World Triathlon

It was to be another imperious Duathlon world title for Venezuela’s Joselyn Daniely Brea Abreu on Friday after she came through her second battle in seven months with Ai Ueda (JPN) to seize the gold. The two had been shoulder-to-shoulder for much of the final 5km run along with Germany’s Celine Kaiser and Giorgia Priarone, and as the Italian fell off the front, it was Kaiser who held on for a magnificent silver, last year’s runner up Ueda settling for bronze.

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With the sun out and baking the tarmac of the Transylvania Moto Ring as well as the athletes racing on it, conditions were ripe for Brea Abreu and Ueda to take charge out front and set the early pace of the opening 10km run. Things were starting to break up by the halfway mark, and there was a group of seven going well out front for the penultimate climb up to the highest section of the 2.5km run course, including Kaiser, Giorgia Priarone (ITA) and Marion Le Goff (FRA).

Sandrina Illes (AUT) and Claudia Kelsall (GBR) were among the names giving chase as Kaiser was dropped coming down for the final long straight before T1 and losing hope of getting on the back wheel of the leaders.

It was a long climb straight out of transition to test the legs, Brea Abreu looking fresh as she attacked the first lap but there was little in the way of organisation from those at the back of the group, Ueda urging them all to take pulls and help maintain their precious but narrowing advantage.

Midway through lap two Kaiser was suddenly able to get back on the front and press on with nine rivals for company, now 25 seconds ahead of Kelsall, Marta Bernardi (ITA), Edymar Daniely Brea Abreu (VEN) and Karin Nieuwenhuijsen (NED), but that foursome was also able to bridge after the pace up ahead slowed over the closing stages in preparation for the decisive final 5km.

It was Spain’s María Varo Zubiri quickest out alongside Priarone onto the run course, but Ueda was soon back in familiar territory and heading up the race, splitting up the field with her speed. Brea Abreu and Kaiser were likewise in full flow as the Spaniard and then Italian dropped back, and the final lap was a race between three, the only question left who would claim which colour medal.

Abreu was first to charge and it was a perfectly timed roll of the dice down the long straight to the tape, Kaiser with a brilliant effort to hold off Ueda for the silver, Priarone crossing in fourth and fifth place going to Zubiri, while the U23 world title went to Hungary’s Tünde Bukovszki.

For the full results, click here.