2016 ITU world champ, Spaniard Mario Mola, has retained his Gold Coast crown after a sprint finish that saw off rivals Fernando Alarza,\u00a0Javier Gomez Noya, and\u00a0Richard Murray.<\/p>\n
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The sprint distance race came down to the final 5km run, with Mola locked in a battle with fellow Spanish athletes\u00a0Alarza\u00a0and\u00a0Gomez, and South African\u00a0Murray. But in the final few hundred metres Mola pulled away from Murray to take his second consecutive Gold Coast win, in a time of 52 minutes and 35 seconds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cIt was a very tough race as usual, but with the sprint, Richard, Fernando and Javi they were all on fire. I had to give 100 percent today to get this win,\u201d Mola said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery race is a new opportunity and a different opportunity to give our best and to try our best. In Abu Dhabi I did not think I was less fit, or more fit than I was today but in this racing these guys are very good. If you don\u2019t have your best day you can go from first to eighth to 20th, that is racing. So to get a good result I am happy to have a good performance.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Murray finished second and Fernando Alarza third. Gomez\u2019s fourth was enough to see him remain the series leader, while Australia\u2019s Jacob Birtwhistle finished fifth, which saw him meet Triathlon Australia\u2019s qualification criteria for a Commonwealth Games spot.
There were no Brits racing.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n