Paris 2024 Olympics: the triathlon Blues in great shape in Japan, bad fall for Dorian Coninx

Medals and injuries. This Saturday, not all French people experienced the same fortune during the stage of the world triathlon circuit in Yokohama, Japan. Les Bleues Léonie Périault, first in the race, and Emma Lombardi, third, shone. Among the boys, the unfortunate Dorian Coninx, world champion in 2023, was unable to finish the race.

In this event, made up of 1,500 m of swimming, 40 km of cycling and 10 km of running (the Olympic format), Léonie Périault practically assured her qualification for the Paris Games this summer. After a disappointing 2023 season, the 29-year-old Frenchwoman is relaunching, and at the best of times.

Third in Yokohama this Saturday, Emma Lombardi, 23, should also participate in the Olympic triathlon, in less than three months, near the Pont Alexandre III, with swimming in the Seine (July 30 for men and July 31 for women). women). There is therefore no longer any real doubt about the identity of the two French athletes who will accompany Cassandre Beaugrand this summer, already preselected for the Olympics and absent during the event in Japan.

On the men’s side, the Yokohama race went a little less well, especially for Dorian Coninx. The 30-year-old triathlete was unable to finish the race, due to a bad fall while cycling. The Grenoblois had not competed for almost seven months. Preselected for the Paris Olympic Games, he could have validated his qualification in the event of a top 6.

Burns and a broken bike

“It was very close, there were a lot of us. A guy went a little off his trajectory and hit my handlebars, that made us fall, described the 2023 world champion. I had a great time, I have burns everywhere, my elbows hurt, wrists, knees. We’ll see how it develops, but, a priori, it shouldn’t be too catastrophic. It still sucks. »

Supposed to compete in two weeks in Cagliari, Italy, Dorian Coninx will first observe the evolution of his injuries. Despite everything, he is satisfied with having felt good sensations during the race: “In swimming, I was in a good position. On the bike, I felt very comfortable, positioned all the time. Even when I fell, I was still in the front. »

Even though his bike was in a bad state after this nasty fall, the Frenchman still put this material damage into perspective. Among the other Blues, the good performance of the event came from Léo Bergere. Fourth in Yokohama, he scored points against Vincent Luis, ninth, in the race for Olympic qualification. Pierre Le Corre, already preselected, will return to Cagliari, after skipping the event in Japan.