It is not particularly common for us to report on efforts done in training. Unlike a race environment, training does not quite have the same level of control and sometimes can be a little unreliable.
As with any rule, though, there are always exceptions and recently Tilda Månsson provided a very notable one.
In a training effort on the track, she ran 10,000m in a time of 33:07. She noted that her previous best time was 34:04 so her showing represented an improvement of almost 1 minute.
She also added that the run was not done in spikes; that may have potentially cost her a little time although does make it a bit more directly comparable to the running in a triathlon.
To contextualise her performance, Alberte Kjaer Pedersen recently ran a 33:11 10km at the Danish Championships. Notwithstanding that Pedersen has been faster on an uncertified course, she had the advantage of running in race conditions with a faster athlete to chase.
By contrast, Månsson’s training effort was with one other individual for company on the track.
Given the nature of triathlon, it is rare to ever see a fully tapered and rested effort in a single sport discipline so Månsson’s potential ceiling in the 10km remains somewhat of a mystery. If she can translate her evident speed to her primary sport, she will be a truly formidable prospect.
Månsson only turns 19 in a couple of weeks. Her massive drop in time thus has all the hallmarks of a young athlete hacking chunks off their personal best. The scary thing is if she can do this at 18, what will she be able to do after having a few more years to develop as an athlete?
Technically Månsson is eligible to defend her World and European Junior titles from last year. Whether she chooses to race at the Junior level is another matter entirely. On the one hand, she would be an overwhelming favourite to add another win to her name. On the other hand, it almost feels like it would be mean of her to do so.
There have been a number of great Junior showings already this year but Månsson is operating at a different level right now.
Last year, she memorably won the Bergen World Cup in a performance that really put her name on the map. Since then, she has raced at WTCS Abu Dhabi and finished 12th at the Quarteira European Cup in March. The Senior path therefore appears to be her immediate focus.
There are only a handful of women in the women’s WTCS that have the running speed to match Månsson’s performance. Factoring in her age, she really is nudging the realm of the Beth Potters and Cassandre Beaugrands of the sport.
Her swim and bike will also require time to develop and her training effort is not a guarantee that she will be challenging for medals at her next Senior races. After all, the run is not everything in triathlon. However it is pretty influential.
Having burst through so young it will be tempting to expect the world of Månsson in the coming years. Patience, though, will be required as she develops into a complete triathlete and it will take time for her to fully step up.
At the same time, as much as fans and observers should be patient, it is only fair to get a little bit excited at the speed she is showing.
