A flat tire may be all that stands between making a champion or going home empty-handed. Bahrain Endurance 13’s duo of athletes experienced both sides of this coin over the weekend as Fredrik Croneborg’s title defense at Ironman Malaysia quickly ended while Terenzo Bozzone made quick work of the Ironman 70.3 Los Cabos.

A serious puncture in the 100th kilometer on the rolling hills of Langkawi’s bike course had Croneborg sidelined for 30 minutes while waiting for mechanical support. With the eventual winner racing towards a course record, the delay dashed the Swede’s hopes of repeating his triumph from last year — but not his will to finish what he started. “My ambition to race for the title ended early but still proud to earn another finish medal in this race, even if it was my slowest to date,” Croneborg said. “Thanks to all the people cheering me on during the race and the organizing team for a great job.”

While checking his tires on race morning, Bozzone found one of his tires punctured from the pre-check in ride. “I had to use my race spare then and just pray that nothing happened during the race,” the Kiwi recalled. Fortunately, the rest of the race was uneventful, with Bozzone taking a wire-to-wire win with the fastest swim, bike, and run splits on the day.

“The legs had good spring in them and I was able to get what I needed out of the run to hopefully bring up my form a little for the Island House triathlon next weekend and carry that through to Bahrain 70.3,” he concluded.

Bozzone joins Ben Hoffman and Holly Lawrence to take on the Island House Tri in the Bahamas, hoping to improve on their respective finishes from last year. Notably, Bozzone finished 4th and Lawrence 3rd.

His Highness Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa also has high hopes for winning his age group at the Ironman 70.3 Middle East Championship in Bahrain after placing sixth overall and second in his age group at the Dubai International Triathlon Championship. “I am very happy to achieve this positive result in this international championship, which featured a pool of professional and amateur players. There are several factors contributed to this achievement, including the support and backing of His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, and HM’s continuous follow-up to my preparations prior the Championship, which fueled me with enthusiasm.”

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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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