Taylor-Brown Wins Montreal Sprint Elimination Showdown
After the tumult and shouting of this red-hot Super Sprint in the Super League Triathlon’s Eliminator format concluded, Olympic silver medalist Georgia Taylor-Brown edged France’s Cassandre Beaugrand by 3 seconds and captured the top prize of $18,000. In addition, Taylor Brown maintained her WTSC series lead in this one-off part of the 2022 WTSC points chase.
Of course, many contenders for the World Championship were in Montreal for this weekend’s super sprint contest – over as many as six-times over the 300-meter swim, 7.2-kilometer bike leg and 2-kilometer run format. To simplify, the World Triathlon organization is borrowing from the Super League Triathlon’s Eliminator format for Saturday’s finale. That is, the days starts with the top 30 qualifiers from Friday’s races and lops off 10 competitors each on the first and second races until the top 10 men and top 10 women square off in the finale.
Maya Kingma offered a thoughtful and detailed critique of the format.
“This has nothing to do with resting, but everything to do with the new ‘supersprint/eliminator’ format. In my opinion, this is a totally different discipline within triathlon, much as OD racing is to a full distance Ironman. Therefore it has no place within our World Championship series.”
“Yes, I will race @superleaguetriathlon which is fun and a great event on its own. An exciting format where WTCS and other triathlon heroes are showcased around the world. I’ve trained for Olympic distances for 11 years. So, why is this supersprint a different discipline?
“One, with up to five [2k] run splits is not something everyone is capable of. Two, a super sprint is all-out and there are no tactics. Three, more emphasis is on running and running in transitions, which adds up on what is advertised as a short event. Four, no time to make up for bad luck. Five, unfairness of the draws – imagine the difference between two heats if a strong swimmer like Jess Learmonth is in one heat and a strong runner like Beth Potter is in another. How to compare those results?”
Kingma summarizes: “In short, this format should not have been forced upon us by including it in the WTCS and should be a stand-alone event or series. I am one of the few who has the choice to not race in Montreal and not totally throw away my WTCS ranking.”
Taylor-Brown was not optimistic pre-race
Heading in to the WTCS Montreal weekend, Georgia Taylor-Brown admitted she didn’t think she would be top of the rankings at this stage of the season. She completed her first experience of the blue carpet elimination format with a dazzling gold, coming through the intense heat and racing triumphant.
It had been a massive effort in rising temperatures, but it was Taylor-Brown who broke away on the final bike leg with Beth Potter (GBR) and Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) for company, and it became a chase for the podium positions, WTCS Leeds champion Beaugrand was able to pass Potter late on to take silver.
“It’s not easy when you’re at the front and it’s not fun if you’re silent so just talking to each other and trying to motivate Cass (Beaugrand) and Beth (Potter) today and it paid off. It was about staying safe for the first two and emptying the tank on the final leg.”
Elimination rounds
Thirty women lined up for the first elimination race, and Sophie Coldwell of Great Britain was fastest off the line at the horn, but unable to carve out any significant daylight through the water as the field emerged with only 20 seconds from first to last. Coldwell led from Beaugrand, Summer Rappaport, Djenyfer Arnold of Brazil, and Natalie Van Coevorden of Australia.
The pack stayed as one for the duration of the 3-lap bike, Beaugrand content to wait patiently at the back, waiting for the run. Taylor Spivey and Lotte Miller pressed towards transition and strung things out a little, as Cathia Schar hit the run shoes first.
Rappaport had some ground to make up and Beaugrand had a poor T2, but they were soon moving their way into the safety of the top 20, at the bell, 21 athletes were together.
Race two saw Beaugrand and Rappaport first out of the water, After the first lap, it was eleven riding together. They had a 15-second advantage over the chasers at the bell, but by the time transition came back into view the pace had dropped at the front and the athletes came together.
Lehair ignited her run and there were ten athletes out front with the final in their sights.
It was a successful chase for Arnold , passing her rival on the final lap to take the tenth and final spot on the ultimate start line, along with Verena Steinhauser, Lehair, Coldwell, Spivey, Rappaport, Pedersen, Potter, Beaugrand and Taylor-Brown.
Final Race
It was again Beaugrand and Rappaport spearheading the swim in the final race, Taylor-Brown right with them, Coldwell this time somewhat off the pace.
Taylor-Brown, Potter and Beaugrand immediately pulled away on the opening kilometers of the bike, while Pedersen had a brilliant transition to make the second pack and catch Spivey and Rappaport.
Spivey and Coldwell were riding well but there was no catching the front three, who extended their lead from 7 to 15 seconds by the time they hit the final transition.
Taylor-Brown led the way with Potter and Beaugrand again with a slow transition, but she was able to close in on Potter and pass the Brit at the end of lap one. There was no gaining on the leader, though, and Georgia Taylor-Brown was able to maintain her advantage right to the line, Beaugrand holding on for silver from Potter, Pedersen with a brilliant run to fourth ahead of Rappaport.
It was controlled display from Georgia Taylor-Brown as she extended her lead at the top of the Maurice Lacroix Series Rankings to over 1,000 points and again became the woman everyone wants to catch in 2022.
Final results – Women
1. Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR) S 04:11 T1 1:40 B 11:10 T2 00:34 R 06:32 TOT 24:04
2. Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) S 04:09 T1 11:10 T2 00:37 R 06:31 TOT 24:07
3. Beth Potter (GBR) S 04:11 T1 01:40 B 11:11 T2 00:33 R 06:42 TOT 24:15
4. Alberte Kjaer Pedersen (DEN) S 04:21 T1 01:37 B 11:20 T2 00:31 R 06:38 TOT 24:25
5. Summer Rappaport (USA) S 04:08 T1 01:45 B 11:26 T2 00:38 R 06:48 TOT 24:42
6. Taylor Spivey (USA) S 04:13 T1 01:44 B 11:20 T2 00:34 R 06:56 TOT 24:44
