Ryan Sissons has produced a season best performance at the ITU Stockholm World Series Triathlon, finishing in 6th place to boost his overall ranking and confidence ahead of the season ending Grand Final in Chicago on September 19.
Sissons has threatened a performance of this nature at times this season but this morning delivered on that promise on the back of a superb swim that had the Aucklander emerge from the water side by side with world number one Javier Gomez (ESP), immediately setting the Kiwi up for a strong race with the bike and run to follow.
 Ryan Sissons (left) in Stockholm(Photo: Janos Schmidt / ITU; click to enlarge) |
Sissons finished just 21 seconds off the podium at the tough Stockholm course in a race won by Gomez as the Spaniard consolidated his grip on the number one ranking.
"It was good, I had a pretty good swim in choppy conditions, it was hard to see where you were all the time but I came out on the first lap towards the front which was a nice feeling and on the second lap stayed as close to the front as I could.
"I pretty much chilled out and relaxed as much as I could (on the bike) and managed to get a decent gap on the second group. I didn't have a great T2 which potentially cost me a chance to contend for the podium which would have been amazing but I am still pretty happy with how I finished off the 10k run, I am pretty happy with the direction I am going in considering I haven't had a great season so far.
"The bike I found reasonably hard but nothing excessive, I have been doing a lot of bike work so I enjoy this kind of course and the cobbles and corners. I just put myself in a position where I was always safe but it was always going to be solid and that showed on the run with a few guys blowing up a bit.
"I wasn't working much to be honest, but that was my plan, in Rio a month ago I worked the whole 40k and struggled on the run so this race I decided not to do any work and have a good run so it is nice to see it pay off on the run."
Sissons says this result sets him up for the end of the season in Chicago.
"I will sit out Edmonton, I am going to Font Romeu with Laurent and Andrea and then straight to Chicago. So I hope to have a good race, it is double points the Grand Final so I will definitely hope for another solid race. I have shown today that if I can have another good swim and be with the front pack I can run myself into a decent position."
Sissons performance rounds out a good weekend for the New Zealanders with Andrea Hewitt earning bronze in the women's race yesterday. Sissons is now ranked 25th in the world while 4th ranked Hewitt will chase yet another season-end top three ranking with three Americans ahead of her with two races to go in the season.
Results: ITU World Triathlon, Stockholm
Elite Men
1. Javier Gomez Noya (ESP) 1:49:33
2. Joao Pereira (POR) 1:50:18
3. Aaron Royle (AUS) 1:50:26
4. Henri Schoeman (RSA) 1:50:36
5. Ryan Bailie (AUS) 1:50:42
6. Ryan Sissons (NZL) 1:50:47
7. Vicente Hernandez (ESP) 1:50:53
8. Alessandro Fabian (ITA) 1:51:05
9. Aurelien Raphael (FRA) 1:51:11
10. Fernando Alarza (ESP) 1:51:13
