It came down to a sprint over the last half of the run as American Renee Tomlin thrilled the Californian crowd with an impressive win at the sprint-distance race at today’s America’s Cup Triathlon Long Beach, part of USA Triathlon’s Legacy Triathlon Weekend at Alamitos Beach, the proposed site for the triathlon events at the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
American Tamara Gorman led the way out of the water with Canadian junior Kira Gupta-Baltazar on her feet. Hannah Sakaluk (USA) was three seconds back, with another American, Erika Ackerlund six-seconds behind as the women hit T1. Ackerlund was able to bridge up to join Gupta-Baltazar and Gorman to create a three-woman breakaway early in the bike, with a huge chase group of 25 about 15 seconds back.
The three women were able to stay clear through the first half of the bike, but by 15 km the breakaway had been absorbed, which left a large group of 26 to hit T2 within 11 seconds of each other. Ackerlund was first into transition with countrywoman Tomlin and Gorman on her heels, setting up a 5 km sprint for the title. Halfway through the run Gorman was in front, but Tomlin and Mexico’s Rosa Maria Tapia Vidal were right with her – those three were about 10 seconds up on Ackerlund and Erin Edminster (USA).
Tomlin would end up being the strongest of the three, taking the sprint to the line in 58:09 with Tapia Vidal (58:11) two seconds back. Gorman (58:13) rounded out the podium.
