Blummenfelt caps off 2021 with another victory, Luis takes second at Indian Wells

Dec 6, 2021

It was a gold and silver weekend for Bahrain Endurance 13 with Kristian Blummenfelt and Vincent Luis racing over the middle distance in Florida and California.

Blummenfelt capped an amazing season by winning Clash Daytona with a speedy 3:08:30 on the 2-kilometer swim, 80-kilometer bike, and 18-kilometer run on the Daytona International Speedway circuit. The Norwegian backed up his Ironman win in Cozumel last week and took home a $15,000 prize check to add to his Olympic and world champion accolades.

He exited the swim in fourth, but rode steadily into the second spot by 12 kilometers into the bike leg. Despite being overtaken by Magnus Ditlev and coming into the bike-to-run transition with a 2:23 deficit, Blummenfelt still had more firepower to unleash on the run. He made the pass for the lead shortly after the 10-kilometer mark and never looked back.

Blummenfelt said post-race, “It’s been a season I’ve dreamed about, winning almost everything. [Ironman 70.3 world championship] St. George didn’t go to plan, but I can’t complain. It’s been a massive year; the Olympics is something I’ve trained for 10 years, so a year that we can be proud of looking back. But also we’re having a massive year next year: we’re getting the chance to race the world championship both in Hawaii and outside. So, it’s a double world championship that we are aiming for, and Sub7.”

Luis took second place at Ironman 70.3 Indian Wells La Quinta the following day, securing qualification for the 2022 Ironman 70.3 World Championship. It was an eventful race: the French athlete was leading the race on the bike when traffic control directed the lead car off course, and a car hit Luis. Bloodied and bruised, he still finished the 90-kilometer bike leg and ran a gutsy half-marathon to clinch silver.

“I swam well and was pushing good watts,” said Luis. “With 10 kilometers to go I still had a two-minute lead, but then a car hit me and I hit the ground really hard. Jumped back on my bike and reached T2 with Lionel Sanders. My run was just a struggle and my only goal was to reach the finish line and have a check up with a doctor.”

The two races wrap up the Bahrain Endurance 13 season for 2021.

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Lauren Parker Leads Bahrain Victorious 13’s Medal Haul at World Championships

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Oct 20, 2025

The Bahrain Victorious 13 captured an impressive medal haul at the World Triathlon Championships in Wollongong, Australia this weekend.

Lauren Parker led the campaign, winning two medals including her fifth paratriathlon world title.

The paratriathlon races opened the elite competition on Saturday, where Parker once again proved untouchable. She led from the front, exiting the 750-metre swim first, hammering the 20-kilometre handbike leg with the day’s fastest split, and then powering through the 5-kilometre wheelchair run to cross the line 70 seconds clear of her nearest rival.

Unbeaten all year, Parker’s home victory carried extra meaning as she reclaimed the crown she relinquished last season.

“Everyone was so supportive out there and it definitely made me push a little bit harder,” Parker said post-race. “I wanted to get back on top again and I really worked hard for this one and I’m just happy to get it done.”

She also revealed her next sporting ambition: to qualify for the Winter Paralympic Games, with ongoing training in cross-country skiing and biathlon.

On Sunday, Parker added to her tally with a silver medal in the Para Mixed Relay World Championships, helping the Australian team to a podium finish.

In the men’s elite race, Vasco Vilaça placed fifth to secure the overall World Triathlon Championship Series bronze medal, returning to the world podium for the first time since earning silver at the one-day championship in Hamburg in 2020.

Emma Lombardi also delivered a standout performance, claiming bronze in the women’s race – her best finish of the season – and vaulting seven places to 11th overall in the Series standings. She swam into the pointy end on the 1.5-kilometre swim alongside compatriot Cassandre Beaugrand, then attacked on the 40-kilometre bike to lead onto the 10-kilometre run where she battled against the eventual winner and series champion Lisa Tertsch and a hard-charging Bianca Seregni to hold onto the final spot on the podium.

Beaugrand, who had stayed in the lead pack throughout the swim and bike, was forced to withdraw on the run to conclude her season ranked seventh overall.

The results in Wollongong wrap up the Bahrain Victorious 13’s short course season. The team now turns its attention to middle distance racing with the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Marbella, Spain and Ironman 70.3 Bahrain on the horizon, as well as the T100 Tour’s final two stops in Dubai and Qatar.

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Kat Matthews Runs to Silver and a Record Finish in Kona

Kat Matthews Runs to Silver and a Record Finish in Kona

Oct 13, 2025

Kat Matthews led the charge for the Bahrain Victorious 13 on Saturday, taking her third IRONMAN World Championship silver medal at the historic final all-women’s race in Kona, Hawaii. The British star also set a new run course record on the way to her first-ever...

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