Australian triathletes dominated the podium at Challenge Gunsan-Saemangeum in South Korea, with Kieran Storch and Demi Birch capturing the men’s and women’s titles in challenging, warm conditions.
The race took place along the Saemangeum Seawall on South Korea’s west coast, with air temperatures hovering around 30°C. A water temperature of 24°C meant athletes faced a non-wetsuit swim before tackling the flat and fast course.
Men’s Race: Storch Charges from Behind on the Bike
The men’s race kicked off with Caleb Noble (AUS) leading the field out of the water in 23:43. He was closely followed by Nicholas Free (AUS), Kenshin Mizushima (JPN), and Bogdan Kovalenko (KAZ), all exiting within a ten-second window. Meanwhile, Kieran Storch (AUS) faced a 2:10 deficit heading into the first transition.
On the bike, the dynamics quickly shifted. After a brief stint at the front by Mizushima, Kovalenko launched an attack at the 12-kilometre mark, building a 30-second gap. Behind him, Storch was executing a steady comeback. By kilometre 34, Storch had bridged up to second place, reducing Kovalenko’s lead to under two minutes.
Kovalenko maintained his advantage through the halfway point, but Storch continued to chip away at the lead during the final lap. Kovalenko entered T2 first with a bike split of 1:56:51, but Storch was hot on his heels, entering transition just seconds later.
Storch wasted no time on the run, taking the lead in the opening kilometres and holding it all the way to the finish line to take the win in 3:51:04. Kovalenko secured second place in 3:54:34, while Nathan Dortmann (AUS) produced a strong run performance to round out the podium in 4:02:51.
“I am super stoked to win,“ Storch said afterwards. “I really like all races in Asia; they suit me well. I have been in Taiwan for the last six weeks to get ready for the heat here.”
Women’s Race: Start-to-Finish Dominance for Birch
In the women’s field, Demi Birch (AUS) put on a dominant display from the first horn. She established a commanding lead during the swim, finishing the first lap 1:47 ahead of Canada’s Rachel Faulds. Birch exited the water in 26:27, enjoying a 4:10 cushion over Faulds, while Nicole Valentine (AUS) and Amy Vantassel (AUS) trailed by over six minutes.
Birch showed no signs of slowing down on the bike, continuously extending her lead. By kilometre 12, the gap had stretched to seven minutes. Behind her, Valentine overtook Faulds to claim second place by the end of the first bike lap. Birch’s relentless pace saw her lead grow to nearly ten minutes at the 56-kilometre mark, eventually entering T2 in 2:22:04 with a comfortable 14-minute advantage over Valentine.
During the run, Vantassel mounted a strong comeback, overtaking Valentine to move into second place. However, Birch remained unchallenged at the front, cruising to her first middle-distance victory in 4:37:16. Vantassel crossed the line in second place (4:40:33), followed by Valentine in third (4:42:21).
“I am glad to be here, but that was really hard,“ Birch reflected at the finish line. “Pretty special to have my first win at a Challenge race, I will definitely be back.”
