In a thrilling day of racing at the European Sprint Triathlon Championships, Italy’s Alessio Crociani and Belgium’s Jolien Vermeylen emerged as the new continental champions after dominant performances in Melilla.
Men’s Race: Crociani Clinches Gold in Tactical Battle
Alessio Crociani confirmed his reputation as one of Europe’s fastest swimmers by leading out the 750-meter swim. Despite being reeled in during the 20 km bike segment by a large chase group, the Italian stayed calm and delivered a decisive run, dipping under 15 minutes for the 5 km to seal victory in 51:58.
He crossed the line with a 6-second lead over Israel’s Shachar Sagiv, who earned silver after a strong all-round performance. Bronze went to Norway’s Sebastian Wernersen, who not only made the overall podium but also claimed the U23 European title in the process.
Women’s Race: Vermeylen Delivers on Expectations
Earlier in the day, Belgium’s Jolien Vermeylen lived up to her top billing with a commanding win in the women’s race. Building on her recent fourth-place finish in the WTCS Hamburg, Vermeylen came out of the water just behind Italy’s Bianca Seregni and stayed in the lead group during the 20 km bike segment. Once on the run, she quickly surged to the front and never looked back.
Vermeylen secured gold with a 10-second margin over Seregni, who took silver after leading the swim. Germany’s Franka Rust used a strong run leg to capture bronze, finishing 13 seconds behind the winner.
