Belgian triathlete Louis Naert won the bronze medal at the ITU World Triathlon Long Distance Championships in Townsville, Australia, on Saturday night Belgian time, the final race of the multi-sport World Triathlon Championships. Louis Naert became the 2023 European Half Triathlon Champion at the European Triathlon in his home country, in Menen. On Sunday, he finished third in the longest triathlon he has already completed. The World Championships in Townsville were about the O3 distance, with 3000m swimming, 114km cycling and 30km running. The world title went to Spanish athlete Antonio Benito.
After the 3000m swim we had a big lead group of seven triathletes, five of whom would remain in the final round: Australians Stephen McKenna and Charlie McEwen, Frenchman Dylan Magnin, and Irishman Aishlyn O'Reilly and Antonio Benneteau. Louis Naeyaert was 2'30' behind after the swim but moved up to 6th on the bike, 1'40' behind the leader. O'Reilly pulled away from the front so we had 4 leaders in T2 who were 1'24' ahead of Naeyaert.
In the 30km race, Antonio Benito was clearly the strongest and the favourite. The Spanish athlete became European half triathlon champion in Coimbra earlier this season and took the victory in Ironman Vitoria-Gasteiz. Benito ran to the world title in 5h02'54. Australian Stephen McKenna took the silver medal in 3:09. Luis Naert outpaced Dylan Magnin to take the bronze medal in 5:07:29 and Benito 4:35.
In the women's race, France's Julie Emmolo seemed to be heading for the world title for a long time, but she collapsed during the run and had to settle for bronze. Her compatriot Charlene Clavel took the world title in 5:45'14. The fast-running Polish Marta Lagunek was second in 2:02. No Belgian athlete took part in Townsville.
Townsville World Triathlon Championships Results
