Mike Phillips (NZL) and Sophie Malowiecki (AUS) conquered the scorching Korean heat at Challenge Gunsan-Saemangeum, with Phillips storming to victory in the men’s race and Malowiecki celebrating her first professional win.
In the men’s race, it was Australia’s Nicholas Free who set the early pace, exiting the swim first in 27:44. Phillips, meanwhile, trailed by a couple of minutes, coming out of the water just behind Caleb Noble (AUS). Once on the bike, the Kiwi wasted no time stamping his authority, powering past Noble, Tuan Chan Chung (TPE), Miao Hao (CHN) and others to seize the lead. From there, Phillips never looked back.
Behind him, Noble and Hao tried to limit the damage, but Phillips entered T2 with a commanding 6:03 advantage over Noble, while Hao was another minute back. The podium battle, however, was far from settled. Chung produced a blistering run, surging past both Noble and Hao to claim second. Phillips broke the tape in 3:50:31, with Chung second in 3:59:19 and Noble third in 3:59:55.
The women’s race belonged to Malowiecki from the opening stroke. She exited the swim in 30:23 with a comfortable three-minute lead over compatriot Kate Bevilaqua. From there, she only extended her dominance, riding clear of the field and arriving in T2 well ahead of Katie Remond (AUS) and Bevilaqua. On the run, she never faltered, crossing the finish line in 4:22:52 to take a decisive victory.
Drama unfolded behind her as Remond was disqualified following a course error, elevating Sarah Thomas (AUS) to second in 4:40:43, with Lauren Hume (AUS) completing the all-Australian podium in 4:43:33.
“I’m definitely relieved to take the win,” said Malowiecki at the finish line. “It was a long day out of the front and I just had to believe in myself and my race plan. This is my first Challenge race and I’ve really enjoyed my experience and everyone was really welcoming.”