Ashleigh Gentle makes triathlon mark with silver ahead of Rio Olympic trial

TRIATHLETE Ashleigh Gentle has shown top form ahead of selection trials for the Rio Olympics as the only Australian to crack the podium in the first world championship series event of the year.

2014 Beijing International Triathlon Race

RACING on the hills and trails near her Brisbane home has helped propel former world junior star Ashleigh Gentle into pole position for a spot at her first Olympic Games as the only Australian to crack the podium in the opening world championship series triathlon of the year.

The 24-year-old from the Gold Coast showed she is the one to beat in the crucial Australian leg of the world championship series in April which will help determine Australia’s Olympic team for Rio.

The first Australian home in the top 10 in the women’s and men’s races will earn automatic nomination spots to Rio.

On Sunday Gentle came from behind to match it with some of the biggest names in the sport in the 1.5km swim, 40km cycle and 10km run race in Dubai.

“So happy to finish 2nd at #WTSAbuDhabi! It was such a tough day & had to dig deep for that. Thx for amazing support,” Gentle tweeted after the race in which she finished juts nine seconds behind Stimpson.

British triathletes starred with Commonwealth Games champion Jodie Stimpson winning and two-time world champion and compatriot Helen Jenkins third, seven seconds behind Gentle.

Ashleigh Gentle racing in Australia prior to her second place in the world championship series opener.

“I am so thrilled. I guess that goes to show that it is not over until it is over,” said Gentle who worked with Olympic champion Nicola Spirig in the bike to make up ground lost in the swim.

“Apart from not swimming so well, I actually felt pretty good about how I raced today because it was just Nicola and I pulling the turns together (in the chase group), so I was very thankful for her there because that was a really hard bike.

Ashleigh Gentle on her way to winning the Noosa triathlon last year.

“It felt really good to catch up. I knew the run was going to be so tough.”

Australia had six women and four men on the start line in Abu Dhabi with Charlotte McShane the only other athlete to top 10 in the women’s field with her eighth.

Ryan Bailie was the sole Australian man in the top 10 with his eighth place, just over a minute behind Spanish winner Mario Mola.

Originally published as Ashleigh Gentle makes triathlon mark with silver ahead of Rio Olympic trial