Triathlon Olympics: Discover the Champions!

Slick roads turned the cycling portion of the women’s Olympic triathlon into a series of spills.

PARIS, France — Cassandre Beaugrand of France clinched victory in the women’s Olympic triathlon on Wednesday despite unprecedented challenges. Beaugrand swam through the scrutinized waters of the Seine River and navigated dangerously slick roads that led to multiple spills during the cycling segment.

Finishing atop the Pont Alexandre III bridge, Beaugrand collapsed with a mixture of sheer exhaustion and exhilaration. Her triumphant time of 1 hour, 54 minutes, and 55 seconds saw her edge out Julie Derron of Switzerland by just six seconds, while Beth Potter from Britain claimed the bronze medal.

“It’s magical,” Beaugrand remarked. She praised the route, emphasizing its exceptional quality. “To do this in front of our crowd was something special, and I still can’t believe it.”

Less than an hour after the women concluded their race, Alex Yee from Britain emerged victorious in the men’s event. He narrowly defeated Hayden Wilde of New Zealand by the same margin of six seconds, while Leo Bergere secured another medal for France with his bronze finish.

The men’s race, initially scheduled for Tuesday, was postponed due to elevated bacteria levels in the Seine. However, tests conducted early Wednesday confirmed the water quality met the required standards. This triathlon forms part of a broader initiative to clean up the historically polluted Seine, with officials vowing its suitability for both the triathlon and the upcoming marathon swimming events.

A steady rain had abated just before the athletes took to the water. Derron, focused solely on achieving a podium finish, ignored concerns about water quality. “I knew it was race day, and I knew what I had to do,” she said. “The water felt normal, though a bit cold due to the rain. The strong current on the way back made it tougher.”

The cycling segment, spread across wet Parisian streets, proved more treacherous. Romina Biagioli of Argentina experienced a fall on Lap 2, losing her water bottles in the process. “It was a nice course but dangerous because of the rain,” she commented.

Biagioli also expressed a desire for more practice in the Seine’s currents, mentioning that her concerns were more about the currents than the water’s pollution. “I wasn’t worried about the pollution,” she noted. “I was concerned about adapting to the river’s currents without adequate practice.”