The cold air of Tongyeong offered the clearest sign yet that the triathlon season is coming to its close for 2023. As the athletes lined the pontoon in their wetsuits, the temperatute stood at 10 degrees (Celsius), leaving several to shiver a little.
For some, getting going in the conditions proved a challenge. However, at the front of the race Yuko Takahashi crackled into life instantly. The Japanese athlete got off to a fast start and took an early lead. Margot Garabedian of Cambodia set the pace at the front of the other arrow-head of athletes. As the two columns came together around the buoys, Takahashi was clearly in the lead.
Over the 750m swim, Takahashi held onto her lead and was the first woman to emerge in 9:03. Zsanett Kuttor-Bragmayer and Claire Michel followed. With a silver medal from the Chengdu World Cup a week prior, Michel was one of the favourites for the win going into the race. Takahashi, though, had the bit between her teeth.
The Asian Games champion and recently-crowned Japanese national champion sped though T1 and began to set a brutal pace on the bike.
Out of the water, the field had been a little split. Former world champions Gwen Jorgensen and Vicky Holland had lost ground, as had Tereza Zimovjanova who was coming off a personal best 5th place in Chengdu.
On the first of the three laps on the out and back bike course, a pack of seven came together. Hollie Elliott moved to the front early on but Michel and Takahashi promptly took over proceedings.
On the incline, Takahashi breezed up, with Michel and Bragmayer clamped to her wheel. The chase pack behind could see the leaders but for the first lap they could not quite close the gap.
Eventually, the bridge between the two groups was made and the lead pack swelled to almost twenty as the likes of Jorgensen and Zimovjanova joined. Still Takahashi sat in control up the hill.
No one was quite able to launch a move off the front with Michel and Takahashi in command and the pack remained together for the rest of the 20km.
Erica Ackerlund was the first athlete into T2 after using a smart piece of positioning at the end of the bike. Meanwhile, Jorgensen had spent much of the bike at the back of the group. She therefore arrived a few seconds later and was one of the last of the leaders into T2. A somewhat lax transition followed and she lost 11 seconds to Takahashi.
As Jorgensen dawdled, Ackerlund and Takahashi took the lead on the run but the Japanese athlete blasted clear. Zimovjanova also moved up with an impressive turn of pace. She joined Takahashi and put the rest of the front pack on the back foot as the lead pair set a demanding pace.
Jorgensen was noticeably out of contention through the first half of the opening lap. Yet having won two World Cups in her past two appearances at the level, it seemed highly likely that she would rise through the field.
All eyes, though, were at the front. Zimovjanova was in flying form and earned a small gap. Ainsley Thorpe and Zsófia Kovács tried to hold on to Takahashi as she in turn tried to catch her Czech rival.
Zimovjanova then started to slip back as the hill on the first lap arrived. She grimaced and Takahashi closed the gap before using the downhill to retake the lead. For the rest of the lap, the pair stayed side by side.
Further back, Michel rose through the field and led the chase onto the second and final lap. And then Jorgensen appeared on the shoulder of Michel.
The lead pair seemed too far ahead to be caught but the American had found her groove. She pushed ahead of Michel and nibbled into the lead. With a target ahead, Jorgensen could fix her sights on Takahashi and Zimvjanova and the lead tumbled.
A pained expression on Zimovjanova’s face betrayed her effort as she fought to hold onto the lead. Takahashi also tried to up the ante to hold Jorgensen at bay. Before long, though, the former Olympic champion had caught them.
Up the hill, Takahashi kept her two rivals behind and Zimovjanova lost a few valuable seconds. However the Czech athlete gritted her teeth and pulled the time back.
Then, on the downhill, Jorgensen made her move.
In full flight, she attacked Takahashi and Zimovjanova. Initially, the former was able to hold on. Over the final kilometre, Jorgensen inexorably pulled away to win by 4 seconds. The gold was her third in a row at the World Cup level and her masterful run made all the difference.
Takahashi won the silver after lighting up the race while Zimovjanova crossed the line right behind her as she took her first World Cup medal. Both had been outstanding but could not quite find the answer to Jorgensen’s speed at the last.
Michel then took 4th place to continue her run of good form while Thorpe held off Kovács for 5th place.
You can view the full results here.
