World class fields lined up in Samorin, Slovakia, to chase world titles and medals in the 2022 World Triathlon Long Distance Championships. The event was part of the 2022 World Triathlon Multisport Championships Samorin which encompassed the Collins Cup and Professional Triathlon Organisation (PTO) Age-Group races.
Pierre Le Corre (FRA) has earned the World Triathlon Long Distance title in Samorin with an astonishing run to earn the gold medal. Germany’s Florian Angert displayed a strong swim and bike set-up and maintained a solid second position on the run to claim the silver medal in the Long Distance Championships. It was a brilliant day for Germany with Frederic Funk crossing the line to take bronze.
Lucy Charles-Barclay returned to racing today after injury and showcased the perfect race to take the tape and was crowned World Triathlon Long Distance champion in Slovakia. Emma Pallant-Browne showed her class on the run to chase down second position and was awarded the silver medal in the World Championships in Samorin. 2021 World Triathlon Long Distance champion Sarissa de Vries took bronze in Samorin today.
Men’s report
In the men’s race Frenchman Pierre Le Corre and South Africa’s Jamie Riddle opened up a gap in the 2km swim, to exit the water ahead of the field. Le Corre and Riddle were the first of the elite men through the first transition of the day and onto the 80km bike course in the 2022 World Triathlon Long Distance Championships.
Across the early stages of the fast and flat bike course Germany’s Florian Angert, who won here at the same race venue in 2021 The Championship race, pushed through to take the lead, Le Corre rode in second position and Riddle was sitting in third. The young South African showed fantastic form across the swim and the early stages of the bike to ride with the likes of Le Corre and Angert. Germany’s Frederic Func moved into third position with Gregory Barnaby of Italy in fourth. Frenchman Clement Mignon was hunting the leaders in fifth position. Belgium’s Christophe De Keyser and Denis Chevrot of France were in sixth and seventh place respectively.
At the midpoint of the bike segment, Sweden’s Robert Kallin was eighth and Riddle was holding onto ninth, in a stacked field of experienced long-distance athletes.
Australia’s Tim Reed, who is a champion long course athlete, was forced to retire from the race, due to a mechanical at the commencement of the bike course.
Angert showed exceptional form on the bike to enter the final transition of the day in the lead.
Le Corre, who earned silver in the individual race in the European Championship in Munich last weekend, commenced the 18km run and caught Angert by the fourth kilometre to take the lead. The French elite triathlete looked a force to be reckoned with out on the run course in Samorin.
Experienced Angert was running strong in second, attempting to chase down the Frenchman for the world long-distance title. Germany’s Frederic Func ran through from the seventh position up to third position on the final stage of the run with Italy’s Gergory Barnaby in fourth.
On the final portion of the run Le Corre increased his stride to run away with victory in Samorin and crowned the 2022 World Triathlon Long Distance champion, on debut at this distance, at a World Championship level.
“I am so happy to win today, that was a really hard race, especially on the bike. I tried to hold the German guys, they were pushing big power. I was in the front for the first 15-kilometres but I couldn’t follow on the last 25-kilometre. I tried to stay consistent. I knew I at the end of the bike, I had 55-seconds so I knew I could make it today.”
“I was not feeling so great on the run, I was a bit worried that I had some cramps so I was trying to pace myself. I was really happy to take the lead at 4-kilometre, it’s amazing.”
“I really like this kind of distance, I really want to try and make a start at the PTO tour if I can. I want to stay at the Olympic distance too, I want to do both,” said Le Corre.
Angert of Germany, who led for most of the bike leg, crossed the line in second and was awarded the silver in the long-distance championships.
“It’s maybe the toughest middle-distance race you could ever do, it’s just so demanding.”
“I tried to be consistent on the run and happy to get silver here,” Angert said.
It was a fantastic day for Germany with a delighted Frederic Func, who displayed a striking run to claim bronze in the 2022 World Triathlon Long Distance Championships Samorin.
“I am really happy with the bronze medal, I made the best out of my day.” said Func.
Replay the race on-demand at TriathlonLIVE.tv
