6 days ago
Bahrain Victorious 13 Shine Worldwide
TDT | Manama
Overcoming Adversity
Bahrain Victorious 13 capped off the first weekend of June with a clean sweep of medals across Europe and North America. From Olympic-distance to long-course battles, the team demonstrated its trademark resilience—none more so than in Italy, where Olympic champion Cassandre Beaugrand sealed a comeback for the ages.
Beaugrand's Return
Beaugrand's win in the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) race in Alghero was as much about resolve as speed. After a crash in Yokohama left her bruised and bed-bound with illness, the French star had barely trained in the two weeks prior. 'I didn't even know if I was racing,' she admitted. But what followed was clinical.
Trailing early in the swim, Beaugrand bridged the gap on the bike alongside Maya Kingma, breaking away from the field with a blistering effort. Her signature footspeed then carried her past the tape, 39 seconds ahead of Bianca Seregni. Olivia Mathias rounded out the podium with her first WTCS medal. The result marks Beaugrand's first win of the 2025 series and reignites her campaign for the overall title.
Unified Effort Across Continents
In the men's WTCS race, Leo Bergere added bronze with a tactically sharp performance, leading a nine-athlete breakaway before closing strong on the run. Newcomer Vasco Vilaca, however, found himself boxed in after a slower swim start, finishing outside the top 30. While the result wasn't ideal, Vilaca remains a key part of the team's 2025 long-term strategy.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Bahrain Victorious 13 athletes were equally relentless. Taylor Knibb delivered another world-class effort at the T100 Triathlon San Francisco, finishing second after a dominant bike segment. On the men's side, Jelle Geens claimed silver behind Rico Bogen, while Marten Van Riel animated the race early and came home sixth.
In France, India Lee put on a masterclass at Ironman 70.3 Tours Métropole, cruising to victory by five minutes and punching her ticket to the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Marbella. In Poland, Kacper Stepniak overcame a bike crash to sprint to silver at the Sierakow Triathlon, narrowly missing gold by just 14 seconds.
The team's Hamburg campaign delivered another headline performance, with Kat Matthews claiming silver in the Ironman European Championship. Matthews led much of the day before being passed in the final stretch by Germany's Laura Philipp, but her time still eclipsed her record-setting mark from Texas earlier this year—among the fastest Ironman finishes on record.
Legacy in Motion
Founded under the vision of His Highness Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Bahrain Victorious 13 has become a model of how elite sport can be both global and personal. With six Olympic and Paralympic medals and 15 world titles across the roster, the group thrives on shared ambition, unified by a culture that celebrates resilience as much as results.
That ethos was on full display this weekend. From Beaugrand's emotional success to Matthews' relentless pace, each athlete carried not just the team colors but a sense of purpose that transcends the finish line.
Looking Ahead
With WTCS Paris, Ironman 70.3 Marbella, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games on the horizon, Bahrain Victorious 13's momentum couldn't be better timed. This weekend was a signal as much as it was a team's pursuit of excellence continues—not just across finish lines, but through every challenge sport and life throw their way.
