This weekend the Bahrain Endurance 13 sends off six athletes to race on three continents: North America, Europe, and Africa.

Ironman 70.3 Oceanside has always kicked off the North American racing season, attracting stacked fields from around the globe. Alistair Brownlee will toe the starting line among 59 other male competitors including two former race winners. This will be Brownlee’s first race back since June 2021 after he took time off for ankle surgery and rehabilitation post his Tokyo Olympic qualification attempt. Previous Oceanside champions Holly Lawrence and Daniela Ryf will also face two other former champions in the 40-deep women’s field.

Joe Skipper will kick off his year in the Bahrain racing red at the Ironman South African Championship. Already qualified for both Ironman World Championship races this year, he is looking to add yet another full distance win to the seven he already has under his belt.

Vincent Luis will line up at the Challenge Salou middle distance triathlon, flexing his endurance and versatility after winning the short-course Lievin Indoor Triathlon Festival two weeks ago.

Cassandre Beaugrand is set to defend her title at the European Triathlon Cup and Mediterranean Championships Melilla on the Spanish enclave located in Northern Africa. This will be her first race back after World Triathlon Championship Series Abu Dhabi in November.

This will be the largest contingent the team has had racing in the past two years, exceeding the five athletes who raced the Tokyo Olympics last year.

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Lauren Parker Leads Bahrain Victorious 13’s Medal Haul at World Championships

Lauren Parker Leads Bahrain Victorious 13’s Medal Haul at World Championships

The Bahrain Victorious 13 captured an impressive medal haul at the World Triathlon Championships in Wollongong, Australia this weekend.

Lauren Parker led the campaign, winning two medals including her fifth paratriathlon world title.

The paratriathlon races opened the elite competition on Saturday, where Parker once again proved untouchable. She led from the front, exiting the 750-metre swim first, hammering the 20-kilometre handbike leg with the day’s fastest split, and then powering through the 5-kilometre wheelchair run to cross the line 70 seconds clear of her nearest rival.

Unbeaten all year, Parker’s home victory carried extra meaning as she reclaimed the crown she relinquished last season.

“Everyone was so supportive out there and it definitely made me push a little bit harder,” Parker said post-race. “I wanted to get back on top again and I really worked hard for this one and I’m just happy to get it done.”

She also revealed her next sporting ambition: to qualify for the Winter Paralympic Games, with ongoing training in cross-country skiing and biathlon.

On Sunday, Parker added to her tally with a silver medal in the Para Mixed Relay World Championships, helping the Australian team to a podium finish.

In the men’s elite race, Vasco Vilaça placed fifth to secure the overall World Triathlon Championship Series bronze medal, returning to the world podium for the first time since earning silver at the one-day championship in Hamburg in 2020.

Emma Lombardi also delivered a standout performance, claiming bronze in the women’s race – her best finish of the season – and vaulting seven places to 11th overall in the Series standings. She swam into the pointy end on the 1.5-kilometre swim alongside compatriot Cassandre Beaugrand, then attacked on the 40-kilometre bike to lead onto the 10-kilometre run where she battled against the eventual winner and series champion Lisa Tertsch and a hard-charging Bianca Seregni to hold onto the final spot on the podium.

Beaugrand, who had stayed in the lead pack throughout the swim and bike, was forced to withdraw on the run to conclude her season ranked seventh overall.

The results in Wollongong wrap up the Bahrain Victorious 13’s short course season. The team now turns its attention to middle distance racing with the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Marbella, Spain and Ironman 70.3 Bahrain on the horizon, as well as the T100 Tour’s final two stops in Dubai and Qatar.

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Kat Matthews Runs to Silver and a Record Finish in Kona

Kat Matthews Runs to Silver and a Record Finish in Kona

Kat Matthews led the charge for the Bahrain Victorious 13 on Saturday, taking her third IRONMAN World Championship silver medal at the historic final all-women’s race in Kona, Hawaii. The British star also set a new run course record on the way to her first-ever...

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