Latest news with #Knibb
South Wales Argus
a day ago
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Switzerland's Julie Derron wins her maiden T100 Triathlon race
The 28-year-old from Switzerland overtook home favourite Taylor Knibb early on the run to seal her place on the top step of the podium, as Britain's Kate Waugh finished third. Derron attacked just 2km into the 18km run leg and extended her lead over Knibb to over two minutes for a dominant victory in the second race of the season. After a 12th-place finish at the season opener in Singapore, victory marked a decisive improvement for the Swiss triathlete in what was a proud performance - even if she didn't let herself believe it until the final moment. "I'm super pleased with today's race," she said. "I really tried to focus on myself and my own race and just do the best I could out there but honestly it was really motivating not to loose that much time to [Taylor] on the bike. "I really backed myself that I could reel her in on the run and put a dent into her performance. "I was running scared all the way you can never be sure as it's a long race and a lot can happen. I was always worried I would blow up but I knew I had to keep going since she was right behind me. "Obviously I saw how the gap was developing but you still have to just stay in it. "Only when I got to the carpet did I tell myself, you've got this now, enjoy it." The Brits led the way out of the water in San Francisco, with Waugh, Jess Learmonth and Holly Lawrence all in the leading pack alongside Vittoria Lopes of Brazil. But with Knibb ready to strike on the bike, it was soon a USA lead for the reigning T100 champion, with Derron close behind in second and Learmonth in third. A strong headwind on the run saw Learmonth fade back to seventh as Waugh stepped up and took her second T100 podium in just as many races. "We focus on the next race with two weeks to go until Vancouver," added Derron. "Then I will go back to Switzerland and have some time at home before regrouping and planning the rest of the season, but my focus is the T100 Series." Defeat to Derron marked Knibb's first-ever loss in a T100 race, having won every outing on her way to T100 World Triathlon Series victory last season. But with a trademark strong bike leg putting her in a safe enough position to fend off any real threat from Waugh on the run, it was a positive first performance of the season for the athlete on home soil. "I'm actually pretty happy with the execution, I feel like I'm just missing a few gears but it's early season and I'm grateful to be here and racing. I'll take it," she said. "I have a lot of work to do an that shows but I'm thrilled for Julie and I'm looking forward to the rest of the season." The T100 Triathlon World Tour is a season-long schedule of World Championship level races competed over 100km (2km swim, 80km bike and 18km run), where the world's best triathletes go head-to-head in iconic locations. For more information visit
South Wales Guardian
3 days ago
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Taylor Knibb aiming to find freedom in success at T100 San Francisco
The American will race her first T100 of the season on home soil after winning all four of her races to take the inaugural world title in 2024. After becoming a double-sport Olympian at Paris 2024, racing in the triathlon and the cycling time trial, Knibb has shown her prowess but now faces a target on her back ahead of a new season. '[Being a target is] a privilege, so I'll take it. But I don't think it helps me in any way, unless I harness it effectively,' the 27-year-old explained. 'Success can either trap you or free you. It's easier for it to trap you. That's the question I had to ask myself and my team is how do we give this freedom. 'It gave me the freedom to be able to say, 'No, it's not smart for me to go to Singapore and still get to race the series.' That's one of the biggest freedoms it's given me so far.' 🔥 SAN FRANCISCO T100 WOMEN'S START LIST 🔥 Eleven contracted athletes step up to the San Francisco start line on 31 May for the second stop in the Race To Qatar 🇶🇦 Knibb achieved a silver medal in the mixed relay triathlon at Paris 2024, but she was left disappointed with her individual events. 'My biggest goal was actually the individual race, which was a complete disaster,' she assessed. 'I've had to process it a lot and work through it. It was a massive disappointment. 'With my individual races, people like to show you the silver lining - no pun intended. They're like, 'But you still got a medal.' And it's like, well, I didn't have the two races that I wanted to in the individual races. 'You just keep learning and keep growing. I hope to be in LA so we'll see.' For the three-time Ironman 70.3 World Champion, the T100 events provide a perfect event to continue to hone her craft. Knibb believes the series raises the level of the sport across the board, making it important for leading athletes like her to remain part of it. 'I'm very grateful for the T100 because they are giving the pros what they want, which is more fair racing. And second of all, it's forcing Ironman to be bigger and better,' she explained. 'It's like a rising tide lifts all ships. That's what the T100 series is doing for the sport across WTCS (World Triathlon Championship Series) racing and Ironman racing. That's why it's important for me to race it and be a part of it. 'The T100 goal is to bring triathlon to mainstream media and be a bigger sport. If there are more fans, more people watch WTCS and Ironman racing. If the T100 wins, the whole sport wins.' Watch the world's top 20 female and top 20 male triathletes race live in the San Francisco T100 over the legendary Escape From Alcatraz course on Saturday 31 May. The broadcast starts at 0545 local time, 1345 in the UK, with the races starting 15 minutes later. You can tune in live for free globally on PTO+ or watch on partners channels such as TNT Sports 2 in the UK, Max or Discovery+ in Europe, or beIN in North America. For more details visit
