With two WTCS wins apiece in 2023, Beth Potter and Cassandre Beaugrand, the home favourite, stepped onto the pontoon in Paris as the women to beat.
In an early show of strength, Beaugrand set the pace in the water and established herself at the front of the race. To date, she had never medalled over the Olympic distance in the WTCS. Her recent form, however, had been nothing short of irresistible.
Even with Beaugrand’s speed, though, she had to cede her place as Bianca Seregni moved ahead. Having asserted her authority, the young Italian soon began to swim away from the field.
Summer Rappaport took over and led the chase of Seregni; by the end of the first swim lap, Rappaport, Beaugrand and Vittoria Lopes were the only athletes within 10s seconds of the Italian. Such was Seregni’s speed, only nine women managed to stay within 20 seconds of her time.
Gradually, Rappaport was able to bridge to the leader alone. Whereas they moved to take the inside line, Beaugrand led pack on a wider course in search of lighter currents.
By the time the leaders arrived in T1, Beaugrand sat 10 seconds behind Seregni. Rappaport was the first out of transition and broke into an early lead. Chasing her was a pack of eight women, containing Seregni, Beaugrand, Lopes, Laura Lindemann, Lena Meißner, Emma Lombardi, Taylor Spivey and Sophie Coldwell.
The chase pack had a 9 second advantage over the next pack of nine, which was headed up by Nina Eim and Katie Zaferes. With Potter for company, they set about hauling in the lead group as Rappaport was caught.
A third group of seven athletes followed further down the road. With Taylor Knibb, Julie Derron and Kirsten Kasper to hand, the third pack had plenty of power and they made short work of closing the deficit. By the third of the seven laps, the three packs were together and the next riders languished over 90 seconds down the road.
Seregni fell behind to leave twenty-four women at the front. Then the cat-and-mouse game began.
The eyes of the lead group fell upon Knibb as they waited for her to act. The American, however, was essentially marked out of the race and was forced to keep her powder dry. The second half of the bike was thus an uneventful fare.
With the speed of Potter and Beaugrand primed to launch on the run, an attack may have benefitted some rivals. Yet with Olympic hopes on the line for so many, caution proved to be the defining feature of the day.
Knibb typified that caution as she arrived into T2 at the rear of the pack and took the careful route through transition. At the front, Beaugrand struck out on run and appeared to have ended the race before it had even properly begun.
Lindemann and Eim led the chase, with Potter, Emma Lombardi and Lisa Tertsch closing fast.
On the second of the four laps, Potter, Lombardi and the three Germans caught Beaugrand and the sense of caution returned. Determined not to expend too much energy too early, the group hung together. Eim then started to slip back as if to indicate what could happen with over-zealous pacing.
Meanwhile, having been the last of the front pack onto the run, Knibb was creeping through the field. After a smooth first lap, only Spivey and Rappaport of her American rivals lay ahead. Having ticked off a smooth opening lap, Knibb continued to whittle down their respective advantages.
As Knibb passed Rappaport and drew onto heels of Spivey and Jeanne Lehair, Potter and Beaugrand pulled away at the front.
Lindemann and Lombardi held firm on the road and limited the gap to 5 seconds. Tertsch, however, dropped back. Before the young German had been able to process what was happening, Knibb was suddenly right behind her, with Eim on her heels, having dropped Spivey and Lehair.
Tertsch, the German champion, battled on, but she had no answer as Knibb cruised by.
Now only 5 seconds away from podium, the American had to find a way to get through Lombardi and Lindemann if she was to open a second Olympic spot for one of her teammates. At that point, Spivey sat in 9th, 10 seconds behind the top-8 finish she needed if Knibb medalled.
Knibb brought the gap to Lindemann and Lombardi down to 3 seconds but Eim had also caught her.
At last, on the last lap, Potter tried to attack but Beaugrand marked the move. As quickly as the attack had started, it was over and the lead pair settled into their rhythm.
Lombardi likewise had a dig but Lindemann marked it while Knibb once again moved away from Eim.
As the blue carpet approached, one of Potter or Beaugrand had to throw caution to the wind and it was the Scot that made the decisive move. Shortly before the final corner, Potter launched her final kick. Beaugrand simply could not respond.
As Beaugrand jogged home, Potter burst over the line to seal the gold. While had not yet sealed Olympic qualification for the British tea, she may have put one hand on the world title with a third win of the season.
In taking 2nd place, Beaugrand became the first triathlete to qualify for next year’s Olympic Games. Her silver medal showed the threat she will pose in twelve months. However, her teammate Lombardi could not add her own qualification as she was out-sprinted by Lindemann at the last.
Lindemann therefore took 3rd place and in doing so sealed her place on the German Olympic team.
Knibb then followed in 5th which will earn her a place on the American Olympic team. Eim took 6th place to claim the second German Olympic slot. A full breakdown on Olympic qualification will follow shortly.
Kate Waugh finished 7th ahead of Julie Derron. Tertsch then crossed in 9th and Spivey rounded out the top-10.
The Test Event, though, belonged to Potter. With a consummate performance, she demonstrated once again why she would be more than a worthy world champion this year.
The bigger picture, though, may just have leaned Beaugrand’s way. With her Olympic slot settled and the danger she poses confirmed, it is entirely feasible that she will take that final step up the podium next time in Paris.
You can view the full results here.
