Bermuda’s Flora Duffy and Tyler Butterfield competed in the 2012 La Paz PATCO Triathlon Pan American Elite Championships.
Butterfield overcame a 46-seconds deficit out of the swim, broke away to a minute lead on the bike and then held fast against a blazing run by Canada’s Brent McMahon to claim his first ITU victory taking the top honors in Argentina.
Butterfield’s 19:43 swim was 46-48 seconds slower than Canada’s Brent McMahon and Brian Lamar of the USA, an average of 30 seconds slower than a large pack that included Canada’s Kyle Jones, Jason Wilson of Barbardos, Ben Collins of the USA and Crisanto Grajales of Mexico.
Butterfield then slashed through the field with a race-best 57:52 bike that was between 90 seconds and 2 minutes faster than his toughest competitors – and 24 seconds faster than super-cyclist and legendary South American competitor Oscar Galindez, who was vainly trying to make up ground from a catastrophically slow 21:26 swim.
After a slower-than-average 37 seconds T2 transition, Butterfield had a 1:08 advantage on the closest of the chase group – and 1:16 on McMahon, the most dangerous runner in the field. Butterfield kept a lid on the race with a 5th-best 34:52 10k run which surrendered just 44 seconds to McMahon.
When Butterfield hit the finish tape, his 1:53:36 time was 31 seconds better than runner-up McMahon and 54 seconds better than third place Kyle Jones of Canada.
Twenty-one women from ten countries began the race with a two-lap 1.5km swim and first to emerge from the water was Mexico’s Claudia Rivas. Behind her by 24 seconds was a group of eight women that included Brault and fellow Canadian Kathy Tremblay, along with Pan Am Games bronze medallist Pamela Nascimento Oliveira, Ecuador’s Elizabeth Bravo and Margaret Shapiro of the U.S.
A group of more than ten women came together on the bike which also included American Jillian Petersen, Canada’s Kirsten Sweetland and Bermuda’s Duffy. The group opened up a significant lead on the chase group which included Lauren Campbell and Flavia Fernandes of Brazil.
Duffy eventually finished 12th in the Women’s Elite Race, Duffy recorded an overall time of 2:13:35, she completed the Swim Course in 19:37, she then finished the 1:06:25 and then completed the Run Course clocking 45:23.
Elite Men
1. Ty Butterfield (BERMUDA) 1:53:36 2. Brent McMahon (CAN) 1:54:07 3. Kyle Jones (CAN) 1:54:30 4. Crisanto Grajales (MEX) 1:54:48 5. Gonzalo Raul Tallecha (ARG) 1:54:52 6. Fabio Carvalho (BRA) 1:55:07 7. Diogo Sclebin (BRA) 1:55:21 8. Felipe Van de Wyngard (CHI) 1:55:48 9. Arturo Garza (MEX) 1:56:11 10. Jason Wilson (BAR) 1:56:17 14. Manuel Huerta (USA) 1:57:04 15. Ben Collins (USA) 1:57:10 16. Brian Lamar (USA) 1:57:57 20. Barrett Brandon (USA) 1:59:12 23. Kevin Collington (USA) 1:59:28 26. Dan McIntosh (USA) 2:03:45 DNF Lukas Verzbicas (USA)
