WORLD TRIATHLON Golden day for David Cantero in Valencia

 

The golden hour in Valencia has a special meaning for David Cantero del Campo. The Spanish rising star made it clear that racing at home gives you “about a 10% of extra power” to claim the 2024 World Triathlon Cup Valencia in front of the home crowd that included his parents, friends and family. Second on the day was Australia’s Callum McClusky, while another Spaniard, Sergio Baxter Cabrera, rounded a perfect day for the Spanish team claiming the last spot of the podium.

The course in Valencia, flat, fast and technical looked like homemade for the star of the large Spanish team deployed in the Mediterranean city for the World Cup, David Cantero. The young rising star, only 22 years of age and born and raised in Valencia, had proven before that he is one of the fastest men on the circuit when it all comes down to a run, but the question of the day was if he would be able to repeat his outstanding victory on the same course just one year ago.

But one year can be a really long time, especially if the summer was one with a few set backs for the young Spaniard, who had to cope with a few injuries after his 4th place earlier this season in Hong Kong and a 5th in Samarkand. But missing the Olympics meant a long block of training for Cantero, and by the results of the race in Valencia, it did pay off.

The race started with a fast non wetsuit swim that was led by Darr Smith (USA) and Nicola Azzano (ITA), and both of them led a small group of 8 athletes that tried to break away in the first meters of the bike segment. The group of nine had newcomers on the circuit and getting organised was not easy, and soon the 15 seconds difference faded away, as the chase group led by Antonio Serrat Seoane, Sergio Baxter Cabrera, David Cantero and Gabor Faldum got the chasers organised.

Half way through the 20km bike, the leaders were caught by the chasers and a massive train, with over thirty athletes, just tried to save some legs during the remaining two laps of the flat bike course, but also trying to stay out of trouble by keeping positions in front of the group.

The first one to touch the ground in the second transition was Cantero, displaying a super fast dismount and transition, enough to give him a few seconds of a lead in the first meters of the run, along with Australia’s Callum McClusky, the only one able to follow the speedy Spaniard.

McClusky, another great runner, stayed right at the heels of Cantero during the first lap of the run, while behind them three other Spaniards -Serrat, Baxter and Genis Grau- along with Hungary’s Gabor Faldom followed their feet, knowing that they would have to fight for the remaining spot on the podium.

But Cantero was not willing to give anyone a chance and didn’t want to leave the glory for the last sprint. With almost two kilometers to go, the Spaniard pushed and this time, McClusky was not able to follow him, while the crowds went wild. Cheering Cantero’s name, the Spaniard flew back to the Marina to step on the blue carpet not looking back, ready to enjoy the last meters by himself, and crossed the finish line all smiles, with time to bow in respect for the crowds that helped him to get the victory in Valencia, second in a row for him. “This race couldn’t have been any better. I had my family and friends here supporting me and they gave me all the strengh I needed today to be able to win here”, he said. “This season has not been easy for me, but this win here gives me the confidence to end the season with a high. Today was a really tactic race but it did play out, I am really happy”, he explained.

Second on the day was McClusky, on his second podium on a World Cup after his win in Napier, the first World Cup of the season. “David Cantero pushed me all day today, it was a really good showdown and I can only congratulate him”, he said. “The start of the season was really good for me but I was not able to match that performance afterwards so I am really happy to be back in good form now”.

The sprint for bronze between Serrat and Baxter ended up with the younger, Baxter, claiming the remaining spot of the podium, a third place that meant the world for him, after a year dealing with multiple injuries and being sick in bed the last four days. “It feels great to be back on the podium, last time was quite a while ago, surely not this year. I haven’t been able to train properly for a while, so really happy to be back on the podium, and even more here on home soil”. “I tried to leave Serrat behind on the second lap but I couldn’t. We both knew that one will go home without a medal and I didn’t want to be that one, so I found a last push and made it”, he said.

Serrat ended up with the bittersweet chocolate medal, fourth place, while Arnaud Mengal (BEL) closed the top five with a great run split, 14:30. The 6th place was for Azzano, with Reese Vannerson (USA), Liam Donnelly (CAN), Grau and Faldum rounding the top ten, a mix of new comers to the circuit with some of the most experienced athletes.

Canoe Polo Clubs European Champion titles to Spain and Great Britain

 

We have the 2024 ECA Canoe Polo Clubs European Champions. FOA Liverpool took the win in men's part of the tournament, held in Bacoli – Naples, Italy, while Spanish team Deportiva Pinatarense won the title in women's tournament.

After two days of exciting 2024 ECA Canoe Polo Clubs European Championships in Bacoli – Naples, two new teams were crowned Club Champions of the old continent. FOA Liverpool succeeded MKC Duisburg in men’s tournament, and Deportiva Pinatarense last year’s champions Avranches in women’s part of the tournament.

In men’s gold medal match the defending champions MKC Duisburg played against the British team FOA Liverpool. It was not a match for those with weak heart as it brought a lot of interesting developments. The FOA Liverpool took the lead 3:0 thanks to Andreas Iverson, Jack Inder and Shivan McCutcheon, but this lead was not enough for tranquil remaining of the match. The Germans were very persistent, and they managed to get back fully into the game with three consecutive goals and the result was tied to 3:3. Tim Riecke with one goal and Erik Beukenbusch tied the result for open remaining of the match. Then Andreas Iverson scored his second goal of the final match for another lead of British team, when Moritz Backer scored the fourth goal of the MKC Duisburg. The hero of the final for FOA Liverpool was Santanman McCutcheon who scored the winning fifth goal.

The local club Canoa Club Napoli played in the bronze medal match against French team Avranches and managed to win the third place in front of their home crowd. Italians won with a result 5:4. The match was very intense with the result tied at 1:1, 2:2, 3:3 and 4:4. The winning fifth goal was scored by Alessandro Schiano Di Cola. Andrea Silvio Costagliola scored twice for Napoli, and Michele Manuel Pugliese and Fabrizio Massa contributed a goal each to bring a win to the local team. Pierre Batin, Guillaume Morin, Leo Dehainault and Thomas Thieulent scored for Avranches.

The winners of the women’s part of the tournament come from Spain. The Deportiva Pinatarense club celebrated European Champion title in a match against German KRM Essen, where they won with a score 3:2. The Spanish team took the 3:0 lead thanks to Beatriz Carmona Quevedo, Lorena Nieto Perez and Nerea Saez Dia. The German team fought hard, and they were brought back into the game with goals from Annabel Wolff and Jill Rutzen (3:2). However, the result was not overturned, and the Spanish team managed to defend their minimal lead until the end of the match.

There were more goals scored in the bronze medal match. KV Keistad from Netherlands stood against Italian team Canottieri Ichnusa and won with a result 4:2. The Dutch team took a 3:0 lead. Selina Dijkstra scored the first two goals of the match and Sara Lanao – Madden scored for 3:0. The next two goals were scored by Anna Esposito and Roberta Catania, but the hopes were crushed by the fourth goal of KV Keistad, scored by Marijke Dijkman for a final 4:2 win.

WEBSITE: https://ecaclub2024.wixsite.com/eca-club-bacoli-2024/

SCHEDULE/RESULTS: https://www.tournifyapp.com/live/eca-bacoli-2024/schedule

MORE: https://canoepolo-tournaments.eu/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/canoanapoli/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canoaclubnapoli/

WORLD TRIATHLON Lisa Tertsch outruns the field to take the tape at the Valencia World Cup

It was no turning back for Germany’s Lisa Tertsch as the current Olympic champion of the Mixed Relay delivered a classy run segment to take the tape of the 2024 World Triathlon Cup Valencia on her first race after the Olympics. Second on the day was Olivia Mathias, delivering an impressive race beginning to end after two years struggling with injuries, while the bronze medal was for France’s Candice Denizot on her first ever World Cup podium.

Over 40 women lined up at the Valencia Marina with the sun shining bright up on the sky of the Mediterranean city, with the water at 28 degrees and the sea calm and flat, but the swim was not an easy one, with a large group making it together to the first buoy, ending up with many involved in the usual ‘washing machine’ before heading back to the Marina.

And it was Australia’s Emma Jeffcoat the one who faced the swim exit ramp in first place, followed by Candice Denizot (FRA), Olivia Mathias (GBR) and Sophie Howell (CAN), with Zuzana Michalickova (SVK) and Diana Isakova (AIN) the first ones that were not able to make the lead group.

As soon as the four leaders were on the bike, Mathias and Jeffcoat started to get organised and push hard to try to open a significant break, knowing that the German squad, led by Lisa Tertsch and Tanja Neubert, would be trying to catch them before they finish the 20km bike course.

Mathias and Jeffcoat put their heads down and worked in turns, followed by Howell and Denizot, and by the time they were half way through the bike, the four had a 40 seconds lead over the chase group, let by Tertsch, Anna Godoy Contreras (ESP), Noelia Juan (ESP), Maria Casals Mujica (ESP), Solveig Løvseth (NOR) and Tanja Neubert (GER). The flat out and back course made it hard for the large chase group, while the four in front were not taking it easy. With less than one lap to go, Løvseth and Neubert added one extra gear and left the chase group on the chase of the leaders, but ended up on no one’s land for the last two kilometers, to hit the second transition just 15 seconds before the leading four.

Mathias and Denizot had both excellent transitions and were quickly on the run before the chasers hit the blue carpet, but the large group managed to finally get organised and started the run only 21 seconds behind. And that’s the moment when the real chase started. While Mathias and Denizot moved up in front, Tertscht moved like a panther, and by the time they had finished the first couple of kilometers, she was already breathing on the neck of Emma Jeffcoat, at that moment in third place.

Mathias and Denizot started to look behind them quite nervous, but the German look determined and continued the chase, and with 1.5 kilometers to go moved to the first place, not even looking back when she passed the Brit and the French, knowing that behind them another fast German was coming: Tanja Neubert. She also managed to move in front of Jeffcoat, who struggled in the second lap of the run, and brought with her Solveig Løvseth, also in the chase of a podium position.

Facing the blue carpet, Tertscht had no one on sight and was all smiles when she grabbed the tape to claim the second gold of her career at the Valencia World Cup, after her victory in 2022, a boost of confidence for the German before heading to Weihai for the next stop of the World Triathlon Championship Series. “I am exhausted now, but I could feel that my legs were ready for a good run today, so I am really happy with the result”, she said, after crossing the finish line. “I knew that I had some time to make up for, I was trying to run at my own pace in the first lap, but of course you see that you are coming closer and is easy to go too fast so I was trying to not over pace myself, although is very tempting to push more. I didn’t want to leave it til the blue carpet, you never know what every one has on their legs at the end but it did work out well for me”, she said.

The German clocked a fantastic 16:05 run split to claim gold, while Mathias managed to cross the finish line in second place, a silver with a taste of much more after the challenging year for the Brit. “Finally we managed to make a swim-bike breakaway and make it until the finish line or almost. All four of us worked so hard on the bike to get away, I can only congratulate them (Jeffcoat, Howell and Denizot) for their amazing work today. It doesn’t happen often to have all of us willing to commit and I can only thank them. I knew that after that bike the run will be hard, but I just tried to stay calm and believe on myself. This year has been rough, so this just feels great”, said Mathias.

Also delighted was Denizot, climbing on a World Cup podium for the first time of her career on her second World Cup appearance. “I am really happy, we all did a great jov today”, she said.

Fourth on the finish line was Neubert, with Løvseth close behind to round a top five. Diana Isakova crossed the finish line in 6th place, followed by Emma Jeffcoat, Jule Behrens (GER), Anna Godoy Contreras (ESP) and Zuzana Michalickova (SVK) closing the top 10.

WATER POLO USA Women Take Fourth Place At Paris Olympic Games Following Heartbreaking Loss To The Netherlands

 

Paris, France - August 10 - The U.S. Olympic Women's Water Polo Team earned fourth place at the Paris Olympic Games following a heartbreaking 11-10 loss to the Netherlands earlier today. Maddie Musselman, Ryann Neushul and Jenna Flynn all scored two goals in the loss with Ashleigh Johnson adding 10 saves. The loss snaps the program's streak of winning a medal in every Olympic Games to offer women's water polo dating back to 2000. Team USA built a four goal lead in the second half but couldn't hold off a rally from the Netherlands that saw five goals in the fourth quarter.  Click here for more on USA Water Polo at the Paris Olympic Games.

Rachel Fattal delivered the opening salvo in the first quarter putting Team USA up 1-0 at the 6:27 mark. The Netherlands tied it up a few minutes later at 1-1 on the first of six goals on the day from Sabrina van der Sloot. With just about two minutes to go in the quarter the United States made a push as Ryann Neushul and Musselman each buried power play goals for a 3-1 edge. The Netherlands got one back late in the period for a 3-2 game headed to the second quarter.

Team USA looked to take control in the second period as Flynn opened with a power play goal followed by a player advantage strike from Emily Ausmus for a 5-2 lead with 4:20 remaining in the first half. The Netherlands got one back shortly thereafter for a 5-3 match but the United States had a strong response. With less than 90 seconds to play in the half Kaleigh Gilchrist and Neushul scored on natural goals for a 7-3 game at halftime. Early in the third quarter the Netherlands got back within three but a Musselman penalty shot score pushed it back to four at 8-4 with 5:33 to play in the third. The Netherlands closed the quarter hitting on two of the last three goals scored to make it 9-6 in favor of Team USA going to the fourth.

van der Sloot hit on a penalty to open the fourth but Flynn came back with her second goal to make it 10-7 with 4:26 to play. After that the Team USA offense went cold and the Netherlands gathered up all the momentum. The Dutch scored two goals in less than a minute to make it 10-9 with a little over three minutes to play. At the 1:19 mark it was a power play goal that tied the match at 10-10. Then with just one second left in regulation van der Sloot finished things off with her sixth tally, the game-winner to push the Netherlands to victory at 11-10. A final attempt from mid-pool by Team USA was halted as time ran out.

Team USA went 5/9 on power plays and 1/2 on penalties while the Netherlands went 4/8 on power plays and 2/2 on penalties.

Scoring - Stats

USA 10 (3, 4, 2, 1) J. Flynn 2, R. Neushul 2, M. Musselman 2, E. Ausmus 1, K. Gilchrist 1, R. Fattal 1, J. Raney 1

NED 11 (2, 1, 3, 5) S. van der Sloot 6, V. Sevenich 2, S. van de Kraats 1, B. Rogge 1, L. Moolhuijzen 1

Saves - USA - A. Johnson 10 - NED - L. Aarts 8

6x5 - USA - 5/9 - NED - 4/8

Penalties - USA - 1/2 - NED - 2/2

WATER POLO USA Men Defeated By Serbia 10-6; Will Play For Bronze On Sunday

 

Paris, France - August 9 - The U.S. Men's Olympic Water Polo Team came up short in their semifinal battle with Serbia, losing 10-6 earlier today. Marko Vavic scored twice to lead the offense with Adrian Weinberg recording 15 saves in net. Team USA now looks towards the bronze medal match on Sunday against the loser of the Hungary/Croatia semifinal. Game time is set for 10:35am Paris time/4:35am et/1:35am pt with LIVE coverage on USA Network and Peacock. The match will re-air on USA Network at 10:30am pt. Click here for more broadcast details. Click here for more on USA Water Polo at the Paris Olympic Games.

Marko Vavic picked up where he left off on Wednesday evening, scoring the first goal in this one after hitting the game-winner in the quarterfinal round. Team USA led 1-0 before Serbia came back to tie the match with 3:39 left in the quarter. Ryder Dodd hit on a power play moments later to put the United States back ahead at 2-1. With less than ninety seconds to go in the quarter Serbia scored again to even the match at 2-2 after one. Halfway through the second quarter it was Serbia taking a lead they would never give up as they pulled ahead 3-2 with 4:22 to play. Serbia followed with another as Nikola Jacksic scored one of his three on the way for a 4-2 lead. Luca Cupido came back with a strike on the next possession to get the United States back within one at 4-3. With under three minutes to go it was Serbia hitting again, this time on the power play for a 5-3 lead. Ben Hallock kept the see-saw battle going, drilling a power play try for a 5-4 game with 2:27 to play. Serbia had the last word as Nikola Dedovic hit on one of his four goals in the match for a 6-4 edge at intermission.

Serbia opened up a three-goal lead in the first minute of the third quarter, leading 7-4. Vavic clawed one back on a power play to make it 7-5. Serbia again went up three at 8-5 but Alex Bowen connected on a power play to keep the USA close at 8-6 with play moving to the fourth quarter. Serbia tightened up their defense over the final eight minutes as they held Team USA scoreless. On the other end Serbia was able to keep their offense going. Two power play goals spelled doom for Team USA as Serbia took the match by four.

Team USA went 5/16 on the power play while Serbia went 7/10 with neither side attempting a penalty shot.

Scoring - Stats

USA 6 (2, 2, 2, 0) M. Vavic 2, R. Dodd 1, A. Bowen 1, L. Cupido 1, B. Hallock 1

SRB 10 (2, 4, 2, 2) N. Dedovic 4, N. Jaksic 3, N. Vico 1, P. Jaksic 1, S. Randelovic 1

Saves - USA - A. Weinberg 15 - SRB - R. Filipovic 10

6x5 - USA - 5/16 - SRB - 7/10

Penalties - USA - 0/0 - SRB - 0/0

International Paralympic Committee (IPC) PRESIDENT PRAISES ACCESSIBILITY IMPROVEMENTS MADE BY CITY OF PARIS

 

Andrew Parsons notes Paris has made more progress in the last seven years than any other Paralympic host city when it comes to accessibility.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons has praised the City of Paris for using the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games to improve accessibility and inclusion in the French capital.

As a result of Paris hosting the Paralympic Games, the City of Paris has invested more than EUR 125 million on a range of initiatives that will make the city more inclusive not just for its residents, but the millions of visitors each year.

Projects implemented by the City of Paris to improve accessibility include:

Developing 17 Enhanced Accessibility Neighbourhoods which ensure a range of accessible public services within 15 minutes of leaving home;

Overground transport infrastructure which includes fully accessible bus lines and tramway system, and the addition of 1,000 accessible taxis;

Adopting a plan to have at least one accessible school within a 15-minute walk of any location in the city by 2030;

Increasing the number of accessible municipal buildings in the city from 45 per cent in 2022 to 95 per cent by the end of 2025;

Increasing to 10,400 the number of sound modules at road junctions, making it easier for persons with a vision impairment to negotiate the city.

Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said: “Hosting the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games has sparked an inclusion revolution in the city. Today, the city is more accessible and inclusive than at any point in its rich and illustrious history, benefitting not just the 185,000 persons with disabilities who live here, but visitors that come here each year as tourists or for business.

“Making such a historic and iconic city more accessible is no easy achievement, and much more work still needs to be done. However, with great vision and dedication the City of Paris has shown that making improvements is possible, even in a city as historic as this.

“In terms of using the Paralympic Games as a catalyst to drive inclusion, each host city begins its journey from a different starting point.

“When the city won the right to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2017, Paris was not in the best place when it came to accessibility.

“However, from their starting point to where they are now, I think Paris has made more progress than any other Paralympic host city during the same period which is a credit to everyone involved.

“This is not to say they have exceeded previous host cities in terms of accessibility, but in seven years they made significant steps forward.

“While challenges still remain in the city, most notably with the Metro system, major improvements have been made to overground transportation which now make it easier for all persons with mobility needs to enjoy the city.”

Although the IPC President was full of praise for the City of Paris’s work, he did stress that much more needed to be done in the future.

“For the City of Paris, the improvements made over the last seven years have been fantastic. They should be regarded however as the starting point of an accessibility journey, rather than the end, and I hope the great progress we have seen leading up to the Games continues following the Closing Ceremony on 8 September,” he said.

A driver for sports participation

In addition to using the Games to improve accessibility in the capital, the City of Paris is also making efforts to increase sports participation amongst persons with disabilities.

More than EUR 10 million has been invested in improving accessibility at six of the capital’s sport facilities, creating a new cornerstone for Para sport in the city.

Amongst the facilities to benefit from investment are the Georges Vallerey Swimming Pool which hosted aquatics events at the Olympic Games Paris 1924, and the Pierre de Coubertin stadium which opened in 1937.

In partnership with Paris 2024 and the French Paralympic Committee, the City of Paris has also worked to encourage the development of inclusive sport clubs, so people with disabilities can more easily find a sport club close to home, with suitably trained coaches.

Originally the goal for Club Inclusif was to establish a 40-strong network of Para sport friendly clubs in the city by 2024. However, such has been its success that 44 clubs have already been trained and form part of the Para sport-friendly club network.

In May 2023 President Emmanuel Macron announced the nationwide expansion of the scheme.

Parsons said: “Not only has the City of Paris made it easier for persons with disabilities to get around the city they have also increased the number of sport clubs that are accessible and have trained coaches ready to bring Para sport to life.

“To make historic venues in the city such as the Georges Vallerey Swimming Pool, an Olympic Games venue in 1924, accessible is a tremendous achievement and highlights how accessibility is possible even in the oldest of buildings.”

“Club Inclusif has really taken off with City of Paris already exceeding its pre-Games target of 40 clubs. Such has been the success that the initiative is now being expanded nationwide by the French government.

“Increasing Para sport participation brings with it so many benefits, ranging from health to empowerment of individuals. It’s a sure-fire winner for a more active and inclusive society.”

Track record for transforming host cities

Since the first edition in Rome, Italy, in 1960, the Paralympic Games have developed a tremendous track record for transforming host cities and countries, advancing the lives of persons with disabilities and anyone with accessibility needs.

In the seven years prior to the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, the Chinese government invested EUR 125 million, making 14,000 facilities across China accessible. China was also among the first signatories of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The London 2012 Paralympic Games led to one in three people in Great Britain changing their attitudes towards disability. By 2018 one million more persons with disabilities were in employment in the UK compared to before London 2012. Although the world’s oldest metro network, 66 London Underground stations, around a quarter of the network, are now step-free.

According to research after the Rio 2016 Paralympics, 79 per cent of Brazilians said the Games improved their perceptions of persons with disabilities. By 2018 the number of persons with disabilities in employment was 49 per cent higher than it was in 2009 when Rio won the right to stage the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

More recently, the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games functioned as a catalyst to improve accessibility on the Tokyo Metro. The number of step-free stations increased from 70 per cent in 2013 to 100 per cent in 2020. The Japanese government introduced new legislation to ensure 1 per cent of new hotel rooms in Japan will be accessible, and approved the Universal Design Act 2020, which redoubled efforts to promote universal design for an inclusive society that is comfortable and accessible to everyone regardless of age, nationality, and ability.

“Previously, we always championed the EUR 125 million spent by the Chinese government on accessibility projects nationwide ahead of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. The fact that the City of Paris is spending a similar amount of money shows you how committed they are to making a difference.

“The absolute benchmark for how a Paralympic Games can transform a city long-term in terms of accessibility is Barcelona,” explained the IPC President. “The 1992 Paralympic Games turned an old port city into one of the most accessible cities in the world. Not all the magnificent work was undertaken before the Games, much of it has taken place in the years since and continues to this day. For the City of Paris, the improvements made over the last seven years should be regarded as the starting point of an accessibility journey rather than the end.”

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games take place between 28 August and 8 September. Tickets for the event start from EUR 15 and can be purchased at: https://tickets.paris2024.org/en/

Eight candidates to run for World Triathlon Presidency

 

World Triathlon is pleased to announce that eight candidates will be running for the Presidency in the upcoming elections, scheduled to take place during the Congress in Torremolinos, Spain, on 21 October, 2024. The current President, Marisol Casado, who has been at the helm for 16 years and is also a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), will not seek re-election. The Presidential elections marks a significant moment in the organization’s history as it welcomes a new leadership era.

The candidates vying for the position are:

Dr. Debbie Alexander (RSA)

Mr. Antonio Alvarez (MEX)

Mr. Antonio Arimany (ESP)

Ms. Michelle Cooper (AUS)

Mr. Mads Freund (DEN)

Mr. Ian Howard (GBR)

Mr. Shin Otsuka (JPN)

Mr. Tamas Toth (HUN)

All eight candidatures have been officially approved by the World Triathlon Credentials Committee, ensuring that each candidate meets the stringent eligibility criteria set forth by World Triathlon. Each candidate submitted their bids, which received endorsements from their respective National Federations, before the designated deadline, confirming their commitment and readiness to lead the organization.