconds behind leader Summer Cook but made her way to the front in the first half of the bike leg in an effort she said enabled her to put herself in the frame for the podium.

“Before the race I thought this was a course that might suit me,” Gentle said.

“The hills are quite tough and when you are racing it and have to do it six times you don’t really think it that great but I was really happy to catch on to that front group.

“I knew I had to be smart and try to stay at the front and run as well as I could.”

Gentle said she would compete in Montreal at the end of August before returning to Australia to prepare for the WTS grand final, to be held on the Gold Coast in September.

Gentle added to her Edmonton success on Sunday by helping guide Australia to victory in the mixed teams relay event.

Gentle is usually the third to race in the four-person format but she led the team from the front before Jake Birtwhistle ran the team home to gold in an overall time of 1 hour 19 minutes and 29 seconds.

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