Triathlon news: Best of 2011: The 2011 ITU World Cup Series

The courses may have been a mixture of new and old on the ITU World Cup circuit this year, but the podiums were filled with first-time winners in 2011. There were a total of 10 new World Cup winners, and a host more new World Cup medallists, including the first in history for Poland and Slovenia.The season opened in Mooloolaba for the fifth straight year, and Australia’s Brad Kahlefeldt duly saluted at home, and moved himself up to equal sixth all time World Cup winners list with seven overall, while Brendan Sexton and David Hauss claimed their first cup medals with silver and bronze. In the women’s race, New Zealand’s Nicky Samuels rode a bike breakaway to the win, ahead of Emma Moffatt and Barbara Riveros Diaz.Then it was off to Ishigaki, for its sweet 16th birthday. The now legendary Japanese island always has an amazing atmosphere and this was no different, as fans watched Hunter Kemper claim his first cup win since 2005, and Artem Parienko and Marek Jaskolka collect their first medals. Jaskolka’s was the first medal for Poland. Barbara Riveros Diaz had already won a Dextro Energy Triathlon Series race in her career, but hadn’t yet secured a World Cup win. But that changed in Ishigaki, when she completed an early season set of medals for the Chilean star, after bronze in Mooloolaba and silver in Sydney. Aileen Morrison (IRL) claimed silver and Kiyomi Niwata (JPN) bronze.THE WINNERSMOOLOOLABA, AustraliaBrad Kahlefeldt (AUS), Nicky Samuels (NZL)ISHIGAKI, JapanHunter Kemper (USA), Barbara Riveros Diaz (CHI)MONTERREY, Mexico Brendan Sexton (AUS), Sarah Haskins (USA)EDMONTON, CanadaBevan Docherty (NZL), Ashleigh Gentle (AUS)TISZAUJVAROS, Hungary Brent McMahon (CAN), Gwen Jorgensen (USA)HUATULCO, MexicoMatt Chrabot (USA), Ai Ueda (JPN)TONGYEONG, Korea Dmitry Polyansky (RUS), Jessica Harrison (FRA)GUATAPE, ColombiaEtienne Diemunsch (FRA), Carole Peon (FRA)AUCKLAND, New Zealand Kris Gemmell (NZL), Andrea Hewitt (NZL)Up next was a hot day in Monterrey and there were two more first-time winners, with Australia’s Brendan Sexton and the USA’s Sarah Haskins. They beat home Frederic Belaubre (FRA) and Hunter Kemper (USA), and Ai Ueda (JPN) and Anne Haug (GER) respectively.