Elizabeth Brackett Wins 2011 World Triathlon Championship

Elizabeth BrackettElizabeth Brackett

For the third year in a row, Chicago Tonight’s own Elizabeth Brackett won the World Triathlon Championship in her age group (70-74). The ITU World Championship Grand Final was held in Beijing, China.

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Elizabeth finished the nearly 1-mile swim, 25-mile bike ride and 6-mile run in 3 hours, 20 minutes, 46 seconds, beating her nearest rival by almost 16 minutes!

Below, Elizabeth shares some details from her amazing feat.

“It’s a three-peat! I successfully defended my World Title in a race that was both gorgeous and tough. The day began with clear skies, a relief after a hard rain for yesterday’s races. The course is the same course used for the 2008 Olympics and it is spectacular. It is situated in the foothills of the mountains just outside of Beijing.

“I loved the swim in a beautiful quarry with a dam at one end where stands had been erected for spectators. Mountain tops and pagodas floated by as we headed for big square white buoys. It was a no-wetsuit swim, with the water a perfect 78 degrees.

“The bike began with a downhill run followed by a sharp curve, a turn I didn’t quite make. The road rash was pretty ugly but no major body parts were harmed after I slammed into the pavement. I jumped up and got back on, encouraged by the cheering Chinese soldiers who had lined the course at that corner. 

Elizabeth BrackettElizabeth Brackett

“The hills were tough but doable, and the winding downhills were breathtaking -- but I did take it a little easier on the corners.

“It was thrilling to run under the final archway with cheers from the crowd and a new title in hand. The Chinese really know how to do Award ceremonies! It was thrilling to stand on the top of the podium, holding the American flag.

“On the medical front, the Team USA doc, working out of his hotel room, did a great job of sewing the small hole in my leg back together. It seems I found a pretty good rock when I skidded across the pavement. I did have to find a hospital to get a tetanus shot.

My new walking stick was a great help as we hiked, sort of, the Great Wall, which is as fantastic as imagined.”

Congratulations, Elizabeth!

While she was there, Elizabeth also served as a reporter! She reports on the 2011 ITU World Triathlon Championships in the video below:


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