McElroy, Merle Victorious at Tongyeong World Cup
Matthew McElroy won his 1st World Cup and 3rd World Cup podium of the 2022 season with a race-best 30:56 run and Audrey Merle of France left the women’s field in her proverbial dust while earning her first career World Cup at Tongyeong, South Korea.
McElroy topped runner-up Gabor Faldum of Hungary 20 seconds and third place finisher Samuel Dickinson of Great Britain by 27 seconds, while repeating his 2019 win at this venue.
“I feel good,” he told World Triathlon media. “This is my second time winning this race. We’ve been on a bit of a World Cup podium streak so I think it’s time I do a WTCS and see if it translates.”
It did not come easy. ““Today was a tough race,” he said. “The swim was quite the battle, I haven’t been in a swim like that, when it was that physical, in a long time. [I played it pretty smart on the bike. Then it turned out to be a running race. I just sat on Gabor Faldum and waiting to make my big move.”
Faldum was the happiest man as he had been in a long time desert from the podium. “I am very happy because yesterday I checked my social website and 7 years ago was my last podium,” he said. “I played with the thought that maybe I can do the same as 7 years ago and I did exactly and I am happy, really happy for this result,” said Faldum.
Great Britain’s Samuel Dickinson found the motivation to chase down the bronze. “The bike was tactical but at the start it was quite strung out,” he told World Triathlon media. “We had quite a good working pack but it was a little bit too big, couple of missed turns and that means that the chase could get back in it.” Dickinson had a big thank-you to 7th place finisher Jack Willis of Great Britain.
“A big shout out to Jack who had an outstanding race,” said Dickinson. “The run is tough as it’s dead flat and fast before the hill. Bottom of the hill, just go flat out until the line and some how I held onto third.”
Women's Race
Audrey Merle made up for a 7th-best swim and a 5 seconds deficit with a 3rd best bike split and a dominating 30:56 half marathon to finish in 1:44:49 with a 23 seconds margin on 2022 World Triathlon Cup Huatulco Champion Annika Koch of Germany and 30 seconds over early race leader and third place finisher Mathilde Gautier of France.
Racing began with a two-lap, 1.5km swim in the harbor of the coastal city, which is at the southern end of the Goseong peninsular in South Korea. Mathilde Gautier of France led the women through two laps of the swim and into the first transition.
Mexico’s Rosa Maria Tapia Vidal, South Africa’s Simone Ackermann, Great Britain’s Olivia Mathias, New Zealand’s Ainsley Thorpe, Merle and Germany’s Annika Koch joined the leading French woman through transition and out onto the famously hilly bike leg. Out on the bike course the women quickly established a lead group of ten athletes which also included Italy’s Ilaria Zane and South Africa’s Sarah Jane Walker. The chase group included Bragmayer, Canada’s Amelie Kretz and Sandra Dodet of France who were working to apply pressure to bridge the gap on the leaders. By the fourth lap of the bike segment, the lead group had extended their gap to 40-seconds,, including a strong bike split by Tapia Vidal. On the final bike lap the front group of ten had extended their lead to 65 seconds and Merle was doing a lot of work to keep the group riding together.
Gautier led at T2, with Merle following closely in 2nd. and Koch chasing in 3rd. halfway through the 10km run, Merle surged into the lead over Gautier who ultimately surrendered second second place to Koch.
“I feel really happy,” said Merle. “Honestly, it was four really difficult years for me and today was big to win a World Cup. I know it’s not the biggest race in the world, but I really wanted to win today and I am really happy. I felt really good. I just tried to take a breath and be happy to be first and just enjoy the moment. I was really emotional in the last lap.”
Koch surged on the final lap to take the silver medal. “I am really lucky to have another podium. I battled so hard with Mathilde (Gautier) on the run but it was fun.”
Gautier was delighted with a breakthrough bronze. “I am very happy,” she said. “It’s my first podium so it’s a big surprise for me. I love spicy laps on the bike and on the run and it was very hard today, my legs were very tired after the bike but yes I love this place for the race.
World Triathlon Tongyeong World Cup
Tongyeong, South Korea
October 15, 2022
S 1.5k / B 40k / R 10k
Men's Results
1. Matthew McElroy (USA) S 18:31 T1 00:31 B 54:27 T2 00:27 R 30:56 TOT 1:44:49
2. Gabor Faldum (HUN) S 18:15 T1 00:37 B 54:35 T2 00:24 R 31:18 TOT 1:45:09
3. Samuel Dickinson (GBR) S 17:456 T1 00:33 B 55:09 T2 00:29 R 31:23 TOT 1:45:16
4. Aram Michell Peñaflor Moysen (MEX) S 18:21 T1 00:321 B 54:40 T2 00:32 R 1:45:21
5. Felix Duchampt (ROU) S 18:26 T1 00:31 B 54:35 T2 00:29 R 31:25 TOT 1:45:24
6. Maxime Hueber-Moosbrugger (FRA) S 18:11 T1 00:33 B 54:46 T2 00:31 R 31:29
7. Jack Willis (GBR) S 17:42 T1 00:33 B 54:05 T2 00:27 R 32:43 TOT 1:45:28
8. Rostislav Pevtsov (AZE) S 18:29 T1 00:31 B 54:34 T2 00:30 R 31:30 TOT 1:45:30
9. Aoba Yasumatsu (JPN) S 18:29 T1 00:32 B 54:30 T2 00:30 R 31:38 TOT 1:45:37
10. Gregor Payet (LUX) S 18:36 T1 00:33 B 54:19 T2 00:26 R 31:55 TOT 1:45:46
Women's Top 10
1. Audrey Merle (FRA) S 19:27 T1 00:35 B 1:01:22 T2 00:30 R 35:15 TOT 1:57:08
2. Annika Koch (GER) S 19:29 T1 0:35 B 1:01:17 T2 00:32 R 35:40 TOT 1:57:31
3. Mathilde Gautier (FRA) S 19:20 T1 00:39 B 1:01:27 T2 00:29 R 35:49 TOT 1:57:38
4. Sandra Dodet (FRA) S 19:29 T1 00:35 B 1:02:34 T2 00:30 R 35:11 TOT 1:58:18
5. Rosa Maria Tapia Vidal (MEX) S 19:26 T1 00:35 B 1:01:21 T2 00:30 R 36:28 TOT 1:58:19
6. Ainsley Thorpe (NZL) S 19:25 T1 00:35 B 1:01:22 T2 00:31 R 36:30 TOT 1:58:22
7. Illaria Zane (ITA) S 19:27 T1 00:35 B 1:01:21 T2 00:33 R 36:43 TOT 1:58:37
8. AmelIe Kretz (CAN) S 19:32 T1 00:35 B 1:02:29 T2 00:32 R 35:38 TOT 1:58:44
9. Olivia Mathias (GBR) S 19:22 T1 00:35 B 1:01:24 T2 00:28 R 37:07 TOT 1:58:54
10. Simone Ackermann (RSA) S 19:22 T1 00:35 B 1:01:26 T2 00:32 R 37:11 TOT 1:59:04
