There was sunshine, rain, crashes and slips in Rome on Saturday morning, but out of chaos came the cool head of Germany’s Nina Eim, securing her second successive World Cup gold in the Italian capital.
Caution was key over the 20km bike, athletes coming off with alarming regularity, but after Eim and the chasers closed the gap on the leaders on lap three, there was something inevitable about the result. Alissa Konig of Switzerland established herself as Eim’s main threat by the midway point of the 5km run, only for the German to pull clear, Belgium’s Jolien Vermeylen hanging tough for an excellent bronze.
“I was not in control until the very end, but my sprint was better than last year,” said a happy Nina Eim after the race. “I had a good swim, worked hard in the first few laps to catch the girls up front, but I saw soo many girls crashing. So I rode carefully, especially in the corners. On the run I didn’t feel great in the first lap but I increased my speed to the end.
I liked the conditions and running in the rain, even riding, though the road was very slippery and dangerous in the corners, but i’m happy that I stayed on my bike and that every girl that crashed is okay. My plan was to run in comfort the first lap and then push harder on the second… the gap opened (with Alissa)... and i’m happy with the fact that I didn’t have to sprint in the last metres!”
Seregni and Vermeylen set the early pace
Eim lined up next to Bianca Seregni (ITA) and Tanja Neubert (GER) on the far right of the pontoon, Emma Jeffcoat (AUS) and Eva Goodison (NZL) far left as the cloud cover improved the line of sight, causing the first half of the swim to split up less than the previous year.
Seregni was soon out at the front, though, Vermeylen having a great leg just off the heels with Jeffcoat, GB’s Olivia Mathias and Therese Feuersinger (AUT).
It was Vermeylen who negotiated the 250m run to the bike fastest and was away, Poland’s in-form Roksana Slupek, Marta Kropko (HUN), Ainsley Thorpe (NZL) and Mathias out together with a 36 second gap to Eim, Nora Gmur (SUI) and Marlene Gomez-Goggel (GER) followed by a big pack.
Soon the front six were working together, Thorpe doing well to catch on, but soon the rain took its toll. She and Slupek went down just before the first climb, leaving Vermeylen and Seregni having to take evasive action and needing work to get back to Mathias, Kropko and Jeffcoat.
Conditions take their toll
At the end of an eventful first lap, 15 chasers were working to get onto leaders, now again including Seregni, Vermeylen yoyo-ing off the front group as chasers got closer after two laps. Gmur then came down and a group of 17 formed up front as the leaders rhythm was shaken by the conditions, Feuersinger and Brea Roderick’s races over early too.
Eim was well set with Mathias and home favourite Constanza Arpinelli, but out of T2 it was Vermeylen the fastest, Kropko with Verena Steinhauser, Alissa Konig and Robin Driejling going well as Jeffcoat stumbled into transition.
Konig and Eim seize the moment
Eim was 5s back onto the but quickly hit the front with Konig and Vermeylen, Mathias into 4th before the front three streaked away.
At the bell they had 6 seconds to the now-flying Nicole Van Der Kaay, Steinhauser and Mathias just off her, but just when it looked like the Kiwi could catch the leaders, a surge put an end to her hopes.
Eim drove home confidently down the long straight to leave Konig chasing shadows, the Swiss claiming her first World Cup podium with silver and a strong bronze for Vermeylen, Van Der Kaay crossed in fourth ahead of Verena Steinhauser and Olivia Mathias in sixth.
