The opening races of the 2024 World Multisport Championships in Townsville, Australia, will get underway tomorrow and the duathlon events will kick things off. A two-lap 5km run will launch the race with a 20km bike consisting of four laps along the beach front to follow. Rounding things off will be a final run lap of 2.5km that looks to be deceptively challenging.
Entering the race, the home Australian team will have several candidates hoping to open the championships with a gold medal. At the same time, the elite duathlon fields contain significant threats, including both of the reigning European champions.
Elite women
Charlotte McShane (AUS) will be taking a slight detour from her standard triathlon course as the WTCS star tackles the first event of a packed World Multisport Championship schedule. Although McShane did not make it onto her country’s Olympic team, she nonetheless arrives in Townsville in good form. Three months ago she nabbed an impressive victory at the Oceania Super Sprint Championships. While the duathlon may not be her typical stomping ground, her extensive experience will no doubt come in handy.
On the note of experience, the evergreen Ai Ueda (JPN) will be another on the hunt for a medal. A multiple WTCS medallist over a storied international career, Ueda took the bronze medal at the equivalent race at the 2023 World Multisport Championships in Ibiza. Similarly, Louisa Marie Middleditch (SIG) will be racing with the top start number and won the African duathlon title in her last international outing in April.
The name to watch, though, may be Marion Legrand (FRA). The French athlete is the reigning European champion after delivering a masterful performance in Coimbra earlier this year, defending the honours she claimed in 2023. The duathlon format plays to Legrand’s strengths and she will likely prove a formidable opponent in the women’s race.
Elite men
In the men’s race, Emile Blondel Hermant (FRA) wears number 1 after taking 4th place at the European Duathlon Championships in Coimbra earlier this year. The French athlete made his return to the international scene after an extended absence at last year’s World Long Distance Duathlon Championships. That day he finished 2nd. Now, over the shorter format, he seeks the gold.
His compatriot Benjamin Choquert (FRA) will be a tough rival to overcome. Choquert claimed the silver medal at last year’s World Duathlon Championships. In the absence of the defending champion, Mario Mola, Choquert can be regarded as the frontrunner for the win. Elsewhere, from the home team Luke Bate (AUS) will likely be one to fly the flag. The Australian athlete has already claimed two Asia Cup victories on the triathlon scene this year, in Subic Bay and Osaka, and as such is in fine fettle.
As with the women’s race, though, the athlete to watch will on balance be the European champion. Arnaud Dely (BEL) was excellent as he earned his continental title earlier this year. In Ibiza last year, he narrowly missed the podium at the World Multisport Championships as he finished 4th and will look to make a step up this time round. Should he bring the same form as that which he showed in Coimbra, he could light up Townsville.
Catch all the duathlon action live on TriathlonLive from 14:50 (AEST), 06:50 (CEST) and 05:50 (BST) and stay up to date with all the latest from Townsville across all World Triathlon channels.