TRIATHLON

Graham O'Grady Places 5th at 2015 Beijing International Triathlon

By Spin Communications

Fresh off a win at the 2015 Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon, Eric Lagerstrom from the United States wins the 2015 Beijing International Triathlon becoming the first triathlete to win both races back-to-back.

New Zealand's Graham O'Grady finished fifth, three minutes behind Lagerstrom.

Top female professional triathlete Lauren Goss from the United States took first place among the women, giving the United States a first place sweep. This was the first time Lagerstrom and Goss competed in this race. More than 1,600 professional and amateur athletes from more than 23 countries participated in the fourth annual Beijing International Triathlon, on Sunday, September 20.
 
“I never thought I would ever be racing with ‘the greats’ Greg Bennett and Matt Reed,” said 2015 Beijing International Triathlon Winner Eric Lagerstrom. “I grew up seeing these legends, Greg and Matt, on the covers of Triathlete Magazine and to be racing with them and then sharing the podium here in Beijing is unbelievable.”
 
Top Finishers:
Men:       
1. Eric Lagerstrom, USA, 1:54:42
2. Greg Bennett, AUS, 1:55:06
3. Matt Reed, USA, 1:56:59
4. Cesc Godoy, Spain, 1:57:32
5. Graham O'Grady, New Zealand, 1:57:46 

Women:
1. Lauren Goss, USA, 2:07:16
2. Radka Vodickova, CZE, 2:09:43
3. Felicity Sheedy-Ryan, AUS, 2:10:07
 
“The bike course was technical and the run course too with 600-plus stairs,” said 2015 Beijing International Triathlon Winner Lauren Goss. “This was the most beautiful course I have ever raced and the biggest win of my career.”
 
For the second year, the race started and finished amongst the beautiful scenery of Garden Expo Park, in the eco-friendly Fengtai district of Beijing. The Olympic distance race featured a 1.5 km swim through Garden Expo Lake; a challenging 40 km bike race through the villages of Fengtai and up Qian Ling Mountain, the highest peak in Southwest Beijing; and a final 10 km run through the lush gardens and scenic trails of the Garden Expo Park, including a 606-step stair climb. A sprint distance race took place on Saturday, September 19 bringing the total number of participants to more than 1,600 as the popularity of triathlon continues to grow in China.
 
“Running through the lush gardens of the Garden Expo Park and cycling through the ancient villages was an incredible experience,” added Lagerstrom. “I would love to return to Beijing next year to defend my title.”
 
A prestigious field of the world’s top professional triathletes including Olympian Greg Bennett (AUS); Olympian Matt “Boom Boom” Reed (USA); 2015 Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon Champion Eric Lagerstrom (USA); Josh Amberger (AUS); Graham O’Grady (NZL), Cesc Godoy (ESP); Max Fennell (USA); Ruzhuang She (CHN); Olympian Laura Bennett (USA); Olympian Ricarda Lisk (GER); Lauren Goss (USA); Magali Tisseyre (CAN); Caroline Steffen (SVI); Felicity Sheedy-Ryan (AUS); Radka Vodickova (CZE); Mengying Zhong (CHN); and Yi Zhang (CHN) all competed in the Olympic distance race for $100,000 in prize money.
 
The 2015 Beijing International Triathlon was presented by the Fengtai Sports Bureau of Beijing and produced by IMG. For more information, visit www.beijinginternationaltriathlon.com or follow at www.facebook.com/BeijingTri and www.twitter.com/Beijing_Tri.