Tight margins and fierce racing – that was the storyline at the World Triathlon Cup Tongyeong, held overnight European time. Great Britain’s Tilly Anema and France’s Maxime Hueber-Moosbrugger emerged victorious after two hard-fought battles in South Korea.
While the World Triathlon Cup season has long since wrapped up in Europe, a handful of late-season races continue to unfold on the other side of the world. These events often take place without the sport’s biggest headliners, but they consistently deliver aggressive, unpredictable racing – and Tongyeong was no exception.
In the women’s race, an eight-athlete breakaway on the bike managed to carve out a lead of just over thirty seconds on the large chase pack heading into T2. From there, Anema – well-known for excelling in these kinds of tightly contested races – showcased the day’s strongest run legs. She powered to victory in 58:25, followed by Russia’s Diana Isakova in 58:39 and Australia’s Charlotte Derbyshire in 58:41.
The men’s race featured even smaller time gaps, with a far larger group still in contention after the bike. In fact, an astonishing 32 athletes entered T2 within eight seconds of each other, setting the stage for a dramatic, all-out 5K run. Hueber-Moosbrugger ultimately delivered the decisive finishing kick, breaking the tape in 51:14. Norway’s Vetle Bergsvik Thorn claimed second place just two seconds back, while Israel’s Shachar Sagiv secured third another two seconds later.