Kirsten Sweetland of Canada breaks the tape to win the triathlon World Cup season opener in Mooloolaba, Australia on Sunday. (Delly Carr/Canadian Press)Canadian Kirsten Sweetland became the first foreign champion at Mooloolaba, Australia, in six years when she won the season-opening World Cup triathlon by 55 seconds Sunday, beating Olympic bronze medallist Emma Moffatt of Australia.
The 20-year-old from Nanaimo, B.C., made a strong comeback from an 18-month injury layoff by dominating the final 10-kilometre run leg to upset pre-race favourite Moffatt.
In the men's race, Australian Courtney Atkinson won his second Mooloolaba title, finishing in one hour 52 minutes five seconds. Kris Gemmell of New Zealand was second in 1:52:16, followed by Australia's Brad Kahlefeldt in 1:52:50.
Sweetland, the 2006 world junior champion, won in 2:02:00, ahead of Moffatt and Switzerland's Daniela Ryf.
Olympic champion Emma Snowsill of Australia, the defending Mooloolaba champion, did not compete due to a rib injury. Snowsill was at the finish line Sunday to congratulate Sweetland.
The Canadian's win was the first by a foreigner since American Barb Lindquist won Mooloolaba in 2003, before it became an ITU World Cup event.
She rated the Mooloolaba course her favourite venue.
"I like hard kind of courses and this is definitely a tough race," said Sweetland, whose injuries included a knee ailment and stress fractures to her heel.
The swim portion of the race, originally scheduled for the ocean, was held in the Maroochy River due to dangerous swells off the coast.
