KARLOVY VARY, Cze.— Martin Sobey is in seventh heaven after matching a career-best seventh-place finish on the World Triathlon Championship Series in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic on Sunday.
Two days shy of his 30th birthday, Sobey showcased his strength across all three disciplines while recording a combined time of 1:51:56 to secure his second career top 10 finish on the elite World Triathlon Championship Series circuit.
“I’m very stoked with my race today. Karlovy Vary is a beautiful, but absolutely brutal, race and it took everything out of me,” said Sobey, who was also seventh earlier this year in Japan. “I’m really happy to back up my Yokohama result from earlier this season, and I feel like I’m continuing to improve.”
Sobey, from Charlottetown, P.E.I., was 28th out of the water following the two-lap, 1,500-metre swim, before moving through the field with the 11th-fastest ride over the challenging 40-kilometre bike course where he got off the bike in 27th. He then put down a monster performance on the four-lap, 10-kilometre run, clocking the fourth-fastest run split of the day at 30:09 to surge into seventh place in the 51-man field.
Dorian Coninx, of France, was first across the line with a time of 1:50:50. Great Britain’s Alex Yee was 10-seconds off the leading mark at 1:51:00. Austria’s Tjebbe Kaindl clocked-in at 1:51.07 to take the bronze medal.
Sobey’s breakthrough performance continues a strong season for the Canadian squad. Sobey, was also part of Canada’s silver-medal-winning mixed relay squad at the World Triathlon Cup in Edmonton and bronze-medal-winning team in Chengdu, China. Two weeks ago, three-time Olympian Tyler Mislawchuk, battled to his second-career bronze on the elite triathlon series. Charles Paquet also chalked up his first ever World Triathlon Championship Series podium earlier this year, taking the bronze in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Sophia Howell, of Airdrie, Alta., also suited up in the women’s race on Sunday, but got caught up in a crash and did not finish the race.
“Sophia had a rough crash, but despite that, she was still there cheering me on today. I know she will be back fighting,” said Sobey.
WTCS Men’s Race – Complete Results:
