Article featured in Guelph Now!

University of Guelph cross-country runner Joanna Brown won the bronze medal Saturday at the World Under 23 Triathlon Championships in Auckland, New Zealand.

She finished with a time of 2:14.12 and, at age 20, was the youngest competitor on the podium. It was the first time she competed in the race.

The second-year marketing student was among a group of 12 competitors in a large pack as they came off the bike heading into the 10k run. She was in a pack of the top runners when Non Stanford of Great Britain and Sarissa De Vries of the Netherlands broke away. By five kilometres, Brown had broken away from her pack and maintained her spot to capture the bronze.

The official air temperature was 13.2 C, and the wetsuit swim had a water temperature of 14.6 C.

Previously, Brown won a medal at the 2010 World Junior (Under 20) Championships and was named Rookie of the Year in 2011 for her cross-country running performance at the Ontario University Athletics championships, where she placed 15th.

The U23 Worlds is an important step in the development of many international class triathletes; all of the medallists at this year’s Olympic Games were former U23 medallists.

Brown’s Gryphon teammate Domi Jamnicky placed 29th. The men’s race saw Gryphon Jason Wilson finish seventh overall competing for his native Barbados.