Paralympic fever is rising. With the Games fast approaching, it is time to take a look at the female athletes that secured their slots in Paris after a hectic June that concluded with the World Para Series event in Montreal and saw the Paralympic rankings take their final shape.

To qualify for Paris, athletes had to be ranked in the top-9 in their category of the Paralympic rankings. This applied for all classifications except the women’s PTS3 class. Here, the racing in Paris will see a merger of two classes, with five athletes from the PTS3 category racing alongside nine athletes from the PTS4 group. In total, 50 women’s slots were available through the rankings with a maximum of two being available per national federation. A total of 16 additional slots across the men’s and women’s events were also available, subject to invitations from the Bipartite Commission. With the technical side out of the way, read on to find out who will be at the Paralympic Games.

PTWC

1) Lauren Parker H1 (AUS) 1800.00 points
2) Kendall Gretsch H2 (USA) 1706.25
3) Leanne Taylor H1 (CAN) 1571.22
4) Eva María Moral Pedrero H1 (ESP) 1554.02
5) Jessica Ferreira H1 (BRA) 1540.12
6) Brenda Osnaya Alvarez H1 (MEX) 1397.23
7) Melissa Nicholls H1 (GBR) 1391.18
8) Mona Francis H2 (FRA) 1325.58
9) Emelia Perry H1 (USA) 1313.11

There was no major movement in the PTWC women’s rankings in June. Parker remained at the top of the tree after a series of dominant wins. In the more recent World Para Series races, Taylor won in Swansea, beating Gretsch who in turn won in Montreal. Further down the standings, Francis finished 4th in Swansea to overhaul Perry. In terms of composition, though, the top-9 remained unchanged from earlier in the season.

PTVI

1) Francesca Tarantello B3 (ITA) 1758.75 points
2) Susana Rodriguez B1 (ESP) 1747.50
3) Chloe MacCombe B3 (IRL) 1571.22
4) Anja Renner B3 (GER) 1554.02
5) Annouck Curzillat B1(FRA) 1465.19
6) Heloise Courvoisier B3 (FRA) 1428.34
7) Alison Peasgood B2 (GBR) 1381.99
8) Leticia Freitas B1 (BRA) 1370.60
9) Judith MacCombe B3 (IRL) 1355.89
10) Anna Barbaro B1 (ITA) 1344.63

It is game on. Tarantello vs Rodriguez is shaping up to be a battle for the ages and their contest should produce fireworks in Paris. After Tarantello took home the gold medal in Yokohama in May, Rodriguez chalked up a win of her own in Montreal. The Italian athlete nonetheless ended the qualifying window on top courtesy of her 2023 world title. Rodriguez is the defending Paralympic champion and a proven force but the youngster Tarantello is gathering serious momentum. Meanwhile, a bronze medal in Swansea elevated Peasgood into a qualifying position. In an even later jump, Freitas claimed 4th place in Montreal to break into the top-9 on the very last day of qualification.

PTS2

1) Hailey Danz (USA) 1800.00 points
2) Anu Francis (AUS) 1706.25
3) Allysa Seely (USA) 1698.94
4) Melissa Stockwell (USA) 1562.77
5) Yukako Hata (JPN) 1483.06
6) Veronica Yoko Plebani (ITA) 1429.34
7) Neele Ludwig (GER) 1394.62
8) Cécile Saboureau (FRA) 1350.00
9) Rakel Mateo Uriarte (ESP) 1238.09
10) Emma Juaisca Rodriguez Rodriguez (VEN) 1197.01

Danz has been cream of the crop for much of the qualifying window however June showed she might not have things all her own way in Paris. Wins for Seely in both Swansea and Montreal saw her move up in the rankings while her fellow American Stockwell is a proven force in the PTS2 class and all three were able to qualify for another huge Paralympic showdown.

PTS4

1) Kelly Elmlinger (USA) PTS4 1800.00 points
2) Marta Francés Gómez (ESP) PTS4 1557.69
3) Megan Richter (GBR) PTS4 1526.25
4) Hannah Moore (GBR) PTS4 1512.47
5) Elise Marc (FRA) PTS3 1510.00
6) Grace Brimelow (AUS) PTS4 1500.00
7) Sally Pilbeam (AUS) PTS4 1451.82
8) Emma Meyers (USA) PTS4 1445.28
9) Kirsty Weir (RSA) PTS4 1366.25
10) Camille Seneclauze (FRA) PTS4 1357.43
11) Kendra Herber (USA) PTS4 1348.40
12) Elke Van Engelen (GER) PTS4 1344.37
13) Hannah MacDougall (AUS) PTS4 1289.49
14) Mami Tani (JPN) PTS4 1275.10
15) Kelly Worrell (USA) PTS4 1184.95
16) Kenia Yesenia Villalobos Vargas (MEX) PTS3 1155.93
17) Cassie Cava (IRL) PTS3 1150.67
18) Atalia Nevo (ISR) PTS4 1146.77
19) Carmen Gonzalez Sanchez (ESP) PTS4 1059.34
20) Anna Plotnikova (AIN) PTS3 1058.99
24) Rachel Watts (USA) PTS3 329.44

To start with the simpler aspect, the five PTS3 athletes have secured their places. Marc proved too good for her rivals on multiple occasions to end the qualifying window as the top athlete from the category. Cava of Ireland nearly took the next spot after some promising results but could not get past Villalobos. Plotnikova and Watts then received the final two slots.
It was the PTS4 class that proved a little more complex. Elmlinger was again the standout athlete of the qualifying window and ended the period with a healthy lead at the top of the rankings. A win for Moore in Swansea bumped her up the standings while the form of Richter likewise saw her jump up by multiple places. Seneclauze and Van Engelen were the final women to qualify in the PTS4 class and held off several athletes that came close to pipping them. Herber and MacDougall were two close contenders, with the latter gaining a lot of places courtesy of finishes of 3rd in Swansea and 5th in Montreal, but both ultimately missed out.

PTS5

1) Grace Norman (USA) 1750.00 points
2) Claire Cashmore (GBR) 1747.50
3) Kamylle Frenette (CAN) 1612.77
4) Lauren Steadman (GBR) 1557.69
5) Gwladys Lemoussu (FRA) 1529.34
6) Alisa Kolpakchy (UKR) 1453.65
7) Marta Dzieciątkowska (POL) 1408.75
8) Andrea Miguelez Ranz (ESP) 1374.03
9) Monika Belczewska (POL) 1341.19
14) Laura-Liis Juursalu (EST) 1092.41

The women’s PTS5 class was a case of home wins to wrap up the qualifying window. Cashmore triumphed on British soil in Swansea while Frenette came away with the gold medal in Montreal after taking silver in Swansea. A bronze medal for Kolpakchy in Montreal saw her move up a spot while a bronze for Belczewska similarly handed her 9th place. The overarching story of the PTS5 class, though, has been the continued, unfaltering excellence of Norman and she heads to Paris as the world champion.

After striking gold at the World Cross Triathlon Championships yesterday, Michele Bonacina (ITA) and Marta Menditto (ITA) will have the chance tomorrow to claim another world title. The cross duathlon racing will see a return to the Pallarenda Park venue and the athletes that have chosen to tackle both the cross triathlon and cross duathlon events should have a degree of familiarity with the nature of the course.

The cross duathlon will run through a two-lap 6km run, a single lap of 20.5km on the bike and then a final 3.5km lap on the run. The bike contains a total of 296m of elevation while on each of the run laps the athletes will tackle a sharp hill. Technical sections also abound throughout the course. Given that Bonacina and Menditto have already thrived at the venue, the challenge therefore stands for one of their rivals to produce something special tomorrow morning.

Elite women

As things stand, Menditto is the obvious favourite. She was the fastest cyclist at the World Cross Triathlon Championships in Pallarenda and narrowly missed the fastest run split of the day. With her comparatively weakest discipline, the swim, removed, she should be an even more difficult opponent to beat.

Nevertheless, she will be up against the 3rd and 4th place finishers from the cross triathlon event. Maeve Kennedy (AUS) goes again after claiming a maiden international medal yesterday. She impressed across all three disciplines in the cross triathlon and her recent performance may provide an invaluable psychological boost. Jacqueline Allen (GBR) will likewise race after coming close to winning a medal yesterday. An experienced operator, Allen will likely be in the mix from the outset. 

One athlete that will not start, though, is Charlotte McShane (AUS). The home star was unfortunately injured by a collision with another athlete during the duathlon mixed relay on Sunday. As a result, her racing in Townsville has been put to a premature end.

Elite men

In much the same manner as the women’s race, those competing in the men’s event face the conundrum of defeating the newly-crowned world cross triathlon champion. Bonacina was imperious on his way to gold and was the fastest runner of the day. On paper, then, he holds a crucial advantage when it comes to the first and third legs tomorrow.

On the other hand, there are reasons for some of his rivals to be confident. Benjamin Forbes (AUS) will be a prominent threat after coming away with the bronze medal yesterday. In that respect, the crucial detail to note is actually that Forbes clocked the quickest bike split of the cross triathlon field. Indeed, his time was 58 seconds quicker than Bonacina’s. Without the swim, where Forbes lost time, the two men could be much closer together, although Bonacina does have the advantage on the run. Should Forbes unleash something spectacular on the mountain bike course, which is his natural domain, he could come away with the world title.

Moreover, Lukas Kocar (CZE) showed hints of the danger his poses in off-road racing as he rode with Bonacina at the World Cross Triathlon Championships yesterday until a puncture compromised his race. Should he have a clean run this time, he could prove a handful. The men’s cross duathlon is by no means clear-cut then and you can follow the action across World Triathlon social channels from 07:50 AEST.

The women’s race at the World Cross Triathlon Championships proved to be one of the brightest spots of an otherwise overcast morning in Townsville, Australia. After Michele Bonacina earned the men’s title, Marta Menditto (ITA) was on hand to match the achievement of her compatriot. The 2023 European champion used a fantastic bike split to seize control of the race and from there she did not look back.

Samantha Kingsford (NZL) and Maeve Kennedy (AUS) were the first to complete the 1km sea swim and they could hardly have tamed the waves better had they been armed with Poseidon’s trident. Menditto lost 50 seconds to Kingsford in the water and had an uphill task – both figuratively and literally – heading onto the bike.

“On the swim it was like being in a washing machine,” said Menditto. “I used my technical skills on the bike to catch the girls in front of me and I tried to get a gap at the end of the bike.”
Her field-leading split of 56:16, the quickest by 44 seconds, was enough to vault into the lead. Close behind her, though, was Romy Spoelder (NED). In addition, Kennedy remained in contention ahead of a string of women also battling to stay in the mix. After the race Kennedy noted, “At one point I think I had five girls behind me and slowly a few dropped off. Then it was three of us pushing all the way to the finish line and we could see each other on every corner, off every straight, and it was full on from start to finish.”

Fortunately, the elite women were also spared the shock experienced by the technical delegate guiding the leading age-groupers on the same course when a snake fell from the trees onto their bike.

Out of T2, Menditto maintained her lead over Spoelder and Kennedy. Spoelder then had the quicker run time over the 6km albeit by a slender margin of 3 seconds. Menditto therefore held on to secure her world title while her Dutch rival took 2nd place. There was double delight for Spoelder as she also added the World U23 title to her haul too.

When asked about the race and the tense finish, Spoelder said, “I really enjoyed it. I liked the course a lot, it was a really fun race. It was a bit of a battle on the run for 2nd and 3rd place and on the second lap of the run I thought ‘I just need to be as much in front on the beach and we will see’.”

Kennedy then secured the bronze medal, her first from three international appearances. Australia could also celebrate Ash Watts (AUS) winning the World Junior Cross Triathlon title at the start of the day.

Stay tuned for the next batch of racing in Townsville as the off-road action continues with the cross duathlon events on Wednesday. You can discover all you need to know across all World Triathlon channels.

In the end, there was no stopping Michele Bonacina (ITA) in the cross triathlon at the World Multisport Championships. The Italian athlete arrived in Townsville as one of the favourites for the win after striking gold at the 2023 European Cross Triathlon Championships but this was not a day in which he had any true rivals. A crushing margin of victory of 1 minute 49 seconds confirmed his supremacy. Behind Bonacina, though, the race for silver and bronze was closely fought for the entire race.

The waves were out in force as the sea was significantly choppier than it had been in the days leading up to the race. Four men fared better than the rest in the water and earned a solid lead into T1. Ben Allen (AUS) used all of his considerable experience to navigate the waves and was the first to exit. Hugo Jan Bosscher (NED), Bonacina and Sam Osborne (NZL) were the others to follow Allen. Lukas Kocar (CZE), the silver medallist at the 2023 edition of the race, was next out but with a deficit of 30 seconds he had work to do.

Kocar promptly hammered round the opening stages of the bike and closed in on the leaders. At the front, Bonacina took over the lead and did not look back. It seemed Kocar would go with him until a puncture thwarted the Czech athlete’s race. Meanwhile, Benjamin Forbes (AUS) detonated a remarkable bike split of 47:47, the fastest of any man by 27 seconds. His efforts took him past Allen, Bosscher and even Osborne. Bonacina, however, remained out of reach.

With his lead virtually unassailable off the bike, Bonacina had plenty of breathing space with which he could enjoy the run. Nevertheless, he did not ease up. Instead, he ripped the fastest run split of the field (23:40) to seal his superlative victory and when he rounded the final corner taking him from the beach to the blue carpet there was no one else in sight.

Further back, Forbes was the next onto the run but Osborne hared after him. The experienced New Zealander, a former medallist at the World Cross Triathlon Championships, proved too canny on the undulating parts of the route and too fast on the flats. After out-splitting Forbes by a minute, he came through to secure 2nd place. Forbes then completed the podium in 3rd place.

“I’m so happy about my performance,” said Bonacina after the race. “I wasn’t so good in the swim but I stayed in the first pack. We were three at the beginning of the bike and then I tried to take a big gap with Lukas (Kocar) but I saw that he had a puncture so I remained alone on the bike and then I tried to manage the gap on the run.”

Osborne noted how challenging the course and racing was. “It was tough, a little bit shorter than what I’m used to as I’ve been on the 70.3 circuit all year; bit of a shock to the system! The swim was crazy fast and there was quite a bit of wind out there so it was pretty hard with the chop. And then the bike, we were probably riding for not much over 50 minutes so it’s just like all in the entire time, and the run’s kind of the same. It was just so hard and so fast.”

“Great course, loved it!” added Forbes. “It was a proper mountain biker’s course. The bike was fast and then the run was painful. I had a stitch for the whole first lap and then it opened up. I was so done by the end, I was just trying to hang on.”

On a related note, Ryno Owen (RSA) claimed the World U23 title despite taking a tumble that left him bloodied as when he then crossed the line. He was understandably delighted with the first elite international win of his career.

The World Multisport Championships are heading off-road. Following the elite duathlon action across Friday and Sunday, cross triathlon will be the next sport on offer in Townsville and the athletes will be taking on a particularly exciting course. Opening proceedings will be a 1km sea swim. Helpfully, the crocodiles of the area have migrated north for the winter in search of warmer climes.

Next up will be a 20.5km bike course with several sharp climbs, including one larger one around the 18km mark that could catch a few out. To conclude, the athletes will complete a two-lap 6km run replete with some steep ascents and treacherous descents. It will not be a race for the faint-hearted by any means. Read on to find out who some of the key names to watch might be.

Elite women

Sandra Mairhofer will not be in Townsville after winning the world title in this event last year. Indeed, none of the podium from Ibiza return. In their place, one name to watch may be Marta Menditto (ITA). The Italian athlete claimed the European title in 2023. She also managed a result of 6th place in Ibiza. With no international results in 2024, her form is a little hard to gauge but should she arrive in top form she will be a sturdy opponent.

Carina Wasle (AUT) finished 4th at the European Cross Championships earlier this year and could potentially build on that result. The Austrian champion has enjoyed a lengthy and successful career across the multisport disciplines and actually won the European Cross title in 2010 and the World Winter Triathlon crown in 2009.

Charlotte McShane (AUS) continues her multisport odyssey in Townsville. She placed 7th in the individual duathlon event after feeling unwell in the morning of the race. With tomorrow’s race to be opened with a more familiar swim start, she might threaten the podium. Elsewhere, McShane’s compatriot Kate Bramley (AUS) won the Oceania title in her last international appearance in 2020. Another starter in Townsville, Jacqueline Allen (GBR), finished 2nd at the same event in the Snowy Mountains and likewise not back since. On their days, both Bramley and Allen could tear up the off-road course.

Elite men

In the elite men’s race, the defending champion Felix Forrissier will not be competing. His absence therefore opens the door for Lukas Kocar (CZE) to upgrade his silver medal from last year. Kocar also added a silver medal at the 2023 European Cross Championships and so has proven his ability at the highest level. That being said, he has not raced internationally in 2024 and his form does carry a slight question mark.

Meanwhile, Michele Bonacina (ITA) arrives in a similar position to his fellow Italian Menditto. Bonacina won the European Cross Triathlon title in 2023 and finished 7th at the World Championships. However, at the 2024 edition of the European Championships Bonacina slipped to 7th place. The field also contains a mixture between experienced hands like Ben Allen (AUS) and up and coming contenders like Hugo Jan Bosscher (NED). On a challenging course, one mishap could reshape the race and the field is more than capable of exploiting the presentation of any such opportunity.

Stay up to date with all the latest from Townsville across all World Triathlon channels.

Two days after the World Duathlon Championships were decided in Townsville, the athletes returned for the 2x2 Mixed Relay. In this event, one man and woman compete in a team with each leg consisting of a 1.7km run, 5km bike and a 900m run. Each athlete raced twice in alternating fashion.

France took their place on the start line as the favourites with women’s world champion Marion Legrand (FRA) and men’s bronze medallist Thomas Laurent (FRA) primed for further success. However, with a home team cheered on by the local support, a dangerous Belgian duo and further challenges in the guise of Japan and Britain, a French win was by no means a foregone conclusion.

First leg

Arnaud Dely (BEL) got out to a strong start although Laurent tracked him without giving up more than a couple of metres. Luke Bate (AUS) likewise pushed to remain in touch with the flying Belgian. Entering T1, the rest of the field had been put on the back foot as the leading three countries struck ahead. Their gap only grew from there, however Bate lost valuable seconds in T2. Dely and Laurent could not be separated over the final 900m run and matched one another stride for stride before handing over to their female teammates. Bate followed, having kept Australia 30 seconds ahead of their British rivals.

Second leg

World duathlon champion Legrand took off at the start of the run and gained time over Jeanne Dupont (BEL), the bronze medallist in the individual race. Her advantage only grew as the run wore on. Kelsey Mitchell (AUS) managed to keep Dupont within sight but of greater note was that Phoebe Barker (GBR) had whittled down her deficit to the Australian athlete. All she had to do was bridge to her rival on the bike and then together they would be able to set after Dupont, one of those tasks that invariably is easier on paper than in reality.

Disaster then struck for Dupont. At the dead turn at the end of the first bike lap she came unstuck and then lost minutes battling with a jammed chain. Barker, having managed to catch Mitchell, rode past Dupont however the Belgian athlete was not willing to go down without a fight. Through T2, Barker then escaped the attention of Mitchell and her flying run split then gave James Hodgson (GBR) a considerable lead over Bate. Ai Ueda (JPN) also rolled back the years to heave Japan back into medal contention as she finished only 5 seconds behind Mitchell. Meanwhile, Legrand handed Laurent a lead so healthy it came with its own medical approval.

Third leg

It was on the third leg that the unique feature of the 2x2 relay came into play. Laurent had delivered fantastic first leg and the question was could he do it again? The answer proved to be simple. Yes. He could. By the end of his second leg he handed over a lead of 1:20 after producing a faultless performance. Further back, Hodgson and Bate continued their skirmish but Japan refused to go down quietly as Ryosuke Kaneda (JPN) pushed to close the gap. Hodgson would ultimately have the final say as he gave Britain a 14 second lead over Australia.

Fourth leg

With Legrand untouchable, the gold medal was never in doubt across the final leg. She therefore crossed first to take a second world title in Townsville to the acclaim of the packed crowd. Barker followed in 2nd place after a starring display of her own for the British team. The bronze medal, though, remained very much alive.

Dupont rallied late to re-enter the fray but some last-ditch heroics from Ueda launched her past Mitchell and into 3rd place, adding another medal to her illustrious career. Such was the joy of the Japanese team at the finish line, this medal may just go down as one of Ueda’s most special. The home team settled for 4th place after Mitchell withstood a final charge from Dupont and Belgium placed 5th.

What they had to say:

Thomas Laurent: “It was a good battle with the Belgians at the start. And after I passed on to Marion she did a great job.”

James Hodgson: “it was a really hard, fast first run and I just tried to hold it together on that bike to keep Phoebe in it.”

Phoebe Barker: “James put in a great effort on that first leg to keep us in contention and I just knew if I took out that first run and bike I could take the time out of the Aussies.”

Ai Ueda: “He (Ryosuke Kaneda) did a very good performance and it was exciting. It was very short and very fast.”

Check out all of the results so far from the elite and age-group action in Townsville here and follow all the updates from the World Multisport Championships across all World Triathlon social channels.

For the first time in World Triathlon history, the 2024 World Triathlon Multisport Championships in Townsville awarded a separate set of medals to athletes with Intellectual Impairment that are competing at the event – even if this impairment is currently not considered under the Para triathlon classification system but is an IPC-recognised impairment.

World Triathlon Executive Board aproved this year to give recognition to athletes with Intellectual Impairment who have already qualified in the Age-Group events, with the full support of the Intellectual Impairment Working Group that has been seeking for opportunities for these athletes alongside World Triathlon or entities such as Virtus and Special Olympics for the last two years.

The athletes competing in Townsville met their National Federation qualification criteria and followed the standard registration process, and have already competed in the first two events of the Multisport Championship, the Sprint distance Duathlon World Championships and the Standard Distance Duathlon Championship.

Georgia Powning (AUS) and Cameron Marshall (AUS) received a gold medal for their participation at the Sprint distance duathlon; Montana Whiteley (AUS) and Carlo Manolitsas (AUS) a silver medal, and Clara Campillos (AUS) and Andre Ascui (AUS) a bronze medal. Cameron Marshall and Montana Whiteley also received a gold medal for their participation at the Standard Distance Duathlon.

Para Duathlon World Championships

In the Para Duathlon World Championships, Matthew Engesser (AUS) was the faster around the course in the PTS4 category, finishing ahead of France’s Mathieu Rella and New Zealand’s Kurt Peterson.

Fiona Southorn of New Zealand claimed the PTS5 women’s title in the Para Duathlon, crossing the line in 1:14:43. John Domandl (AUS) was the winner and only participant in the PTVI class, stopping the clock on 01:30:45. Diego Alfonso Lares Garcia, from Mexico, was the winner in the PTS2 class, while Bruce Jordan (NZL) is th new World Duathlon champion on the PTS5 category.

When Benjamin Choquert (FRA) arrived in Townsville, he knew he had a golden opportunity to win the world title in the elite men’s duathlon. A year prior, Mario Mola had denied him in Ibiza but with his Spanish rival absent Choquert had an opening to reclaim the crown he first won in 2019. Yet with the reigning European champion, Arnauld Dely (BEL), and the defending bronze medallist from Ibiza, Krilan Le Bihan (FRA), in the field, Choquert’s task was by no means simple. That trio led through the opening lap of the 5km run, with Le Bihan holding a slender advantage, and the action only intensified from there.

The three contenders led into T1 at the head of a scattered line of athletes. However, a pack of nine men soon formed around them on the bike and suddenly it was anyone’s game. Moreover, with the chase pack less than 20 seconds in arrears, the leaders were by no means safe. The packs did indeed merge to put fourteen together at the front which inspired a late spate of attacks. Nicolas Schyns (BEL) capitalised and curried a small lead into transition.

Out of T2, Javier Martin Morales (ESP) took over the lead before Le Bihan returned to the front. Choquert lurked in a dangerous position behind his compatriot but Dely struggled with the searing pace. Entering the final stretch, the race hung in the balance.

Choquert timed his move to perfection and made it into the blue carpet first. It looked to all that he would power to the line first even as Martin fought to regain the crucial few metres that separated them. In the most dramatic of finales, though, the Spanish athlete then stormed past Choquert with metres to spare and snatched the gold medal away.

“I don’t believe it!” exclaimed Martin at the finish. “Last year I couldn’t run this race in Ibiza because I ran the Marathon des Sables. This is very different racing but I love it.”

Choquert had to settle for a second consecutive silver while there was further success for France as Thomas Laurent (FRA) finished 3rd.

Separately, the junior men’s title was won by Fletcher Medway (AUS) after a star turn on the bike where he out-split his nearest rival by almost a minute. Divan De Vries (RSA) had the fastest run of the day and closed in on Medway but ultimately settled for silver. Finally, Caleb Wagener (NZL) came away with the bronze medal.

Marion Legrand (FRA) got the elite racing at the World Multisport Championships off to an electric start with a bravura performance in the women’s duathlon. A cool breeze offered the athletes a slight respite from the Queensland heat however Legrand was in no mood to offer the same to her rivals.

“It feels really amazing to be the Duathlon World Champion,” said Legrand after the race. “I was inspired by the French team at the Olympic Games in Paris and I wanted to do well also in the duathlon. Today was my main goal for this season and I am very happy with my performance. I want to dedicate today’s race to my wife, she couldn’t race here because she is injured but she was here today with me in my heart”.

Eager to impress before an audience of fellow Australians, Richelle Hill (AUS) shot into an early lead on the run. She was tailed by Aspen Anderson (AUS), who won the Oceania Junior Championships in triathlon earlier in the year. Phoebe Barker (GBR), reigning European champion Legrand and Ai Ueda (JPN) were also among the front group that jostled for the early lead with Hill, as was Jeanne Dupont (BEL). Charlotte McShane (AUS) dangled off the back of the lead group, though, in a shift from her standard triathlon racing.

After the second lap of the opening run, the field splintered and Barker led Legrand and Hill into T1. Barker could not live with the tempo set by her fellow leaders during the first of the four bike laps and fell back. By the end of the 20km Legrand and Hill carried a lead of over a minute into T2. A late injection of speed put Legrand into transition first and she extended her lead with a fast changeover. The race was then soon settled within the opening salvo of the run.

Already the European champion, Legrand powered home to seal a maiden world title. Meanwhile, Hill consolidated her position and took home the World U23 title alongside her senior silver medal. “I am so happy. I didn’t expect this coming into this race, but the crowds lifted me,” said Hill. “It was amazing to hear them and to be able to race with them today. I know that I’ve raced today with some of the best duathletes in the world, especially Marion Legrand. I saw her bike skills and it was amazing. My coach told me to go conservative but when I was on top of the hill on the first lap I thought… oh no, I am not going conservative at all. But I knew I had the legs so I just went on”.

Shortly after, Dupont crossed for 3rd place overall and 2nd in the U23 standings. She said she was “very happy” after the race. ”I was injured coming here so I am super pleased with my performance today.” Anderson would later round out the U23 podium.

Earlier in the day, Lulu Johnson (NZL) secured the junior women’s world title with a commanding victory in which she led from start to finish. Completing the medallists were Lucie Francis (AUS) and Hannah Pollock (AUS).

Georgia Bell was Great Britain’s 1500 metre Olympic bronze medallist at Paris 2024, but just 12 months ago, with Paris nothing more than a distant dream, Georgia was crowned the Duathlon World Champion in the 30-34 age category at the Ibiza Multisport World Championships. This week, with the Townsville 2024 edition of the annual festival of all things multisport getting underway,  the World Triathlon Podcast welcomes her to reflect on a whirlwind year, flying from an Age-Grouper on the blue carpet to the Stade de France and the biggest stage in the world, and why her love of cycling is here to stay.

“It was a bit of an interesting transition, I guess, from triathlon to track. I was originally a track runner when I was younger and then through COVID took up cycling, um, and just realized that you could do triathlon without the swim. Which is very appealing to me… I don’t love swimming.”

You can listen to the full episode on Apple, Spotify and wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Georgia Bell was born in Paris, lives in South London, and was the UK’s top 1500m runner at the age of 15. After earning a track scholarship to University in California, she moved to the USA to pursue her dream on the NCAA circuit, but fell foul of a volume of training and racing that compounded emerging injury problems, causing her run times to dip along with her love of the sport. Soon the spikes were hung up, possibly for good.

It was back in Paris, via an Ibiza Multisport World Championship title, that her destiny on the track would be complete. After scoring a first sub-4-minute time at the pre-Olympic Diamond League meet in the French capital, she then smashed that time once again to win Olympic bronze on the final Saturday of the Games in a packed Stade de France. And the woman who still has ‘duathlete’ proudly in her Instagram handle is in no doubt where some of the secret powers came from.

“When you’re out cycling on the roads with a group of people, you don’t want to get dropped because you could be on a three, four hour ride. You just have to kind of hang on, even though you’re in pain, and that’s a good kind of mindset.”

“I honestly just think there’s got to be a connection between the kind of results that I’m running now… like I’m running faster than I’ve ever run… and I’ve been doing three, four years of cycling now, doing a hundred miles a week. I’d never done that in the past, so I do just think it’s where all my endurance comes from and it’s allowed me to stay injury free. Cycling will never go out of the program and, yeah, I’m very happy about that. I love cycling.”

As well as discovering cycling, Georgia rediscovered her love of running during the pandemic, clocking some rapid Park Run times and getting back in touch with Trevor Painter, her coach from the early days as an exciting teenage talent who trains a group in Wigan that includes Keeley Hodgkinson, the Paris 2024 800m gold medallist.

“The big goal for me was to try and make the (GB duathlon) team last year for the world champs and I was really happy to get the win on the day for my age group. I did not think that I would be at the Olympics back on the track a year later.”

“Afterwards it was kind of like, ‘okay, what, what now?’ Then I started training a little bit more with the group that are based in Manchester, with Trevor Painter’s group… and that gave me an indication that I was getting quite good at it, being able to hang on to Keeley Hodgkinson made me think that actually, perhaps I should focus a little bit more time looking at the track.”

Anyone who witnessed that remarkable final, in which Bell had to run 3m52s to win the bronze, knows they saw something truly special. But it looks like the prospect of a return to the world of multisport and future duathlon competition isn’t out of the question.

“It just goes to show when you have these athletes in the race and these huge stadiums and great atmosphere… you can run so much faster than you ever thought was possible. Now the calendar for running next year gets interesting because they’ve pushed back the worlds to be middle to end of September… So I am actually looking to do some cycling in the middle. Like I’d like to potentially do a duathlon again. But I also would love to climb some more of the stages of the Tour de France… And best of luck to everyone competing this week in the age group championships. Have a lot of fun.”

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The opening races of the 2024 World Multisport Championships in Townsville, Australia, will get underway tomorrow and the duathlon events will kick things off. A two-lap 5km run will launch the race with a 20km bike consisting of four laps along the beach front to follow. Rounding things off will be a final run lap of 2.5km that looks to be deceptively challenging.

Entering the race, the home Australian team will have several candidates hoping to open the championships with a gold medal. At the same time, the elite duathlon fields contain significant threats, including both of the reigning European champions.

Elite women

Charlotte McShane (AUS) will be taking a slight detour from her standard triathlon course as the WTCS star tackles the first event of a packed World Multisport Championship schedule. Although McShane did not make it onto her country’s Olympic team, she nonetheless arrives in Townsville in good form. Three months ago she nabbed an impressive victory at the Oceania Super Sprint Championships. While the duathlon may not be her typical stomping ground, her extensive experience will no doubt come in handy.

On the note of experience, the evergreen Ai Ueda (JPN) will be another on the hunt for a medal. A multiple WTCS medallist over a storied international career, Ueda took the bronze medal at the equivalent race at the 2023 World Multisport Championships in Ibiza. Similarly, Louisa Marie Middleditch (SIG) will be racing with the top start number and won the African duathlon title in her last international outing in April.

The name to watch, though, may be Marion Legrand (FRA). The French athlete is the reigning European champion after delivering a masterful performance in Coimbra earlier this year, defending the honours she claimed in 2023. The duathlon format plays to Legrand’s strengths and she will likely prove a formidable opponent in the women’s race.

Elite men

In the men’s race, Emile Blondel Hermant (FRA) wears number 1 after taking 4th place at the European Duathlon Championships in Coimbra earlier this year. The French athlete made his return to the international scene after an extended absence at last year’s World Long Distance Duathlon Championships. That day he finished 2nd. Now, over the shorter format, he seeks the gold.

His compatriot Benjamin Choquert (FRA) will be a tough rival to overcome. Choquert claimed the silver medal at last year’s World Duathlon Championships. In the absence of the defending champion, Mario Mola, Choquert can be regarded as the frontrunner for the win. Elsewhere, from the home team Luke Bate (AUS) will likely be one to fly the flag. The Australian athlete has already claimed two Asia Cup victories on the triathlon scene this year, in Subic Bay and Osaka, and as such is in fine fettle.

As with the women’s race, though, the athlete to watch will on balance be the European champion. Arnaud Dely (BEL) was excellent as he earned his continental title earlier this year. In Ibiza last year, he narrowly missed the podium at the World Multisport Championships as he finished 4th and will look to make a step up this time round. Should he bring the same form as that which he showed in Coimbra, he could light up Townsville.

Catch all the duathlon action live on TriathlonLive from 14:50 (AEST), 06:50 (CEST) and 05:50 (BST) and stay up to date with all the latest from Townsville across all World Triathlon channels.

The triathlon world is making its way to Tropical North Queensland this week with the 2024 World Triathlon Multisport Championships Townsville set to get underway. And the party kicked-off in style with the fabulous Parade of Nations, welcoming the 3,048 athletes representing 38 National Federations that will compete in the next 12 days on the 19 World Championships in dispute. Conditions are perfect and races are a go!

The 2024 World Triathlon Multisport Championships Townsville is set to be the largest mass participation event ever held in the region, with thousands of athletes and supporters from around the world already in the city.  The action got underway this Thursday with the Parade of Nations and Opening Ceremony at Strand Park, but the action will heat up this Friday, with the Duathlon World Championships opening the stage.

The Multisport Championships will see Sprint and Standard Duathlon, Cross Triathlon and Cross Duathlon, Aquathlon, Long Distance Triathlon, and Aquabike, World Championship races organised together, with all events to be held in close proximity to the centre of Townsville.

Racing will be split across two venues, with road-based events of Duathlon, Aquathon, Long Course Triathlon and Aquabike to be based out of Jezzine Barracks. Offroad events of Cross Triathlon and Cross Duathlon are to be hosted at the beautiful Cape Pallarenda Conservation Park. Both venues are within easy reach of the event hub at Strand Park, with Jezzine Barracks a 10-minute walk and Pallarenda Park a 12-minute drive.

“When elite and age group athletes, para triathletes and intellectually impaired athletes, share the same stage, we witness the full spectrum of what triathlon can and should be. It’s a powerful statement about the enduring spirit of our community and the limitless potential within each of us. Together, we are stronger and these events inspire the next generation of triathletes and reaffirm that excellence is ageless, and that sportsmanship never goes out of style”, said Oceania Triathlon and World Triathlon Board Member, Michelle Cooper, during the Opening Ceremony.

“For the next 12 days, this vibrant region of North Queensland will be the epicenter of global multisport, hosting the largest sporting spectacle ever held in Townsville. But beyond the competition, these championships are about more than just winning medals. They are about camaraderie, cultural exchange, and the shared joy of pushing our limits in pursuit of excellence. From the Opening Ceremony and Parade of Nations to the Closing Ceremony and Party, these 12 days will be packed with excitement, fun, and unforgettable moments. On behalf of World Triathlon, I want to extend our deepest gratitude to the City of Townsville, Australia Triathlon, the local organizers, and all the volunteers who have worked tirelessly to make this event possible. To the athletes, I wish you the very best of luck – may you achieve your personal bests and create memories that will last a lifetime”, said World Triathlon Secretary General, Antonio Fernandez Arimany, before declaring officially the 2024 World Triathlon Multisport Championships Townsville open.

 

 

Amidst the glory and drama of Paris, the individual events had wider implications beyond the Olympics themselves. Following the precedent set with the Tokyo Games, the racing could count as a score towards an athlete’s total in the WTCS. With athletes only requiring three scores ahead of the Series Final in Torremolinos, the Olympics thus served as a crucial opportunity to transform the world title odds of numerous athletes.

Being a standard distance race, Paris was worth 1000 points for the win. Only WTCS Weihai now stands between the field and the WTCS Final and so the current rankings could have a significant bearing on how the Series unfolds. Read on to find out who the latest frontrunners are.

The Women’s Series Rankings

With her triumph in Paris, Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) has assumed control of the women’s Series. The French athlete has not put a foot wrong all season and holds a perfect three-from-three record in the Series after previous wins in Cagliari and Hamburg. She therefore has 2750 points to her name and a commanding lead of over 300 points.

Emma Lombardi (FRA) lost her leadership of the Series but remains very much in contention for a spot on the overall podium for the second consecutive year. Her 4th place in Paris leaves her with 2438.53 points and replaces her 5th place from WTCS Hamburg among her three scores. On paper, a podium in Weihai would be of considerable help to Lombardi. However, as it happens, Beaugrand actually stands to gain more points with a possible podium at the final race of the regular season. This is because Beaugrand’s win at the sprint distance race in Hamburg was only worth 750 points. By contrast, Lombardi’s 4th place finishes in each of Cagliari and Paris earned 791.45 points apiece. Beaugrand may opt against racing in Weihai but from the current status quo it is clear that she holds all the cards over her teammate.

Beth Potter (GBR) has moved into 3rd place overall after a third bronze medal of the campaign. With 2352.98 points, she is only a slither behind Lombardi. At the same time, the threat of Lisa Tertsch (GER) is looming. The German athlete now has 2154.71 points after her 9th place in Paris. Seeing as her Olympic result is the lowest of the leading contenders, Tertsch has the greatest scope to rise with a big performance in Weihai.

Flora Duffy (BER) rounds out the top-5 right now with 1937.91 points. Her 5th place in Paris stands as her best result of the season. In light of the fact that she has not won a medal this year and trails Tertsch by over 200 points, at this stage we can probably rule out a Duffy charge for the world title. Two athletes could also rise from further afield. Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR) and Julie Derron (SUI) each have only two scores to their name and sit with 1354.38 and 1349.19 points, respectively. They sit in 11th and 12th overall. A win or podium in Weihai would launch them into the top-3 ahead of the WTCS Final.

In that respect, Derron may be the greater threat. She took the silver medal in Paris and so is in red-hot form. Moreover, she has spent much of her time training in China lately and won the World Cup in Chengdu earlier this year, demonstrating how she has enjoyed said time in the country. With form and the locale in Derron’s favour, then, she will be one to watch.

The Men’s Series Rankings

Matthew Hauser (AUS) occupies the top spot in the men’s Series rankings. His 7th place in Paris comes after a win in Hamburg and a silver medal in Yokohama and altogether leaves him with 2301.40 points. However, the men’s standings definitely look rather inchoate despite there being only one race left in the regular season.

A big driver of this is Alex Yee (GBR) and Hayden Wilde (NZL) only holding two scores. Yee won in Cagliari and Paris, generating 2000 points which is enough for 3rd overall. Wilde’s silver medals at both events have secured 1850 points and put him in 5th. Should either finish in the top-5 in Weihai (and assuming Hauser does not improve upon his current total), they will blow past the Australian athlete and take the Series lead. Given Hauser’s form earlier this year, though, he could easily also claim another podium finish to confuse matters further.

Another factor to add to the oddness is that Pierre Le Corre (FRA) sits in 2nd place with 2110.36 points. With Hauser’s current lead over Le Corre, his advantage should maybe be regarded as being more comfortable than it actually seems. On the other hand, after Le Corre’s 4th place in Paris and 3rd place in Hamburg, he should not be overlooked when it comes to making a late surge towards the top spot in Weihai. The Olympic bronze medallist, Leo Bergere (FRA), could also be in the mix. He has 1957.63 points in 4th place.

As a result, we find ourselves in a strange position in which Hauser holds a very healthy yet somewhat vulnerable lead at the top of the table. Yee and Wilde have the potential to zoom ahead but it will only take one bad day, or a complete absence in Weihai, to hand the initiative back to Hauser and even Le Corre. The men’s standings therefore look a lot more open than the women’s at this stage where Beaugrand seems increasingly set for a coronation. Any of four or five men could seize the world title with two wins or maybe even two medals. The question is: who will make it happen?

You can view the women’s WTCS rankings here and the men’s standings here. Stay tuned for the final stop of the regular WTCS season in Weihai and keep all the latest developments at your fingertips across all World Triathlon channels.

The triathlon events at the Paris Olympic Games were defined by a litany of moments and memories. At the same time, they were also marked by a series of numbers. Some of these numbers were at the centre of attention, with some athletes clocking the fastest splits seen yet at the Games. Others were a little more subtle. Read on to find out some of the key numbers that shaped the triathlon action in Paris.

Unpacking an Olympic record run

In addition to striking gold, Cassandre Beaugrand clocked the fastest ever 10km run in Olympic triathlon history. She produced a time of 32:49. Her fellow women’s medallists, Julie Derron and Beth Potter, similarly undercut Flora Duffy’s previous best from Tokyo of 33:00 in a sign that the women’s race was fast in more ways than one.

Another noteworthy point to take away from Beaugrand’s effort is that at the Olympic Test Event a year prior, she managed a run split of 33:07 on her way to the silver medal. Meanwhile, Potter ran 32:57 at the Test Event and was only 2 seconds slower at the Games. One conclusion could therefore be that Potter maintained her 2023 levels that saw her become world champion. She simply came up against a rival that had stepped up to an entirely new plane.

A slower men’s run than expected?

Interestingly, Alex Yee’s field-leading effort in the men’s race was not enough to take the mantle of the fastest triathlete in the history of the Games. He stopped the clock at 29:47, some 40 seconds slower than compatriot Alistair Bronwlee’s effort at London 2012. Of greater interest is that Yee’s split in Paris was 47 seconds slower than his time on the same course at the Olympic Test Event. He was not alone among the Paris medallists to run slower at the Games than at the Test Event. Hayden Wilde did not finish in 2023 so cannot be compared but Leo Bergere ran 33 seconds slower at the Games.

One factor that could have been behind the slower top times in the men’s Olympic race was a harder effort on the bike that may have sapped the legs of the athletes. On the other hand, the men’s bike splits were broadly comparable, albeit slightly faster at the Games, across the two events.

To look at the fastest men’s bike splits from each race, Csongor Lehmann and Charles Paquet clocked 51:16 at the Games – handing them the fastest bike splits in Olympic history – while Max Studer produced a time of 51:25 to lead the way at the Test Event. Taking Yee as another point of comparison, he rode a time of 51:57 at the Olympics and 52:17 at the Test Event. Overall, then, the men’s Olympic race can be said to have been slightly faster on the bike which may have impacted the run splits. On balance, though, the difference between the bike sections was not too drastic. As an aside, in the women’s race Maria Tomé’s effort of 57:34 also earned the top spot across the history of female bike splits at the Games.

A difficult river swim

The top Olympic splits in the swim went untroubled by the performances in Paris. This was in no small part a consequence of navigating the strong currents in the Seine. This difficulty was also indicated across the deficits of the athletes against the fastest swimmer.

Only two men of the 49 with previous standard distance WTCS results from 2023 or 2024 matched or improved upon their average swim deficit to the top performer. Henri Schoeman has been 13.5 seconds behind the top swimmer on average but in Paris was only 2 seconds back when exiting the water. Alessio Crociani was the only swimmer to match his average. He had previously averaged a deficit of 0 seconds - he led the swim in his sole standard distance Series race of 2023 or 2024 in Cagliari this year - and in Paris had the same deficit of 0 seconds by being the first man out of the water. With 47 men faring worse than their previous averages, it is clear that the swim was much more stretched than usual.

The same situation played out in the women’s race. Only three women - Flora Duffy, Beth Potter and Zsanett Kuttor-Bragmayer - of the 50 athletes with previous standard distance WTCS results from 2023 or 2024 beat their average swim deficit. Duffy turned an average deficit of 4 seconds to a deficit of 0 seconds in Paris by leading the swim. Potter had a great swim at the Games by exiting 20 seconds behind compared with her WTCS average of 24 seconds. Finally Kuttor-Bragmayer improved from her average deficit of 38 seconds to a Paris deficit of 29 seconds. With 47 women failing to match their average deficits, though, the signs are that the Paris swim was a real challenge for most.

Comebacks on the run

Plenty of athletes therefore lost ground in the water and others had to fight their back after a mishap on the bike, particularly in the slippery conditions of the women’s race. As a result, there were a handful of names tasked with making up time on the run and they duly delivered.

Vasco Vilaca, Ricardo Batista and Matthew Hauser each made up 18 places to make the biggest rises of the men’s race. Together they made a considerable surge through the field and finished in 5th, 6th and 7th, respectively. Over in the women’s race, Laura Lindemann and Julia Hauser each made up 13 places. Lindemann’s effort carried her all the way to 8th, although that will be of little solace as she was already in a similar position before her late crash on the bike. Compared to previous Olympic races, though, the comebacks were on the smaller side which once again reinforces the image that the races were stretched out.

The lucky numbers

Whereas the numbers already in this article were much more tangible and could actually be measured and quantified, we now turn to the numbers that can only really be measured in terms of vibes. Do lucky numbers matter? Are they really a thing? Any naysayers can point to the fact that Paris did not continue the trend of start number 15 claiming gold, as was the case in both the men’s and women’s races in Tokyo. Moreover, the lucky streak of number 34 did not continue. Prior to Paris, athletes wearing 34 had won more Olympic triathlon medals than any other number and Emma Lombardi almost added another to the tally as she finished 4th.

However, one lucky set of numbers held firm. Six of the twelve individual gold medals before Paris had been won by athletes wearing numbers between 29 and 39. In Paris, Cassandre Beaugrand made it seven from fourteen as, wearing number 33, she powered to the gold. The 50% ratio of golds for numbers 29-39 thus remains intact and at the Los Angeles Olympics it may be the case that every gold medal hopeful keeps their fingers crossed for a number in that golden, lucky range.

At the last Olympics, the Mixed Team Relay made its Games debut to rave reviews. While it got off to a good start in Tokyo, the action was cranked up a notch at the latest instalment in Paris. Earlier this week we were treated to a truly spectacular finish as Germany denied the United States and Great Britain by the narrowest of margins and in this article we break down five of the leading talking points from the race.

Getting it started

Put simply, it is a flex to be able to lead off a relay with the newly-crowned Olympic champion. This was the position the British found themselves in as they called upon Alex Yee to launch the defence of their Olympic relay title. Unsurprisingly, the Olympic gold medallist did not disappoint. Yee was the fastest of the first legs, clocking a total time of 20:03. That handed Britain a 3 second lead over the German team and provided the platform from which they laid out their assault.

Olympic silver medallist Hayden Wilde likewise led off for the New Zealand team, although interestingly France opted to preserve their Olympic medallist Leo Bergere until the third leg. Then again, with Pierre Le Corre, who finished 4th in the individual race, France had riches aplenty when it came to their lead off options. At the other end of the race, with the women going last, Cassandre Beaugrand and Beth Potter were two of the Olympic medallists to anchor their respective teams’ relays. However Julie Derron, the Olympic silver medallist, took on the second leg for the Swiss team, serving some variety in the team strategies.

Go with the flow

Managing the currents proved key to the swim, a lesson all the participants would have learned in the individual races. Two athletes that stood out in this regard were Lisa Tertsch, who took a funky line in an attempt to make up time on her British rival, and Taylor Knibb who also navigated the currents well on the final leg.

Knibb had a particularly crucial swim as her efforts set the tone for vaulting her American team into the hunt for the gold medal with her field-leading leg. She also gained significant time on her rivals during the bike but it was the swim that really sparked her momentum.  Moreover, Knibb’s swim possessed a redemptive quality. In the individual race, she did not get her swim quite right and exited the water in 33rd place and quite a way behind the leaders. From there, she never quite got into the race. With her effort in the relay, though, she reasserted her quality in the water and showed how dangerous she can be.

Mexico dreams

Heading into the second leg, it did not look like it was necessarily going to be Mexico’s day. Aram Michell Peñaflor Moysen enjoyed a good swim and bike but did not quite manage to hold position over the run and handed over with only two teams behind. Then Rosa Maria Tapia Vidal stepped in.

The WTCS medallist revived Mexico’s hopes with an outstanding second leg. Her time of 22:31 was the fastest of all the women of the same section by 10 seconds and only Knibb and Laura Lindemann on the final leg managed to beat Tapia’s time. She lifted her team from a precarious position into one in which Tapia breathed down the necks of the eventual silver medallists, the United States. Although Mexico’s charge ultimately petered out, for a brief moment they found themselves in the thick of the action thanks to Tapia’s surge.

Twinning

In another impressive solo turn, Vasco Vilaca smashed the penultimate leg and shared the fastest split of the segment with Alessio Crociani in 20:16. Vilaca’s efforts went a long way to lifting Portugal into 5th place overall. The curious point to note, though, is more to do with Vilaca’s teammate than his team’s result.

Vilaca and Ricardo Batista actually recorded identical total times of 20:16. They therefore continued a pattern set in the individual race in which Vilaca placed 5th and Batista 6th with the two men separated by a mere 2 seconds. It had already become apparent that Portugal could call upon a fearsome double-punch with their men’s pair. What had not been obvious was how the punches would be essentially of equal strength and only the men of Germany, Britain and Italy combined to produce a better total time across the two male slots.

The charge

After Le Corre’s unfortunate crash, the French team spent the whole morning fighting on the back foot. However, they had an ace up their sleeve in the form of the Olympic champion. Beaugrand flew through the final leg of the race and dragged her team to 4th place. Notably, she ripped a 5:37 split on the 1.8km run.

As it happened, only two women ran faster than Beaugrand. Lindemann clocked 5:34 as she grabbed the gold for Germany. Meanwhile, Tertsch blasted a fantastic 5:24 while overtaking Georgia Taylor-Brown. The two German women had crashed out of the front group in the individual race and after their relay run splits they may be wondering what might have been. At the same time, they would have come up against a truly imperious Cassandre Beaugrand. And who knows, had Beaugrand’s late charge had a greater sniff of a medal, perhaps she would have found yet another gear.

The action in the triathlon world shows no sign of slowing down as the World Multisport Championships in Townsville kick off in the coming days before attention swings back to Paris for the Paralympic Games. Stay abreast with all the latest across all World Triathlon channels.