The winds whipped up on Friday afternoon, day two of the 2024 World Triathlon Championship Finals, making conditions challenging for the big women’s field of junior talent lining up for their shot at a world title in Torremolinos.
The course packed a 750m beach swim, 20km bike and 5km run, and the women’s race delivered fireworks right down to the finish as Ambre Grasset of France and Hungary’s Fanni Szalai battled over almost every metre. In the end, it was Grasset who emerged victorious, pulling clear after the final turn and Szalai unable to bite back, Lea Houart (FRA) with the bronze.
It was Szalai out of the swim first, 12 seconds back were Houart, Eve Whitaker (GBR) and Pauline Courret (HKG), but the Hungarian lost time in transition and it was Houart out and away first onto the 20km bike.
A four-strong group quickly formed up front with Szalai and Austria’s Tabea Huys driven on by Grasset and Houart. Working together well, they were able to put nearly 40 seconds into the 17-strong chasers that included Whitaker, Merel Veltman (NED), Jimena Renata De La Peña Schott (USA) and María López Faraudo (MEX).
Szalai had to work through some of the turns to stay on the wheels of the French, and the tricolor duo had precious daylight heading out of T2 onto the 5km run.
The Hungarian wasted no time in shutting the gap and left Huys chasing her shadow before then passing Houart and settling in behind Grasset.
It was there that she stayed until the penultimate dead turn when she hit the accelerator, Grasset responding well and then it was side-by side for the pair before the final turn to the blue carpet. There Grasset made the move from the outside to get the crucial gap and never let it go. Szalai visibly disappointed with her silver but with plenty more ahead of her, likewise Houart with bronze, María López Faraudo with a brilliant run into fourth, Swiss Anouk Danna in fifth.
Full results can be found here.