The Olympic champion from France was determined to end her season on a high after a disappointing DNF at the World Triathlon Championship Series Grand Final in Wollongong two weeks ago. There was no better stage for redemption than the marquee race at Australia’s biggest multisport festival.
Beaugrand set the tone early, leading the 1.5-kilometre swim at Noosa Beach and exiting the water in 20:06, two seconds clear of the field. But the challenge came on the 40-kilometre non-drafting bike leg. Her inexperience with the format resulted in a two-minute stand-down penalty putting her on the back foot, but she held strong with a 1:02:32 split and reached T2 just over five minutes off the front.
In a showcase of pure running power, she unleashed the day’s quickest 10-kilometre split (34:12) and tore through the field, ultimately crossing the line in 2:00:32 and reeling in all but two competitors.
This weekend, Bahrain Victorious 13’s long-course warriors line up at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Marbella, Spain.
In the women’s race, reigning champion Taylor Knibb will seek her third title defense in a row and an historic fourth crown. Alongside her is Kat Matthews, two years the vice champion and gunning not just for her first world title, but also a defense of the Ironman Pro Series title. India Lee rounds off the BV13 contingent, rested and raring to go after her first Ironman World Championship finish last month.
Among the men, Jelle Geens sets up for a title defense, while Vincent Luis makes his Ironman 70.3 World Championship debut. Kacper Stepniak and Max Neumann join them on the starting line.
