Coming off an off-form 2007 in which she suffered from an infection, back troubles and a recurrence of asthma, three-time International Triathlon Union world champion Emma Snowsill scored an emphatic win at the Mooloolaba BG Triathlon World Cup and slammed the door on Vanessa Fernandes’ attempt to score a record 20th ITU World Cup victory.

Just a year ago at Mooloolaba, Snowsill snapped Fernandes’ 12 World Cup win streak, spoiling her Portugese rival’s attempt to break her tie with Australian legend Emma Carney for the longest winning streak in ITU World Cup history. With Carney watching from the sidelines today, fellow Aussie Snowsill played goalie and shut Fernandes out of her bid to break free of her tie with Carney, who also has 19 career World Cup wins.

"I'm so happy, I feel myself again," Snowsill told ITU media at the finish line. "The problems have dropped away. I feel like I am back where I am supposed to be."

Fernandes, who, despite her record-tying 19 World Cup victories and several third places, had never had a runner-up finish in World Cup competition, was gracious as ever in an ITU post-race interview. "Last year I was third here and this year I was second, so this is better," she said.

Snowsill and Fernandes battle it out on the 10-k run

Photo: Delly Carr

On Sunday, Snowsill and Fernandes started the run on Australia’s Gold Coast running elbow to elbow to the halfway point of the 10km run leg. Then Snowy turned on the jets on her home grounds, finishing with a race-best 33:19 run and a 38-second margin of victory in 2:00:44.

"Everyone always says it would be great to have a head-to-head with Vanessa," said Snowsill, who chuckled at the thought that such struggles with her fierce rival are easy for others to anticipate but much tougher inside the ring. "And I was thinking, 'Great! Here it is. I've got to try and kill myself in a sprint finish with Vanessa.' Home crowd advantage is a great thing."

Fernandes said, "I tried to go at the beginning, but Emma was very strong and was faster than me. I was feeling really good the first two laps, and then I think I broke a little bit and she ran away."

The win ended a long, frustrating year in which Snowsill played second fiddle to Fernandes throughout her incredible 2007. After a history of nipping the Portugese prodigy in all the big races, Snowsill scored distant seconds to Fernandes at Life Time Fitness in Minneapolis, the ITU world championship in Hamburg and the ITU World Cup Olympic preview race in Beijing. Despite Snowsill's great clutch performances in the big races and relative youth (she is 27), some triathlon observers wondered if she had permanently passed the torch to an even-younger (22) Fernandes.

After Mooloolaba, the game is still on to see which of these two greats will ultimately stand higher in triathlon history.

In milder weather than last year’s heatfest, the women’s race came down to a bike breakaway by 24 women and a drag race on the run. Sweden’s Lisa Norden, last year’s Under-23 world champion, had her big breakthrough when she ran a third-best 34:46 to make her first World Cup podium, 45 seconds behind Fernandes and 30 seconds ahead of fourth place Laura Bennett of the USA.

"This was far better than I expected today," Norden told ITU media. "I'm absolutely stoked. I just wanted to run with the fast girls today."

Laura Bennett showed off her early season form

Photo: Delly Carr

Mooloolaba counted heavily in the contest for the final Olympic slots for the Australian and New Zealand women. With veteran Australian standouts Annabel Luxford (2005 world No. 1, was injured and DNFed) and Erin Densham (21st) off the back, newcomer Alee Sharp, competing in just her second World Cup, seems to be this year’s version of 2004 Australian Olympic team longshot Maxine Seear. Sharp outran her more experienced rivals to seventh place, 24 seconds ahead of 2007 world No. 3 Emma Moffat (ninth) and Felicity Abram (12th). Ultimately, the decision will be made by Australian national coach Bill Davoren – but Sharp staked a strong claim for a ticket to Beijing in August.

Among the Kiwi women, Andrea Hewitt’s 14th place finish topped Nicky Samuel’s 20th place and thus stands as the favorite to join already qualified Debbie Tanner (22nd today) and Samantha Warriner (DNS).

2008 Mooloolaba BG World Cup
Mooloolaba Australia
March 30, 2008
S 1.5k/ B 40k/ R 10k

Elite Women's Results
1. Emma Snowsill (AUS) 2:00:44
2. Vanessa Fernandes (POR) 2:02:22
3. Lisa Norden (SWE) 2:02:07
4. Laura Bennett (USA) 2:02:37
5. Andrea Whitcombe (GBR) 2:02:45
6. Olga Zausaylova (RUS) 2:02:50
7. Alee Sharp (AUS) 2:02:52
8. Juri Ide (JPN) 2:03:12
9. Emma Moffat (AUS) 2:03:16
10. Anja Dittmer (GER) 2:03:33
12. Felicity Abram (AUS) 2:04:05
14. Andrea Hewitt (NZL) 2:04:19
20. Nicky Samuels (NZL) 2:05:26
21. Erin Densham (AUS) 2:05:41
22. Debbie Tanner (NZL) 2:06:20
25. Mary Beth Ellis (USA) 2:06:30
35. Evelyn Williamson (NZL) 2:07:56