Athletes of the Bahrain Endurance 13 are out to challenge their versatility over distances and surfaces with short course and off-road races this weekend.

Joe Gambles will face off against Europe’s fastest athletes in non-drafting Olympic distance at the 5150 Zurich. He has been training in the French Alps in the two weeks since the ITU Long Course World Championships.

ITU World Champion Javier Gomez hopes to have a better day at WTS Hamburg than he did at the ETU Triathlon Championships in Geneva last week, where he crashed out of T1, rode on a broken wheel, and couldn’t finish due to a cut on his foot. He enters the sprint-distance race still ranked world number 1.

While Ben Hoffman has specialized in long-course racing over the past few years, this weekend he returns to some painful fun in the mountains of Colorado at the Xterra Mountain Championship as he again attempts to punch his ticket to the Xterra World Championships at Maui at the end of the year. The race covers a 1-mile swim, 25-kilometer mountain bike ride, and 9.3-kilometer trail run. A home town race for Hoffman he is keen to keep his podium streak in tact.

“I’m excited to be toeing the line this weekend. This is a great and gives me a chance to test my fitness against some of the best off-road guys out there at high altitude.

“It’s nice to have a little change of pace with the Xterra scene, and showing my ability to crossover between long course and off-road racing.

“The last month of training at home has been very consistent, so it’s time to bring the pain,” said Hoffman.

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

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

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

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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