At the weekend, two WTCS athletes took on the French Cross Country Championships in Carhaix.
Leonie Periault and Jeanne Lehair both raced the 8.91km course in conditions radically different to what they would be used to in triathlon. A week of rain had left much of the circuit in boggy conditions and caked in thick mud in parts.
Compared to the near-pristine surface of the Yas Marina Circuit at WTCS Abu Dhabi, it was quite the turnaround.
The conditions, though, did little to slow either athlete.
Periault was the first of the pair home as she finished in 6th place (also as the 4th French woman). Her time of 35:06 was only 43 seconds down on the winner, Diana Chesang of Kenya.
Periault has already qualified for the Paris Olympic Test Event in August by dint of her 5th place at the WTCS Final in 2022. She started her season solidly last weekend, taking 11th in Abu Dhabi. Her run in Carhaix, though, showed that she has a lot more to offer as the season develops.
With the WTCS season turning to the Olympic distance at the next two races in Yokohama and Cagliari, it would be wise to expect some seriously fast run splits from Periault.
Lehair, meanwhile, finished only two places behind Periault in 8th. Moreover, her time of 35:24 was only 18 seconds behind Periault.
In many respects, Lehair’s run was a small statement ahead of the season to come. She has already kicked off her campaign with a win at the Luxembourg Aquathlon Championships and a 22nd place in Abu Dhabi. However, finishing so close to a runner as strong as Periault in Carhaix can only be a good sign.
It might be too early to say for sure, but it seems like Lehair has had a good winter of training and her running is looking in great shape. Hitherto, she has finished in the top-10 of a WTCS race once (when she placed 8th in Montreal last year).
With her running looking as good as it did in Carhaix, she looks like someone that will be adding further top-10 finishes this season.
