There was no shortage of drama at today’s World Triathlon Championships Final in Torremolinos, Spain as France’s Cassandre Beaugrand became only the second woman to win both the Olympics and the World Championship in the same year (along with Flora Duffy in 2021).
As she did in Paris, Beaugrand ran her way to the win, but the drama around her win came during the swim. Beaugrand went well off course and had to be redirected back to the main swim group by the water support crew.
CASSANDRE BEAUGRAND
GOES THE WRONG WAY!
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GOES THE WRONG WAY! 
She ended up getting back into the mix, though, coming out of the water in 30th spot after the first of two laps of the swim, and continued to move up through the field, eventually coming out of the water in the top-10.
Out on the bike a group of 12 formed at the front that included Beaugrand, reigning world champ Beth Potter (GBR), Emma Lombardi (FRA), Vicky Holland (GBR) – who was competing in her last race, Kirsten Kaspter (USA), Miriam Casillas Garcia (ESP), Jeanne Lehair (LUX), Germany’s Lisa Meissner and swim leader Bianca Serigni (ITA).
That group would finish the bike 1:26 up on the chase group, which meant that expected contenders like Lisa Tertsch and Georgia Taylor-Brown weren’t likely to contend for the medals.
Once out on the run Beaugrand quickly put her stamp on the day, with Kasper, Lehair, Potter and Lombardi hanging on. Kasper was the first to get dropped, then Lehair. Potter would also fall back by the halfway point of the run.
Beaugrand cruised to the world title, with Potter eventually able to get ahead of Lombardi to take the silver, with the Frenchwoman rounding out the podium.
Holland rounded out her career in style with a fourth-place finish, with Casillas Garcia finishing in the top-five ahead of Lehair.
Protest
The final results and awards ceremony were delayed as the British Triathlon Federation protested the result, reportedly on the basis that Beaugrand had received outside assistance in the swim when she was redirected off course. That protest was denied, giving Beaugrand both the win on the day and the world championship title.
You can see the full results here.
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