Australia wins world title in new Olympic triathlon event

Rising star Jake Birtwhistle leads the Australian triathlon team to a first world mixed relay title in Hamburg.

The Australian team of Charlotte McShane, left, Ashleigh Gentle, Jake Birtwhistle and Matthew Hauser celebrate winning the world mixed relay title in Hamburg

Just a month after the mixed triathlon relay was added to the Tokyo Olympic program, a young Australian team is the new benchmark for the event after winning the world title in Hamburg yesterday.

The new-look Australian team featured just one of the triathletes who competed at last year’s Rio Olympics, Ashleigh Gentle, alongside Jake Birtwhistle, 19-year-old Matt Hauser and Charlotte McShane.

Birtwhistle, 22, is fast becoming one of the best sprint triathletes in the world and clinched the world title with a stirring anchor leg.

His team was 35 seconds behind the defending champion American team, when Gentle tagged him, but anyone who saw him thrive in the Super League sprint format earlier this year would have backed him in.

He gained 10 seconds during the opening 300m swim, then combined with British and Dutch riders to hunt down the American anchorman Matt Mcelroy over the 7km cycle.

When Birtwhistle began the run on even terms with his rivals, the race was effectively over. The former junior athletics star showed a pair of flying heels on the closing 1.6km sprint to the finish line, where his teammates waited to embrace him.

This is the first victory for Australia in the new Olympic event, after a series of near misses in recent years. Australian teams took the silver medal in 2009, 2015 and 2016 at the world titles, as well as a bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

They will be looking for an upgrade at home on the Gold Coast next year.

Tasmania’s Birtwhistle had employed a similar finishing kick to finish second in the men’s sprint distance world series race the previous day.

“I will give it to Hamburg, I love it here,’’ he said.

“To come out here with these Matt Mcelroy guys, we were all able to put together a good race and end up as world champions, it is pretty awesome,” he said.

Gentle, who had also finished second in the women’s race, praised Birtwhistle.

“Jake was just amazing,’’ she said. “It was a great privilege to be part of this team. I have not been in too many relays but what a great feeling after some scary moments and to be able to pull together as a team.’’

Hauser, who is just emerging into the senior ranks, was delighted to secure a place in the team after finishing second among the Australians in the men’s race.

“That was just fantastic and in my first ever relay,’’ he said.

Former world under-23 champion McShane, who clinched her place in the Australian team for next year’s Commonwealth Games in the women’s race, finished off an excellent weekend with another world title.