The athletes got their first chance for some real head-to-head racing on Saturday. It promised to be intense with action right from the starting gun and it did not disappoint.

The Eliminator is a three-stage race: swim-bike-run three times over, with a 10-minute break between — just enough time to get back to transition to start again! It’s all about flat-out racing and fast recovery before going again.

Athletes would be eliminated at the end of each swim-bike-run so they’ve got to be up there for a chance to be in the final-round shootout. Who of our elite female and male line-ups would have what it takes to cross the line first and take the victory?

The women were up first and the racing was hot from the gun. Our swimmer’s jersey holder Emma Jeffcoat led out of the swim and onto the bike, showing exactly why she deserves that blue jersey.

“It was awesome to do the blue swimmer’s jersey proud on a brutal but stunning and historic course. I’m hoping to build on today to make for one exciting Equaliser tomorrow,” she said.

Following Jeffcoat out of the water was Danielle De Francesco and Katie Zaferes.

But Zaferes, with a stunning display of power and control, moved quickly into first place on the first bike leg. She didn’t look in any danger as the rest of the field trailed in her wake, taking the victory.

While Zaferes began her recovery, Megan Foley, Elana Danilova, Sarah Alexander, Klaudia Sebok, and Erin Storie were eliminated from the field.

Megan Foley said: “It wasn’t the best race I’ve ever been in — that was the most brutal swim I’ve ever done in my life. There were people on top of me, and there were people swimming on my back so it was brutal. I tried to catch up on the bike but didn’t have the legs, I couldn’t latch on and the elastic broke on the third leg of the bike and it was a rough solo trip from there.”

In the second round and after a 10-minute break the remaining athletes set off from the pontoon with Katie Zaferes taking the victory once again. Desirae Ridenour, Claire Michel and Danielle De Francesco were eliminated.

 Reflecting on her race, Jodie Stimpson said “I was on the edge on that one, this one it going to hurt.”

Then came the final shoot out for victory. The remaining athletes would go head-to-head and this was the one that would count.

“The last one is the only one that matters,” said Zaferes, “so I’ve been trying not to spend too many pennies and really stay within myself knowing the other women are probably playing a strategy back there. So I don’t know if I look stupid or good!”

Katie needn’t have worried about looking stupid; her domination of this day’s racing continued into the third stage as she controlled the field and took a well-deserved win.

“I was a little nervous. I go by feel so you never know how that third round is going to go. It felt really hard. I was happy on the last lap to be going up that hill for the last time. I sure hope to hold it into tomorrow.”

Rachel Klamer took second place having been up there throughout the day.

“I’m super happy! Unbelievable! I wish I could be happy with an eighth or a tenth place — but I’m not, even if I know I did my best I can’t be happy with it. My running was feeling really good on the last lap and I just told myself to believe in myself and just go — Run!!!”

Joanna Brown rounded off the podium in third place.

“The hill was a hill and it didn’t get any less steep no matter how many times we hammered away at it. I love this bike course more than anything, you can showcase your strength as a cyclist. I really tried to use that to my advantage.t was fun”

The men were up next and it didn’t take long for the pontoon to fill with anxious bodies readying themselves for the trial ahead.

In the first round Hayden Wilde took the victory followed home by Jonny Brownlee. Despite the win, Wilde commented on the mixed-bag of round he experienced.

“It was tough. It felt really controlled and comfortable but unfortunately when I came out of the swim I slipped over and grazed my knees. I had to work extra hard to get back in the pack, which I did and then felt really comfortable on the run and thought ‘why not lets go and get the win?’ So I did.”

Following Wilde’s win, the Schofield twins, Ollie Turner, Jack Felix and Igor Polyanskiy were eliminated. Turner felt season’s racing slowing his legs.

“I’m so tired. I felt the strongest on the bike but the course is so tough— that hill!!! On the bike and the run going up the hill is hard, but going down it on the run is equally hard. On the bike I felt my wheels almost go out from under me a few times going into the final bend at the bottom.”

After the first round, Schoeman shared his thoughts on the Malta race course. “It’s  actually pretty tough, I don’t think I’m feeling myself today but let’s see what happens in the next race and the third race.”

Vincent Luis cross the line but clearly had a longer-term strategy. “The first round was quite easy just a warm up”

 In the second round Tyler Mislawchuk took the victory with Jonny Brownlee again in second.

“The was tough. Again, I made mistakes. I’ve got to stop making mistakes. The hill was fine. I like it and I like running down it.”

Hayden Wilde, Andreas Schilling, Jonas Schomburg, Matthew Sharpe and JoãoPereira were eliminated.

Sharpe added, “That was not exactly my jam., It was pretty brutal out there, it was a tough hill. ills aren’t always my strength, I think I need to do a little more work for that. It’s good to be at this level racing these guys.”

Wilde again had a rough turn of events. “I slipped a chain on the bike so lost contact with the group, other than that I was having a real good ride. I bridged the gap but fumbled in transition and lost some seconds there. I didn’t have enough today but I’m keen to give it a go tomorrow and see what I’ve got.”

In the final round shootout it was action piled on action with extra action just for good measure. The speed kept increasing, with lead changes throughout. Richard Murray eventually took the win — his first for five months — in front of Vincent Luis with Henri Schoeman rounding off the podium.

It was a rough round for Schoeman.

“That was tough, the body just wasn’t there. My stomach was bouncing the whole time. I knew I was in trouble from the start. I hung in there and made the last race to see what I had left, But I messed up bad in transition so maybe that cost me second place, but I’m still on the podium. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll bring some more ammo.”

Luis was consolatory.

“That was hard, three rounds with this hill that was crazy. Even the downhill is pretty hard on the last leg. I caught Henri but Richard was too far away, I lost my race in the transition but congrats to Rich he was the fastest today. Tomorrow is another day so I’ll try to be good tomorrow but it’ll be hard for everyone”

“I could have saved some for tomorrow but I thought you know what I’m going to go all out because I know tomorrow is going to be a tough one. I thought if I go really hard today and I win at least I can get some good racing done and walk away with something good from the weekend. It’s been a while since I have seen the top of the podium - the last time I won was in June so it’s been a dry spell of around four months or so. I’m very happy as I like this kind of course. I felt strongest on the bike and thought about trying to get away.”

On Sunday, we have the Equalizer with the starting positions being based off the times from the Swim ITT on Friday.

This second stage’s swim-bike-run-swim-bike-run sequence will see the athletes head off at different time intervals determined by their part one finishing position. The winner is the first athlete across the finish line after the second and final stage.