At the latest instalment of the French Junior test weekend in Cannes, there were a number of superlative performances. World Junior Championships medallist Manon Laporte dominated the women’s competition to win by over a minute. Meanwhile, Martin Hubner triumphed in the men’s test on the back of a storming 14:24 5000m run.
The question to ask is how does this latest cohort compare to those that came before.
In this respect, the current batch of Junior athletes are against some of the biggest names in the sport. Four of the past five men’s world titles have been won by French athletes (Dorian Coninx, Leo Bergere and Vincent Luis). To go with that, Pierre Le Corre, Cassandre Beaugrand, Emma Lombardi and Leonie Periault are among the WTCS medallists to have been nurtured in the French system. The past of the French tests is therefore reflected in the brilliance of today.
When it comes to the results, records date back to 2008. Initially, it consisted of only a swim and run; in 2018, the bike component was added. In the interests of consistency, we will compare the combination of 800m (50m) times and 5000m times for the swim and run so we can reach as far back as possible.
The Women
The 2024 tests saw two new entrants into the all-time top-10. Laporte’s winning display inserted her as the 4th fastest performer ever. She completed the 800m (LC) swim in 9:34.6 and the 5000m run in 17:10.4, giving her a total time of 26:45.0.
As it happened, Laporte’s 2023 performance already occupied the 4th slot. Her previous time of 26:49.8 has thus been shifted down to 5th place.
The fastest times remain in the possession of the reigning World Junior champion, Ilona Hadhoum. In 2022, Hadhoum swam a time of 9:18.6 and then ran 17:03.9 for the 5000m. That gave her a total time of 26:22.5. Then, in 2023, she swam 9:28.4 and ran 16:48.1, earning her a time of 26:16.5 and an improvement of 6 seconds. An important point to note is that Hadhoum owns the best ever splits in the test too. Her 2022 swim time was the quickest yet while her 2023 run was the fastest on the books.
Cassandre Beaugrand retains 3rd place in the all-time test performances with her 26:35 from 2014. As it happens, she is also in 7th place courtesy of her 27:10 from 2013. It should be acknowledged, though, that Beaugrand was younger than Hadhoum and Laporte when she produced her performances. Hadhoum and Laporte dropped their best showings in their final year of Junior eligibility whereas in 2014 Beaugrand had another two years to race as a Junior (in 2015 and 2016).
After Laporte, former U23 world champion Audrey Merle’s 2014 performance assumes 6th place. She produced a combined time of 27:01 (9:41 swim, 17:20 run). She is closely followed by Margot Garabedian, who holds the 8th and 9th fastest tests (27:13 and 27:21). During the 2023 season, Garabedian switched her sporting nationality from France to Cambodia and has since made her WTCS debut.
Completing the top-10 is the second new entry. Lisa Lecompte finished 5th at the 2024 tests. However, her total time was hurt by losing around half a minute to those ahead of her. Her swim and run, though, were very competitive. In the water she clocked 9:49.2 and on foot she ran 17:36.0 (for a total time of 27:25.2).
Last year, Lea Houart produced the 9th fastest time ever (which now stands as the 11th fastest time). Her 2024 performance, which gave her the runner-up spot behind Laporte, puts her 16th. Ambre Grasset (17th) and Anouk Rigaud (19th) are the two other women to enter the top-20 all-time.
Some famous faces also feature. Emilie Morier now stands in 12th with her 27:34 from 2015. Jeanne Lehair’s best performance (from 2013) sees her in 18th and Leonie Periault’s 2012 effort now puts her in 26th.
The Men
Similarly to the women, the men’s test saw two new entrants in the all-time top-10. The winner, Martin Hubner, takes 6th place in French history after combining a 9:47.4 swim with a 14:24.4 run (24:11.8 total). Hubner’s run stands out as the fastest ever 5000m run at the test weekend. As it happens, Hubner already owned the fastest run time from his 2023 performance.
Meanwhile, the top performance belongs to the athlete with the fastest ever swim. Tom Lerno compiled a total time of 23:38.4 in 2022, swimming 8:47.3 and running 14:51.1. To highlight how impressive Lerno’s display was, he stands almost 20 seconds clear of the next closest man.
WTCS medallist Paul Georgenthum sits in 2nd with a performance of 23:56 and is the only other man under 24 minutes. To achieve his time, Georgenthum swam 8:54 and ran 15:02.
The current men’s world champion, Dorian Coninx, is next with a 24:03. Coninx’s time in the water was 9:02 and on foot was 15:01.
Léo Fernandez, the 2022 European Junior champion, is 4th all-time with his 24:08.3. Significantly, Fernandez set that time in 2022 and the fact that he went on to win his European title indicates that the tests have some value in predicting how an athlete will perform at least at the Junior level.
Gaspard Tharreau, the winner of the 2023 tests, remains in 5th overall with his 2022 performance (24:08.7). His 2023 showing takes 15th place.
The 2022 World Junior champion, Thomas Hansmaennel, stands in tied 7th place with Boris Pierre. Both men completed the test in 24:14.0.
As a point of reference, Hansmaennel’s 2022 performance (when he won the World Junior title) is now 21st all time. Similarly, Nils Serre Gehri, the 2023 World Junior Championships silver medallist, takes 23rd place with his 2023 performance (he was a little slower in 2024). An additional takeaway here, then, is that the tests cannot be over-emphasised too much.
Achille Besson is the second new male entrant in the top-10. The 2024 runner-up earned a total time of 24:15.4 (9:17.5 and 14:57.9). Titouan Chauvin then rounds out the top-10 with his 2022 performance (24:15.8).
Anton Serieys (19th, 24:28.3) was the final man to break into the top-20 all-time this year.
Three WTCS gold medallists then appear outside the top-10. Vincent Luis has the 11th fastest result ever; he clocked 24:19 in the inaugural test in 2008. Pierre Le Corre clocked 24:22 a year later and now slots into 14th place. And then there is Leo Bergere. The 2022 world champion scored his best performance in 2014 with a total time of 24:54 (47th in history). Bergere is therefore a prime example of how some athletes can bloom a little later and nonetheless become world-beaters.
