2nd group with Mola caught 1st group with I think 2 laps to go on bike. AB and 2 others did an attack on the bike with a I think 2 laps to go, got 1:15 lead into T2 (Brazilian Cucilo and Norwegian)....I've butchered their spelling.

AB had 1st wrapped up, Gomez was shadowing JB the whole race, and Mola and Gomez finished together in a sprint, Mola about 15m in front, bowing and pointing to Gomez, the deserved world champion.
JB sorta faded I think just after half way on the run as Mola, Gomez and JB were chasing AB.

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@brooksdoughtie
USAT-L2,Y&J; USAC-L2
http://www.aomultisport.com

Thanks...that was the blow by blow I was looking for. This is what is awesome about this community. Next year I am paying for a subscription for the year long deal

Ha, not sure what Gomez did qualifies as "sprinting." His race was "over" once JB dropped. Something seemed amiss with JB as early as 1 loop of swim.

both elite races were on universal live (between commercials). they were in commercial breaks when gwen took the lead and in the middle of the last lap of the run for the men so you wound up having to watch online anyway.

fwiw, the announcers repeatedly said that varga is friends with and trains with and works with the brownlees but never said he was on their payroll.

Also, I think Shepley asked Gomez about the AB break, and I think Gomez didn't care, he just was going to sit on with JB, and was just happy he had a great race after coming back from some sickness last 2 weeks.

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@brooksdoughtie
USAT-L2,Y&J; USAC-L2
http://www.aomultisport.com

You sure do do not see folks saying they are going to pay for long distance stuff.

And the relay ITU events are even more exciting to watch.

Was fun being within a few feet of these guys at the swim start today. They are all so short and small.

Has been and will continue to be fun racing on part of the course they and the females did yesterday and today. We are standing, starting and swimming the exact same swim course. I just am amazed on how friendly all the locals, let alone athletes have been on this trip. One reason I love going to the ITU world championships so much.
I sure will not forget the AUS who has been kicking my butt.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

I rarely watch the IM Kona live feed other than the hour around the time the pro man/woman winners come in and I wouldn't pay for it. That said I paid for the ITU live subscription and I paid to sit in the grandstands yesterday to watch the women's final. Worth every cent! It was electric and the live coverage is outstanding.

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Rodney
TrainingPeaks | Altra Running | RAD Roller
http://www.goinglong.ca

I had some friends today in the grandstands watching the mens race. He said it was amazing. I watched all the womens race just a little outside the grandstands. Was able to watch them going out and back on the bike and run. Gwen was just so fluid.

The ITU coverage is just amazing. I have to admit, I would consider buying to watch also since I could last 2 hours.

I also at best watch the end of IM but again, just so boring compared to what I watched with both the men and womens ITU racing.

.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Richard stayed with us as a homestay in Auckland in 2011 and when he is over NZ or Australia we do our best to look after him. My Wife took Richard and his girlfriend around the South Island after the Auckland Grand Final and spent a week with the Brownlee Family after the event.

Richard is good friends with Johno and they have trained together often but nothing Richard has said indicates he is getting any money.

He definitely paid his own way when he trained with the GB team prior to the Olympics in Hamilton and Richard organized his own training camp in Rotorua with his local Slovakian Tri club last year.

"Next year I am paying for a subscription for the year long deal"

Highly recommended. I hardly ever watch the races live but go back and watch the recorded versions when I have time (even though I know the results). Not all of them are equally thrilling, but they're always interesting to watch. I'm looking forward to watching Stockholm and also the race today.

By the way, for those of us based in the US and following the US scene, it was great to see Shoemaker's 7th place, and Maloy coming in 17th. I also noticed Ben Kanute came in 6th in the U23 race.

Both races were on Sportsnet One.

I should have thought to let people know when I noticed it in the channel guide.

Both races were incredible!

Definitely worth the $. Good trainer fodder as well. Shoemaker finally had that run we've been looking for since 2012! He's picked his battles this year (western China?!), but definitely seems in the mix for getting to Rio.

Anyone know about country points? Are we still battling with RSA?

Good on Gomez - I hope he feels 100% for 70.3s.

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Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team

I rarely watch it live either. I have the log in page book marked that way I can log in without knowing the results. Sheply called Alastair the best "one day" triathlete in the world - Ali kind if shrugged and went with it. That was a big run by Shoemaker.

No one looked super sharp. Ali was hurting at the end, Gomez wanted no part of a sprint with Mola and johnnie got dropped. End of season.

I will be surprised if Gomez wins next week.

Perhaps Gomez was saving some energy for the 70.3 WC next week, since he only need to finish 3rd in this last race to win the ITU WC.

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

I actually worry more of the cumulative fatigue from being sick and the travel. His race schedule over the last 3 weeks has been pretty full on, club team DL championships, Stockholm, ITU Finals, and then WC 70.3 finals this weekend. Not how you want to do it, but I think his main objective has been accomplished and this is more or less house money right now (of course I know he wants to win to stake claim to the best all around triathlete in the world).

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@brooksdoughtie
USAT-L2,Y&J; USAC-L2
http://www.aomultisport.com

Well, not too terribly far to travel this week, so he will have 5 or 6 days to take it really easy this week, and so perhaps next weekend he might be feeling really good. We'll see...

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

I think 99.9% of triathletes would take Johnnies off today. Hung with Gomez through what 8-9k?

To think he was not feeling 100% and went sub 30 on the run. These guys make me feel very old. To be expected, these guys blow away the best triathletes from the 90's (the last time I raced).

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________________
Adrian in Vancouver

Man, we must have been within 100 feet of each other for most of the women's race, but today we got grandstand tickets. Standing and watching them warmup and get ready was just so amazing. It was like being in the dressing room before a game kind of.

Also a second on the value of the ITU coverage. Ive had the seasons pass for two seasons and watched nearly every race. I just stay off Twitter and Slowtwitch until I get a chance to watch the races and then watch them when I have time, lots of times on the treadmill or trainer. I spent lots of time playing it on my phone this weekend to get Barry and Trevor's coverage. The grandstand stuff wasn't cutting it for me.

Single event pass for $6 is available to watch the Edmonton events. Full replays available - https://triathlonlive.tv/passes/

AB, did a good chunk of the swim with no goggles.

I'm wondering whether folks practice swimming without goggles, just in case. And if you do swim without goggles, do you keep you eyes open or close them in the water or what?

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BC Don
Pain is temporary, not giving it your all lasts all Winter.

I think it was in 2009 or 2010 in an race in an ITU race in Japan or China, Johnnie Brownlee while in full swim stroke, ripped off his goggles and kept swimming (I think he said they leaked or someone ripped at them at the start, so he just took them off). The way in which he simply pulled them off and kept going was as if he'd practiced it before. I was like "damn even when things fuck up, they still are fast at it".

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@brooksdoughtie
USAT-L2,Y&J; USAC-L2
http://www.aomultisport.com

I remember talking to some of the West Point guys who said they would do the occasional no-goggles 25s in practice. I've never practiced it, but I've also never had a pair of goggles that sealed properly, so leaky goggles is something that doesn't bother me.
I did once lose my goggles on the first lap of a 500 in high school. That sucked.

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IG: idking90

I raced for a couple of seasons in the early 90s without wearing goggles. A couple of my buddies did too and I think I remember seeing photos of Scott Molina swimming in tris without goggles. All the swims I did were a mile or less in fresh water lakes. Your eyes get used to it and you can keep them open most of the time. The lakes were a bit cleaner (I think) than they are now.