Germany’s Laura Lindemann – who beat Beaugrand to the junior world title in Edmonton in 2014 – held off series leader Katie Zaferes to go one better than her third place in Hamburg last year. Non Stanford and Jodie Stimpson were the best of the Brits in sixth and seventh.

“Last year I had a crash and today it’s Bastille Day and my boyfriend’s birthday, so I’m very happy to win,” Beaugrand said.

Lindemann said: “I didn’t expect to be on the podium after the swim and bike. I had such a bad transition and just ran for my life. I really like to race here with a home crowd.

“Cassandra was amazing. I raced with her as a junior and mostly I won, but now I’m very happy to see her winning a WTS race.”

The women’s race started an hour after the men’s in Hamburg and was again a non-wetsuit swim. It featured a strong British contingent with Vicky Holland, Jessica Learmonth and Georgia Taylor-Brown, joining Stanford and Stimpson.

The series also welcomed back reigning world champion Flora Duffy. The Bermudan won in Hamburg last summer, and had been out with injury since winning her home WTS in April.

Learmonth, the Commonwealth silver medallist behind Duffy, was ranked eleventh having only appeared twice in the WTS this season, but it was no surprise to see the Yorkshire triathlete emerge first from the water with the competition lined out behind.

Duffy and Taylor-Brown were also in close proximity and it was the Bermudan who surged to the front on the bike as a front pack of six formed also including Beaugrand, Vittoria Lopes of Brazil, and the steadily improving Taylor Spivey of the US, who finished seventh in Leeds.

While Duffy so often manages to break away, either solo or in a small group, the rare presence in WTS racing of 2012 Olympic champion Nicola Spirig, combined with the efforts of Australian Ashleigh Gentle and Britain’s Jodie Stimpson, meant the chasing pack cut the lead from 25sec to just 13sec heading into the final bike lap of six.

The field were back together by the time they reached T2 and while Spirig and Stimpson took the lead initially, it was soon Beaugrand who burst with seeming effortless ease to the front and was never threatened as she decimated a world-class field over the run to win by 30secs.

Rounding out the Brits, Taylor-Brown finished 11th, Learmonth 14th and Holland 22nd, as she slipped from second to fourth in the overall standings.

France win Mixed Relay World Championships in Hamburg

March 13, 2021 KANKENNEWS

Just over an hour before their nation kicked-off in Moscow, attempting to win the football World Cup for the second time, a youthful French quartet achieved the same feat in the ITU Mixed Relay World Championship.

Team France take the tape after another superb #WTSHamburg #TriMixedRelay!! Australia come home in second just ahead of USA after a thrilling sprint finish pic.twitter.com/ojPb5GYKIB

— World Triathlon (@worldtriathlon) July 15, 2018

It was an impressive curtain-raiser for the sporting afternoon in Hamburg as Leonie Periault, Dorian Coninx, Cassandra Beaugrand and Vincent Luis repeated the gold medal success of 2015.

Australia’s fast-finishing Jacob Birtwhistle just defeated USA’s Kevin McDowell in a dramatic sprint for second, and although Britain had been well-placed for much of the race, Tom Bishop eventually slipped to fourth on the anchor leg, 63sec behind the champions.

“We came here with the A Team. When everything works, the team works, and we had a great race. Let’s hope for the same for the match tonight,” Luis said. “We are also really looking forward to racing the relay in the Olympics. It will be a special atmosphere – we’ve never won an Olympic triathlon medal.”

The two-man, two-woman relay is taking on increasing importance in elite triathlon. It was accepted as an additional medal even at Tokyo 2020, and is playing a more prominent role in this season’s World Triathlon Series as Olympic qualifying gets underway.

The first competition of this season’s trio of events took place on the banks of the Trent in Nottingham in June, and there is a further contest in Edmonton in a fortnight.

Australia won last year’s world title in Hamburg and backed that up with victory in April’s Commonwealth Games. It’s a title Great Britain has won three times, but not since 2014.

Twenty teams lined up, with Britain represented by Vicky Holland, Jonny Brownlee, Jodie Stimpson and Bishop.

Netherlands’ Rachel Klamer led out the first 300m swim, narrowly followed by GB’s Holland and the pair – who both had spills on the bike in yesterday’s individual race – quickly set about establishing a lead.

The gap could not be sustained into T2 though, and it was France’s Periault and Germany’s Laura Lindemann, buoyed by the home crowd and her second-place finish from yesterday, who led out the 1.6km run.

On to the second leg, and after Jonas Schomburg emerged first from the swim, a group of four formed on the bike as the German was joined by Brownlee, the USA’s Ben Kanute and France’s Coninx.

The quartet established a 18sec gap over the chasers into T2, and with the rest of the field starting to splinter – limiting the chances to work as a pack – it looked as if the break could be decisive.

Coninx was the quickest over the mile. A previous junior and world under-23 champion, he also won the French title last year – as did the women he handed over to, yesterday’s individual race winner, Beaugrand.

Brownlee was next in and set Stimpson away on to leg three, as Kanute kept the USA in the hunt, with Schomberg fading to end the home nation’s hopes

At the front, Beaugrand kept the advantage and looked as impressive as she had done in the individual event as she time-trialled solo for the lionshare of the 7km bike leg.

But behind her Stimpson was joined by Katie Zaferes and Japan’s Yuko Takahashi, who put in a superlative effort to join a three-woman chase pack that eventually caught the French youngster.

Beaugrand used her run pedigree to again help France take the lead on the run, but Zaferes clung on, leaving McDowell to start the final leg in contention with Luis.

After the two reached T1 together, Luis showed no appetite to work with the American and leave it all to the run, and immediately took off at the front.

By the halfway stage of the final bike leg, the McDowell was 10sec down, Bishop for GB had slipped to 47sec adrift and the ominous presence of Australia’s Birtwhistle was just 4sec further back.

As Luis savoured the finish chute, Birtwhistle powered past Bishop then remarkably clawed back the USA as McDowell tied up in the final stages.

Mixed Real World Championships. Final results

1. France 1.20.06

2. Australia +43sec

3. United States +45

4. Great Britain +63

5. Netherlands +78

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Tokyo 2020 Olympic dates announced

March 13, 2021 KANKENNEWS

The IOC have announced the competition schedule for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, confirming the Men’s Triathlon event will take place on Monday 27th July and the Women’s race the following day. The highly anticipated Olympic debut of the Triathlon Mixed Relay will take place on Saturday 1st August.

The individual races will be disputed over the standard Olympic distances (1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run), early morning in the fantastic setting of Odaiba Marine Park. The Mixed Relay teams will bring together two men and two women from the same country, each completing a mini-triathlon before tagging their team mate. The team event also takes place at Odaiba Marine Park, where each of the four athletes will complete a 300m swim, 7.5km bike and 1.5km run.

“We are extremely satisfied with the dates of our events, following months of hard work taking into consideration all the requirements of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and our Sport Department”, said ITU President and IOC member, Marisol Casado.

“We have agreed competition dates that will fit extremely well into global television schedules, and we are confident of incredible engagement with the spectators, both on-site and watching on TVs around the world. It is perfect that the Mixed Relay, one of the most thrilling and vibrant spectacles in sport, will make its Olympic debut on ‘Super Saturday’,” she added.

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Triathlon was first included in the Olympic Games programme at Sydney 2000, but Tokyo 2020 will mark an exciting debut for the Mixed Relay, the added team dynamic certain to capture the imaginations of sports fans around the world. The global profile of triathlon has been increasing consistently year after year and, with one more gold medal ready to be contested, the competition in the land of the rising sun is set to be hotter than ever.

A total of 110 athletes – 55 men and 55 women – will compete in Tokyo 2020 triathlon events, with the relay teams being formed of countries with minimum 2 women and 2 men athletes qualified.

The 30 Olympic triathlon medals awarded to date have been split between 13 countries, emphasising the strength of the sport worldwide. The men’s gold has twice been won by Great Britain’s Alistair Brownlee, at London 2012 and Rio 2016, and accompanying him on the podium on both occasions was his brother, Jonathan Brownlee. A bronze medallist in London, the younger of the Brownlee siblings then picked up silver in Rio to complete a famous family one-two.

And of course British eyes in the lead up will be on the Brownlees with many wondering if Ali could make it three golds in a row…

Could Ali Brownlee win Olympic gold and Kona in 2020?

In the women’s event, Swiss athletes have twice taken home the gold, in 2000 and 2012. Of those, Nicola Spirig is the only female triathlete to have won two Olympic medals, taking the gold in an incredibly tight London 2012 finale ahead of Sweden’s Lisa Norden and then the silver at Rio 2016, finishing behind the USA’s Gwen Jorgensen.

The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will use a total of 42 venues, including 24 existing, ten temporary and eight new permanent venues. These will include three venues in Fukushima, Ibaraki, and Miyagi prefectures, which were among those most affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

9 medals for British paratriathletes at European Paratriathlon Championships

March 13, 2021 KANKENNEWS

Great Britain won nine medals at the ETU European Paratriathlon Championships in Tartu, Estonia, including Lauren Steadman winning a remarkable sixth career European title, and a debut gold for Hannah Moore.

In case you missed it, GB Paratriathlon had a fantastic day at ETU European Champs today!

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Norseman Xtreme: are you tough enough?

March 13, 2021 KANKENNEWS

On the 4th August one of the toughest iron-distance triathlons in the world takes place in Norway, the iconic Isklar Norseman Xtreme Triathlon

It all starts with a jump off a ferry into a dark and icy fjord, which has an average temperature of 14°C, and it doesn’t let up from there. Both the bike course, which has an elevation of nearly 3,000 metres, and the run course, with a climb of nearly 2,000 metres to the race finish at the top of a mountain, are designed to test the toughest of the tough, and with a 15:35hr median finish time, it really isn’t a race for the faint-hearted…

Isklar Norseman Xtreme Triathlon race tips

The scenery is pretty stunning too, taking in some of Noways most beautiful parts including Hardangervidda mountain plateau, before finishing at the rocky peak of Gaustatoppen, Telemark’s highest mountain at 1,850m above sea level.

Norseman Xtreme Triathlon gallery

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Above: Gaustatoppenn by iStock / Getty Images Plus /destillat

One of the founders Paal Hårek Stranheim says on Norseman’s website:

“I want to create a completely different race, make it a journey through the most beautiful nature of Norway, let the experience be more important than the finish time, and let the participants share their experience with family and friends, who will form their support. Let the race end on top of a mountain, to make it the hardest Ironman race on earth.”

Two-time Ironman world champion Tim DeBoom won the race in 2011. He says: “Norseman is like going back to the roots of triathlon. Events like this are why triathlon is so big today. The fact that events like Norseman exists gives me hope for the sport.”

British pros racing in 2018 include Emma Pooley and Harry Wiltshire – can they threaten, or come close to, the course records set by the Norweigians Lars Christian Vold (09:52:03) and Anne Nevin (12:04:18) last year?

Can’t make it there to watch or race? Don’t worry we will be streaming all the action live on our website, just go to the 220 home page

If you want an adventure of a lifetime this race is it…

Brits first and third at WTS Edmonton

March 13, 2021 KANKENNEWS

Vicky Holland won gold and led a British charge at the ITU World Triathlon Edmonton to move up to second overall in the world rankings. Teams mates Georgia Taylor-Brown, Jess Learmonth and Jodie Stimpson finished third, fourth and fifth.

Holland demonstrated with her win at the AJ Bell World Triathlon Leeds that she is in excellent form this season, and came to Edmonton fired up after an unfortunate crash on the bike leg in Hamburg two weeks ago. She made sure in Edmonton that she would be the one to beat, attacking the race throughout.

An early swim and bike lead was established by Learmonth, Summer Cook (USA) and Vittoria Lopes (BRA), but it was swallowed up by the leading pack on the climb during the first of five bike laps. At the start of the 5km run, all of the key contenders were there but Holland had by far the best transition and looked full of confidence.

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Holland set the fastest run time to win in Edmonton for the second time in her career, the last time being in freezing conditions in 2015. In bright sunshine this time, she raised the finish tape ahead of Australia’s Ashleigh Gentle and a hugely impressive Georgia Taylor-Brown, who ran into the bronze medal position.

Jess Learmonth and Jodie Stimpson followed her home to achieve one of Britain’s best ever results at an ITU World Triathlon Series event.

Holland, who now moves up to second in the Series rankings behind Katie Zaferes (USA), said: “I was really riding high after Leeds, and I put in a really good block of training. It was unfortunate I had a crash in Hamburg, and I felt very angry and frustrated.”

She added: “I take a race at a time. I try not to think about leading the series too much. Katie has had such a strong season, she hasn’t messed up any races.”

Taylor-Brown backed up her first ever podium finish in Leeds with another, commenting: “It’s amazing to be up here.”

The British women crushed it in @WTS_Edmonton, with @VixHolland claiming her second title of the season. You can watch again the full race on https://t.co/qNsCefRDxv! pic.twitter.com/S5FWpsYekm

— World Triathlon (@worldtriathlon) July 28, 2018

Unstoppable Mario Mola wins WTS Edmonton

March 13, 2021 KANKENNEWS

In an exciting early evening showdown in Edmonton Mario Mola (ESP) surged ahead of Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) in the final lap of the run to capture his fourth consecutive WTS podium. Blummenfelt showcased his tremendous power, twice surging ahead of Mola in the bell lap before dropping back for a second place finish.

“Kristian gave me one of the toughest runs. Every time I go out I try to race my best, and he made me work. Maybe it was harder than it looked,” Mola said. “This race is another step forward. But until I cross the finish line in the Gold Coast in the next couple weeks, the race towards the World Championships is not over.”

Vincent Luis (FRA) and Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) lead out of the water with Marten Van Riel (BEL), Marco van der Stel (NED) and Tayler Reid (NZL) forming a lead pack on the six-lap bike course. Halfway through the bike, the chase pack caught the lead, with Blummenfelt and Ryan Fisher working hard to bridge the gap and a massive group converged together moving into transition.

“I thought I had a chance on the run. I couldn’t stay behind him (Mola) I had to try and kick up the pace,” said Blummenfelt.

Behind Blummenfelt was a cluster of runners including early leaders Luis and Brownlee. Fernando Alarza (ESP) and Aussie Jacob Birtwhistle ran with the group of men until the last 500 metres when Birtwhistle broke ahead to sprint himself into a third-place finish.

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Birtwhistle said: “I knew it wasn’t over until I crossed that line. I wasn’t given a big gap at the end, but I had to try to use my kick. I would rather use it to challenge for the win, but today I had to try to use it to my advantage. There is so much that can happen, even in a sprint, it isn’t over until we cross that line.

“I wanted to swim and bike to the best of my ability. I am pretty happy with where things are sitting (in the overall standings). I missed a few points early on in Bermuda and Leeds, so I am trying to backend my season to finish off well. I need to perform in the last two events.”

There are two races left in the 2018 season: WTS Montreal and WTS Gold Coast which also serves as the Grand Final.

Oman to host new Ironman 70.3

March 13, 2021 KANKENNEWS

Fancy a trip to Oman and a chance to extend the 2018 tri season in style? Or perhaps mark the beginning of your 2019 season with a 70.3 triathlon in this beautiful country? With these two new races you can do both…

The Sultanate of Oman will host two new triathlon events in the coming year; the inaugural 5i50 Oman in November 2018 and the new Ironman 70.3 Oman on March 9, 2019.

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Oman will also host its first ever 5i50 triathlon on November 18. The 1.5 km swim, 40km and 10k run is perfect preparation for athletes and beginners in the lead up to the main event, Ironman 70.3 Oman.

“It is with great pride that we announce the launch of Ironman 70.3 triathlon race in Oman,” said Sayyid Adil bin Mirdas Al Busaidi, Advisor on Tourism Affairs, Ministry of Tourism.

“It is our mission to make the Sultanate an obvious choice for international sports, as we believe the country has a lot to offer with enthralling beauty. Perfect weather awaits athletes as the warm desert heat is at bay during the cool season, leaving idyllic racing conditions that will entice both new and experienced triathletes. The country is well suited for holding events such as running, cycling, and swimming competition,.”

For the 70.3 the athletes will pass through the beautiful capital city of Musca, as they complete a 1.9km (1.2-mile) swim, 90.1km (56-mile) bike ride and 21.1km (13.1-mile) run during the inaugural Ironman 70.3. The Arabian seas provide for a non-wetsuit swim, which will be held in the calm, clear waters beside the desirable suburb of Al Shatti in downtown Muscat.

Al Shatti is also the location of the bike transition, from which athletes will take on a bike route that passes through all major monuments of Muscat including the Royal Opera House, Muttrah Gate and Cornish, the Al Bustan Palace and the enticingly fast Wadi Al Kabir Road.

The single transition in Al Shatti provides convenience for athletes and a hot spot for spectators who will line the four-lap run course encircling the Royal Opera House and Intercontinental Hotel complex.

“We are more than honoured to host athletes from around the world to our beloved nation,” said Race Director and Chief Executive Officer of Triathlon Middle East, Mohamed Al Obaidani. “Triathlon is one of the fastest growing and most dynamic sports in the world, therefore, we want to bring the culture of triathlons and healthy lifestyle to Oman, aiming to make our nation prominent in this area,” he added.

Ironman 70.3 Oman will offer 30 qualifying slots for the 2019 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France.

General registration is now available at www.ironman.com/oman70.3. Athlete inquiries may be directed to oman70.3@ironman.com. For accommodation and travel services, visit www. https://goo.gl/bxzZxG

Tokyo Olympic triathlon course revealed

March 13, 2021 KANKENNEWS

The International Triathlon Union (ITU) and Tokyo 2020) have announced the triathlon courses for the Tokyo 2020 individual triathlon, mixed relay and Paratriathlon events.

The races will start and finish in Odaiba Marine Park in Tokyo Bay, an urban resort with white sandy beaches overlooked by Tokyo’s high-rise waterfront buildings. This area is well-established on the triathlon scene, having been used as the venue for the country’s National Triathlon Championships for more than 20 years.

The triathlon swimming legs will take place in Odaiba Bay (top photo). The bike riding and running courses will wind their way in and around the park, and will incorporate a number of technical features. The course for individual events will also pass through the West Promenade district of Odaiba, featuring waterfalls and greenery.

Triathletes will complete the 1.5km swim leg in two laps of Odaiba Marine Park, with the 40km bike section split into eight laps and the 10km run comprising four laps of 2.5km.

The mixed relay—added to the Olympic programme for the first time—involves teams of two men and two women completing a short-course triathlon; each team member completes a 300m swim, a 7.4km bike ride and a 2km run before handing off to a teammate to take over. The Paratriathlon will consist of a 750m swim, a 20km bike ride and a 5km run.

The men’s Olympic triathlon will take place on 27 July 2020, with the women’s event being staged on the following day. The mixed relay will be staged on “Super Saturday”, 1 August, an action-packed day featuring 23 sports on which a number of medal events are scheduled to be held. The mixed relay, a dynamic event that sees non-stop action until the last second, promotes gender-balance, and fully addresses the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendations in this respect.

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Marisol Casado, President of the ITU and IOC Member, said: “I am extremely proud of the courses that will stage the Tokyo 2020 Olympic individual Triathlon races, the mixed relay and the Paratriathlon races. We have been working hard with Tokyo 2020 to develop courses that will be exciting for the athletes and spectators alike. The location is perfect and it is incredibly exciting to be right in the heart of Tokyo at the Odaiba Bay. It is a great opportunity to showcase this amazing city to the whole world as the best triathletes and Paratriathletes on the planet compete among Tokyo’s iconic landmarks.”

“For ITU, it is key to provide courses that allow the best possible conditions for the athletes, the best viewing scenarios for spectators on site as well as watching on television, and that consider the sustainability and legacy after the Games, so we work closely with Tokyo 2020 to provide the best environment for the athletes, both now and in the near future. As it is always the case, we are extremely satisfied with the stages we have designed on which our athletes can shine in the summer of 2020, and we will work with Tokyo 2020 to improve those conditions further, where necessary and possible”, added the ITU president. “Tokyo 2020 will be unforgettable for triathlon with our new event added to the calendar. As the thrill and excitement of the mixed relay adds to that of the individual races, we are sure that, on these great circuits, we will all be able enjoy our best Olympic and Paralympic Games to date.”

Can the Brownlees medal again?

Download here the Mixed Relay Course map

Download here the Paratriathlon Course map

Download here the Individual Triathlon Elevation Map

Download here the Mixed Relay Elevation Map
Download here the Paratriathlon Elevation Map

Watch Isklar Norseman Xtreme 2018 live

March 13, 2021 KANKENNEWS

The race kicks off at 5am in Norway and the broadcast will be hosted by Philip O’Connor and our very own Helen Webster (220 Editor) who will be out on the race course following the race minute by minute. So sit back and enjoy the ride…

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Having trouble watching it? Click here for the Norseman You Tube channel and enjoy this epic race from start to finish

dovdiv

Monthly Archives: March 2021

Cassandra Beaugrand gives French Bastille Day joy at Hamburg WTS

France win Mixed Relay World Championships in Hamburg

Tokyo 2020 Olympic dates announced

9 medals for British paratriathletes at European Paratriathlon Championships

Norseman Xtreme: are you tough enough?

Brits first and third at WTS Edmonton

Unstoppable Mario Mola wins WTS Edmonton

Oman to host new Ironman 70.3

Tokyo Olympic triathlon course revealed

Watch Isklar Norseman Xtreme 2018 live