Double French success at 2023 World Long Course Champs as James Teagle is best of British

It was double French success in World Triathlon Long Course World Championship, but the two races couldn’t have been more contrasting.

While Marjolaine Pierre delivered a dominating solo performance in the women’s race, her partner Clement Mignon took until the final kilometre to eventually reel in and get the better of Spain’s Antonio Benito Lopez.

James Teagle, stepping up in distance having placed 14th in last year’s Ironman 70.3 World Championship, finished seventh on an otherwise disappointing day for the Brits with both Kat Matthews and Ruth Astle pulling out of the women’s race, and Joe Skipper almost 18min off the pace in 22nd and Liam Lloyd in 31st.

“It was a great race until my wheels fell off,” Teagle said, having run himself up to third after a controlled 3km swim and 120km bike leg. “I’d got to the point where I thought I could win this, but then on the last lap a switch went.

“It’s a long way, but I’ll certainly do more. There is some work to do before then but I think I can do really well at this distance and I just need to build up the resilience.

“That was the same when I did Olympic distance and 70.3. The wheels fell off in each and then the next one was good. It’s just about learning the distance and I’ll be back.”

Pierre would win the women’s race in 5:53:35, a huge 8:35 ahead of Sweden’s Sara Svensk with Spain’s Gurutze Frades Larralde running through for third.

The competition was a fitting way to round out a week of multisport racing on the Spanish island, with many British age-groupers present to earn representative honours in disciplines from cross-triathlon to aqua-bike and the 3km swim, 120km bike and 30km run of the long course event.

2023 Women’s World Long Distance Champs

How did the swim unfold?

Spain’s Helene Alberdi Sololuze – who had plenty of domestic success last year with four wins – was first out of the water in 41:13 over the 3km single-lap swim.

The 2014 World Triathlon long distance world champion Camilla Pedersen and Pierre were 25secs back, followed by a group of four, including Matthews, with a 2min deficit.

Astle was almost 5mins behind in 12th, but far from out of contention with a long day ahead.

How did the bike unfold?

Last year’s Ironman Bahrain 70.3 winner Pierre took charge early on the two-lap 120km bike leg, moving to the front and quickly extending her advantage to the chasers.

Matthews moved into second place, but having won Ironman Texas just a fortnight earlier, decided to pull the plug on the bike leg after 2.5hrs of racing.

Astle moved into second place followed by Svensk, who had posted a blistering 8:22:40 in Cozumel in 2021 – one of the fastest full-distance times ever.

Coming into T2, Pierre’s solo effort had given her a significant time cushion, with Astle 3:45mins down in second, followed by Svensk, with the likes of Pedersen, Japan’s Ai Ueda and the rest of the field more than 10mins behind.

How did the run unfold?

There was more British disappointment as Astle, who had started the race concerned about an ongoing calf issue, pull out early in the run.

Pierre wasn’t letting up, though. The French athlete, already known for her running prowess, was more than a mile up the road from Svensk and could cruise in to the finish and a first long-course world title by more than 8mins by the finish.

2023 Men’s World Long Distance Champs

How did the swim unfold?

It was a duel between two renowned swimmers in the sport, Slovakia’s Richard Varga and Australia’s Josh Amberger. Varga who was first out of the water in both the London and Rio Olympics just about gained bragging rights by 5secs.

A chase group of six including Sweden’s Jesper Svensson and France’s Mignon were within 30secs, with Teagle the best placed of the Brits at 2:44 adrift in 15th followed closely by Lloyd.

Skipper was almost 6mins behind in 32nd place.

How did the bike unfold?

A three-man group led the way with Mignon joined by Germany’s Rico Bogen and Spain’s Antonio Benito Lopez as they pulled clear of Varga and Amberger in fourth and fifth.

Teagle was holding strong inside the top 10, but Skipper was losing more time early in the bike.

Bogan reached T2 first, closely followed by Mignon who hit the deck after a calamitous dismount, with Benito Lopez fading towards the end of the 120km.

Teagle had slipped to 6:30mins behind, with Lloyd a further 2mins back, but Skipper was almost 10mins off the pace.

How did the run unfold?

In contrast to the women’s race, the men’s run was on a knife-edge throughout. Bogen led early before being caught by Benito Lopez, who despite suffering from cramp held off a charging Mignon for the majority of the 30km.

Behind the leading two, the Netherlands’ Tristan Olij and Teagle were spurring each other to greater efforts followed by experienced South African Trautman in fifth.

On to the final lap, Trautman showed the strength to push through to make the podium with Amberger and Slovakia’s Ondrej Kubo managing to overtake Teagle.

An elated Mignon said: “I finished ninth in Kona and I had three weeks before the race without running.

“I was 23rd in the PTO rankings so I could have raced that event, but the distance here was good for me as I train for Nice, and I now focus on the Ironman distance.”

Top image credit: Pete Beier/World Triathlon