(Montreal) The bad weather of the last few days in Montreal continues to play its part. The World Sprint and Relay Triathlon Championships had to be modified exceptionally on Friday, at the Grand Quai du Vieux-Port.
Posted yesterday at 4:02 p.m.
Triathlon events have been reduced to duathlons due to recent rainfall in the Montreal region, making the water flow of the St. Lawrence River too dangerous for athletes.
The organization ‘World Triathlon’ has therefore chosen to cancel the swimming portion of the events which took place under a blazing sun and a thermometer which indicated 24 degrees Celsius, on the sidelines of the festivities of the feast of Saint-Jean-Baptiste .
As a result, all athletes in the Elite category had to engage in 1 km of running, followed by 7 km of cycling and another 2 km of running to top it all off. Initially, the athletes had to compete on a course of 300 m of swimming, 7.2 km of cycling and 2 km of running.
But no matter, the Quebecer Emy Legault had only one plan in mind: finish in the top-10 of her heat of qualifications in order to avoid having to submit to a repechage in the afternoon.
“It didn’t change much for me. I used to be more of a swimmer/cyclist than a runner, but in the last year my running has improved a lot. It almost made my strength. Personally, I believe that I would have obtained the same result, swimming or not, ”explained Legault in an interview with The Canadian Press a few minutes after crossing the finish line.
The objective was achieved since the main interested party finished ninth by virtue of a time of 22 minutes and five seconds, four seconds behind the winner of her wave, the Briton Beth Potter.
“It will really help with recovery,” explained the triathlete from L’Île-Perrot. We still have up to three triathlons to do tomorrow (Saturday), so there is nothing guaranteed. I felt good today, so I don’t feel like I pushed too hard.
“Afterwards, on the bike, I managed to place myself well for a lap, a lap and a half, and then I suffered in terms of placement in the peloton. I just hoped it wouldn’t cost me too much. Then, in the last part of the run, I just tried to stay in the top-10,” she added, all smiles.
Legault, who is 26, admitted in the same breath that the fact that her relatives and friends were on the edge of the course had allowed her to benefit from “a little ‘boost'” which she does not usually have on the circuit. global.
The Quebecer, however, remains realistic about her chances of signing a podium this weekend, after finishing second last week in a stage of the Triathlon World Cup in Huatulco, Mexico.
“The podium may be out of my reach tomorrow (Saturday) – it’s still a level higher than in Huatulco. If I make a top-20 tomorrow, then I will be very happy. My goal is to get through the first cut, and then everything else will become a bonus,” Legault said.
His compatriot Charles Paquet, of Port-Cartier, and Tyler Mislawchuk, of Winnipeg, also qualified for the final, while Ontarian Dominika Jamnicky and Jérémy Briand, of Sainte-Julie, had to pass the repechage to do so.
Like Legault, Mislawchuk stood out by finishing second in the individual event in Huatulco. The 27-year-old athlete was however trying to sign a third consecutive victory there.
Other athletes to watch include Frenchman Dorian Coninx, winner in Montreal last year, and Britain’s Georgia Taylor-Brown, one of the favorites to clinch the title of world champion.
In addition, the Frenchman Thomas Hansmaennel won the junior men’s title in the morning, while the Swedish Tilda Mansson won the women’s title.
The organizers of the event have indicated that the swimming component will be on the program on Saturday.
The president of the Groupe Copley World Triathlon, Patrice Brunet, was reassuring about the quality of the water in the Old Port of Montreal. Moreover, he said he was very happy with the crowds that frequented the venue during the competitions – even though it was a public holiday.
A total of 1,500 participants from more than 40 countries will compete in various categories in the metropolis over the weekend.
This is the largest international triathlon competition held in Quebec since the 1999 World Championships.
Montreal hosts the fifth stop of the World Triathlon Championship Series season after Hamburg, Abu Dhabi, Yokohama and Leeds.
