On an exciting day of triathlon in the heart of Barcelona, Youri Keulen and Imogen Simmonds have been proclaimed champions of the Challenge Barcelona Triathlon 2023
This year’s edition, which introduced as a novelty the Elite Short distance of 1.5 km of swimming, 60 km of cycling and 15 km of running, has attracted athletes from all over the world and has promised an exciting sporting spectacle
In the men’s category, the Dutch Youri Keulen had an excellent performance, starting in ninth place after the swim, but quickly making up ground during the cycling stage. One of the favorites, double Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee, has been one of the standout competitors showing dominance on the bike. Both leaders had an exciting duel during the foot race, but it was Keulen who managed to maintain his advantage and cross the finish line in 2 hours, 29 minutes and 15 seconds, closely followed by Brownlee in 2 hours, 29 minutes and 36 seconds. The German Wilhelm Hirsch completed the podium in third position with a time of 2 hours, 30 minutes and 55 seconds.
In the women’s category, the Swiss Imogen Simmonds has not had the desired start. She came seventh in the swimming sector, but managed to recover in the cycling stage. Actually, it was the British Lucy Buckingham who led the swim with a time of 19 minutes and 11 seconds, followed closely by the Barcelona-born Sara Pérez, who had to abandon the cycling sector. Simmonds, despite having a cold, has shown her strength on the bike. During the foot race, the Swiss took the lead, securing the third title of the season with a time of 2 hours, 49 minutes and 44 seconds. Buckingham took second position in 2 hours, 52 minutes and 38 seconds, while Germany’s Caroline Pohle completed the podium in third place with a time of 2 hours, 53 minutes and 9 seconds.
In this edition, the Challenge Barcelona Triathlon has exhausted the 3.200 available places and has achieved a great representation of international athletes coming and going from up to 57 different countries. Furthermore, the high female participation stands out, which is consolidated with 30% of the total.
The international triathlon event has offered participants the opportunity to compete in various distances, from the challenging Elite Short to the Olympic, Sprint, Super Sprint, Junior Challenge and Aquathlon. The city of Barcelona has provided an iconic backdrop for this world-class sporting event.
Photographs of the Challenge Barcelona Triathlon 2023
Interviews at goal:
Youri Keulen – https://youtu.be/EJmz_DUkf5M
Alistair Brownlee – https://youtu.be/bzqRBTTS13k
Imogen Simmonds – https://youtu.be/607F-pBp9CA
