Racing is underway at the World Triathlon Multisport Championships Townsville 2024 with the first World Champions crowned following a day of fast and furious action in the Sprint Duathlon.
Friday saw racing in Elite and Under-23, Junior and Age-Group categories, with athletes taking on a 5km run, 20km ride and 2.5km run along the Townsville waterfront.
The men’s Elite World Championship title was claimed by Spain’s Javier Martin Morales who took victory in an incredibly tight sprint finish by just a second over France’s Benjamin Choquert, with fellow Frenchman Thomas Laurent third. Martin Morales finished in 52:24, one second ahead of Choquert with Laurent five seconds behind in third.
The top 10 athletes were covered by less than 10 seconds following the 5km run leg, with the pack remaining tight for the majority of the 20km ride. Once the athletes hit the final 2.5km run the top four pushed ahead, swapping positions throughout the downhill sprint to the finish line, with Martin Morales coming out on top.
“It’s amazing, I don’t believe it, I trained a lot this summer and this winter for this moment, there are some very, very good runners, Benjamin and Laurent, I felt good throughout the race, I was at the front and going into the final part I felt good and then it came to the final line and it was a sprint and I got the win but it was very, very close,” said Martin Morales. “It got a bit tough on the bike, sometimes with the sun I couldn’t see the race in front of me because the sun was in my face, it was difficult but I was able to sprint when there was an attack and got past on the second transition into the first position. The run was very close, sometimes you win those and sometimes you don’t.”
Javier Martin Morales
The top two positions in the men’s Under 23 race were taken by athletes from Belgium, with Stef Corthouts and Martin Oldenhove first and second, with Australia’s Rohan Hickey third.
France’s Marion Legrand won the women’s Elite title, crossing the line in 58:36, 30 seconds clear of Australia’s Richelle Hill, with Hill also claiming the Under 23 crown. Jeanne Dupont of Belgium rounded out the Elite podium and was the second Under 23 over the line.
Legrand and Hill hit the front on the bike leg, with the two swapping positions throughout the 20kms, before Legrand pushed ahead on the final 2.5km run before crossing the finish line and claiming the World Championship title.
“It’s really amazing, I don’t realise it now, it was just the Olympics in France and there was a really good race in France and I wanted to do the same today and I’m really happy because it’s an objective in my season to have this win today in the World Championships so today we can say the job is done to have this title”
Marion Legrand
Hill was ecstatic with her second overall and victory in the Under 23 category.
“I’m so happy, I didn’t expect it coming into this, I wasn’t sure what to expect to be honest, it was just such an honour racing in with the Pros and being out there on the bike with the French athlete, they are some of the best on the cycle in particular so it was great to see her skills and trying to work on my skills during the race,” said Hill. “The advice from my coach was to go out conservatively and I went out and was first up the hill and thought ‘oh no’, that’s not good, have I actually conserved enough energy for the rest of the race, I knew I had it in me to stick with her for at least three of the laps, she got away from me on that fourth lap but I was happy to finish it off with a great run.”
Richelle Hill
The Junior Sprint Duathlon World Championship men’s title was claimed by Fletcher Medway, with the Australian edging out South Africa’s Divan De Vries, with New Zealand’s Caleb Wagener third.
In the women’s Junior category New Zealand’s Lulu Johnson took top step on the podium in 1:04:54, ahead of Australia’s Lucie Francis and Hannah Pollock.
The event kicked off with hundreds of Age-Group athletes taking to the course this morning, with France’s Charles Bertier taking the overall men’s title in 54:56, just clear of Beau Smith of Australia with New Zealand’s Matt Hutchinson third.
The women’s Age-Group title was claimed by Australian athlete Penelope Nevill, ahead of compatriot Isabella Valinoti, with Charlotte Brown of New Zealand in third.
Racing at the World Triathlon Multisport Championships Townsville 2024 continues on Sunday with the Age-Group Standard Duathlon, Para Duathlon and 2×2 Mixed Relay events all set to take place.
The World Triathlon Multisport Championships Townsville is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland.
