Dubai T100 Grand Final: Taylor Knibb wins to be crowned inaugural world champion

It was a day to treasure for USA star Taylor Knibb as she won the first-ever T100 world title with a flawless performance in Dubai.

The two-time and defending Ironman 70.3 world champion knew that second place would be enough to win the seven-race 100km series, but the 26-year-old showed her all-around ability to hold off Switzerland’s Julie Derron and Australia’s Ashleigh Gentle in sweltering conditions.

Had the result played in her favour, Gentle, who had won in Singapore and London, could have claimed the world title and, following a 2km swim and 80km bike leg, was within striking distance of Knibb starting the 18km run.

But while she closed the gap to less than a minute with 5km to go, that was as good as it got for the 33-year-old, and stomach issues with just over 1km remaining meant she was overtaken by Derron in the final stages.

It was Olympic silver medallist Derron’s third consecutive T100 runner-up performance, with Tokyo Olympic champion Flora Duffy producing the day’s fastest run to place fourth, with Kat Matthews the leading Brit in fifth, just ahead of compatriot Lucy Byram.

What happened in the swim?

The most notable aspect of the 2km swim wasn’t the uncomfortably hot 31-degree water, but the fact that all the leading title contenders were at the front of the race.

With Lucy Charles-Barclay absent through injury, Spain’s Sara Perez Sala led out the two laps in 26:31. 

Closely behind, a group of seven contained Gentle, India Lee and Imogen Simmonds, along with Knibb, Derron, Duffy and Taylor Spivey, who all competed in the Paris Olympic Games.

There was another 90sec back to the chasing back, but with so much incentive for the leading women to push the pace, it already looked as if it could be a decisive break.

What happened on the bike?

The expectation was for Knibb to surge to the front and try to establish a race-winning advantage as she’d done in San Francisco, Ibiza and Las Vegas in earlier T100 contests this year.

While the American took time to put on socks in transition, she then took advantage of the fast opening kilometres before the seven-lap technical section to take the lead.

Derron, Gentle and Simmonds were in pursuit, but the Swiss picked up a 30sec penalty for drafting after dropping a water bottle before battling to get back on terms. 

Knibb’s advantage continued to grow but at just over 1min over Gentle midway through the bike leg, it looked far from insurmountable.

With 25km remaining on the bike, Knibb began lapping athletes, the first being the unfortunate Candian Tamara Jewett. 

Miami winner Lee was doing her own chances of an overall podium finish no harm in fifth, and Byram had climbed six places through the field to move up to sixth.

As Knibb entered T2 with a race-best 1:54:18 bike split, the gap to Gentle, Derron and Simmonds was 2:46, meaning the contest was well and truly on.

What happened on the run?

Within the early kilometres, it was clear that the race outcome would come down to whether Gentle could claw back the deficit on Knibb. 

The Australian needed to gain around 10sec per kilometre and she started just ahead of that pace as the tension ratcheted up.

For Gentle to win the title, Derron would also need to overtake Knibb and push the American into third, but that seemed less and less likely as the gap from the Swiss to the front remained stubbornly above 2min.

Further back, Duffy was running faster than anyone bar Gentle and moving up through the field, but Lee was starting to struggle and fall back.

Gentle closed to within a minute with 5km remaining, but then started to suffer as the gap to Knibb began to grow again. This seemed to act as the final spur the American needed, and as Gentle slowed to a walk, Knibb could celebrate as she bounded down the blue carpet to take the win.

Knibb said:

“I woke up and messaged my coach that I felt rough and it would be a bad day, so I’m shocked. It only came together in the last 3km where everyone else came apart. That was brutal out there, so have fun men!

“I think my dad was more nervous before the race than me. But I have a fantastic team and I’m very grateful for everyone who supports me and believes in me.”

Gentle said:

“I went for the win and it was so painful. I gave it everything and got third in the end, but I’m proud of my efforts, I guess. It is pretty brutal. When I was wasn’t feeling so good and Derron flew past me on the run it was super soul-crushing, but I did what I could.”

Dubai T100 Grand Final results:

1. Taylor Knibb 3:29:17
2. Julie Derron +1:52
3. Ashleigh Gentle +2:26
4. Flora Duffy +3:49
5. Kat Matthews +5:01

T100 final overall standings

1. Taylor Knibb 160pts
2. Ashleigh Gentle 132pts
3. Julie Derron 101pts
4. Kat Matthews 91pts
5. Flora Duffy 90pts