There was no better showcase for a WTCS event conceivable than today; for the return to London, the ExCeL International Exhibition Centre was buzzing with excitement. Thousands of spectators went wild as they watched a fierce Cassandre Beaugrand and Matthew Hauser take the victory. Today’s home favorites – essentially all British athletes – couldn’t quite make their mark on home soil.
Naturally, athletes like Beth Potter and Georgia Taylor-Brown were heavily tipped beforehand. Every lap they raced through the beautifully designed indoor stadium between Canary Wharf and London City Airport, a deafening cheer echoed from the roaring crowd. Yet Potter ultimately had to settle for fourth place, while Taylor-Brown sat two spots further back in sixth. Just before that, the decisive moment came in the final phase of a race initially dominated by America’s Taylor Knibb and Britain’s Tilly Anema. The two broke away together on the bike leg, building a solid lead of about half a minute. However, as the chasing pack kept up the pressure, a moment of inattention caused Anema to crash heavily when she cut a corner too sharp and hit a pylon. Knibb stayed ahead on the bike for the remaining kilometers, but was passed by the faster runners early into the run.
Those faster runners were notably Beaugrand, Germany’s Lisa Tertsch, and Sweden’s Tilda Månsson. For nearly the entire five kilometers, they ran side by side toward the finish line until Beaugrand struck in the final stages to pull away with a decisive gap. She won the race in a time of 56:06, with Tertsch taking second in 56:11 and Månsson third in 56:21.
Text continues below picture
In the men’s race, fans were hoping for another thrilling duel between rivals Matthew Hauser and Vasco Vilaça, and the Australian and Portuguese athletes did not disappoint. The action followed a swim where the field stayed largely intact, but two main groups eventually formed on the bike. Olympic Champion Alex Yee was the most notable absentee from the front pack – not the first time this year he couldn’t keep pace with the fastest men on the bike. During the run, he received deafening support and was practically carried by the home crowd, allowing him to regain a few positions, though it wasn’t enough to secure a top finish.
Up front, a small lead group dictated the pace during the run. Beside Hauser and Vilaça, Csongor Lehmann, Alberto Gonzalez Garcia, Tjebbe Kaindl, and Morgan Pearson – who spent almost the entire time pulling at the front in a strong display – were all in contention. Ultimately, only Hauser and Vilaça remained in the closing stages, with the Australian proving to have the fastest legs in the end.
Hauser won WTCS London in 50:28, Vilaça finished second in 50:31, and Lehmann took third in 50:36.
