Nine days before taking the start line at WTCS Abu Dhabi, Cassandre Beaugrand produced a blistering 15:39 at the Derby Midweek 5km.
Taking place yesterday (Wednesday 22/2/22), Beaugrand was the second finisher home, having been narrowly pipped to the win by fellow Loughborough triathlete Ben Bishop.
Beaugrand is one of the favourites for the world title this year. In recent years, the four time WTCS medallist has established herself as one of the foremost swimmers and runners in the field.
A sub-16 minute performance at any point in the year is a sign of being in great condition, let alone in February.
At the same time, we can only read so much into 5km times. Last April, Beth Potter ran 14:41 over the distance on the road which was an unofficial word record.
While that preceded a brilliant year in which she won three WTCS medals, it was not the harbinger of sub-15 or sub-15:30 splits at WTCS events. As such, caution should be taken before predicting sub-16 splits from Beaugrand.
On the other hand, Beaugrand has previously run a 15:48 at WTCS Hamburg, representing the fifth fastest performance by a woman in WTCS history. That Hamburg split earned her the win on the day and made her the second fastest woman on the run in a Sprint distance race behind Gwen Jorgensen.
If nothing else, Beaugrand’s 5km time is a sign that she will be one to watch in Abu Dhabi next week.
Moreover, Beaugrand was not the only triathlete from the Loughborough squad to race.
Iona Miller and Annabel Morton also raced. Miller has recently moved up from the U23 ranks, while Morton is a final year U23 athlete.
Last year, Miller made her World Cup debut in Pontevedra, finishing 23rd. Morton, too, made her World Cup debut last year. She finished 47th in Valencia.
In Derby, Miller ran a strong 16:51 with Morton a mere 4 seconds behind, which should bode well for their early season races. Both athletes are slated to start at the Quarteira European Cup in a month’s time.
Meanwhile, British Junior athlete Isabella Hayes also ran in Derby, logging a 16:52 for the 5km. Her only international appearance came at the European Junior Cup in Holton last July where she finished 6th. As with Miller and Morton, she is due to race in Quarteira next month, albeit in the European Junior Cup.
With her run in solid shape, Hayes will likely be in with a good chance of representing Great Britain at an the World or European Junior Championships this year.
