Briton Beth Potter started the day second in the championship behind rival Cassandre Beaugrand and had to beat the French star to claim the title; she left the field in her wake over the course of 10 km and won the world championship crown by 18 seconds
Last updated: 09/24/23 8:23 PM
Beth Potter (middle) has only been a triathlete for six years, but is now world champion
Beth Potter claimed the triathlon world title with a stunning performance in Pontevedra, Spain, just six years after taking up the sport.
The Briton started the day second in the championship behind rival Cassandre Beaugrand and needed to beat the French star, as she did at the Paris Olympic Test event last month, to claim the title.
She left the 1,500m swim behind Beaugrand, but alongside British teammate Kate Waugh, who won silver in the race.
As teammates Sophie Coldwell and Olivia Mathias swapped first place on the 25-mile bike course, Potter moved to within seconds of the leaders in a 15-man peloton at the front of the race. With Beaugrand for company, she stayed at the front of the field throughout the eight-lap cycle circuit, without anyone being able to break clear.
With nothing between Potter and Beaugrand, who had won four Championship Series races between them at this race, they entered transition for a second time, with the world title coming down to the 10km run.
Potter, who overtook Beaugrand in Paris to claim gold last month, set the early pace alongside compatriot Waugh. The French threat came not from Beaugrand, but from her teammate Emma Lombardi, who had her own world title ambitions, as the series leader failed to keep up with the Briton at the front.
Potter crosses the finish line to take the title
Potter picked up the pace with Waugh alongside her, putting her even further ahead of her main title challenger. In the closing laps she was all alone as she left the field in her wake to win the world championship crown by 18 seconds.
Waugh managed to claim the silver medal, her first at a World Triathlon Championship Series event, while Beaugrand finished a distant third. Coldwell finished the day seventh with Mathias 32nd after her return from injury.
Potter took the series victory with the race win and was joined on the overall podium by Beaugrand and Lombardi.
Speaking about her race and series win, Potter said: “It’s a bit crazy, I thought at 5km (halfway through the run) that this (becoming world champion) might happen, but I just didn’t want to believe it until the very end.
“I’m at a loss for words, the perfect end to the perfect season for me. I’m really motivated to go into this winter and work harder, just train harder and see where I am next year and hopefully it’s the same .” better.
“I always planned in my head to attack on the hill towards the end of the race, so that was in my plan and I feel like I followed that. I felt pretty comfortable and it was great to see Kate (Waugh – GBR) come on stage too (Silver). She has made a big change in the last year and to see it paying off I think it’s not much different to what I did. I I’ve made a big change and a big step and it’s just great to see her take the stage.”