When Anahi Alvarez Corral reaches the final transition in touch with the leaders, there’s only one safe bet: expect fireworks. The Mexican star delivered yet again at the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, unleashing a searing final sprint to capture gold in the women’s duathlon. In a dramatic dash down the blue carpet at Xinglong Lake, Alvarez edged Spain’s Maria Varo Zubiri by the slimmest of margins, with Belgium’s Jeanne Dupont rounding out the podium.
The race unfolded under the furnace-like conditions Chengdu has become notorious for – high heat, heavy humidity, and a course demanding both strength and savvy. Twenty-nine athletes toed the line for the 5km run, 30km bike, and final 5km run. Right from the gun, the expected contenders – Alvarez, Varo Zubiri, and Dupont – surged to the front, setting a punishing early tempo.
Behind them, Lisa Isebaert (BEL), Aline Kootstra (NED), and Yayoi Fukushima (JPN) spearheaded the chase group heading into T1. The bike leg quickly turned into a tactical battle, with Dupont and Varo Zubiri trading turns at the front. Alvarez, Mexico’s Selene Martinez Avila, and the Belgian-Isebaert duo stayed in close contention, even as the course claimed Germany’s Julia Klein as its first DNF casualty.
The leaders’ cat-and-mouse games had an unintended consequence: their pace dipped just enough for the chasers to bridge back before T2, creating a crowded, tense start to the final run.
Varo Zubiri was the first to commit, opening a small five-second gap early in the final 5km. But Alvarez – the fastest runner in the field on paper – reeled her back with steady, measured strides. Dupont hung on grimly, forming a leading trio that refused to give an inch.
At the 1km-to-go mark, Dupont finally lost contact, leaving Alvarez and Varo shoulder to shoulder. The blue carpet loomed, the finish arch in sight. Alvarez surged – just one meter clear – and that was enough. Varo dug deep but couldn’t claw back the deficit, settling for silver just seconds behind. Dupont arrived 21 seconds later for bronze, while teammate Isebaert claimed fourth in what’s affectionately known in Belgium as the ‘chocolate medal’.
There was heartbreak for Martinez Avila, who was on course for a career-best fourth until a navigational error – mistakenly following a lapped athlete into transition – dropped her to 11th.
Japan’s Mao Shimazaki claimed fifth, ahead of Kootstra, Fukushima, Nelly Maria Rassmann (GER), Ziqing Lu (CHN), and Diana Castillo (COL), who completed the top ten.