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From World Triathlon, written by Doug Gray.

She came in as Olympic Champion, she was unbeaten all season, and it was to be the perfect finish to the year for Cassandre Beaugrand as she won a dramatic world title on Saturday afternoon in Torremolinos.

The French star had veered inexplicably far off course to the right from the very start of the swim, seemingly over estimating the current and losing her sighting before correcting her route back to the first buoy and then seizing the race in the same style she has shown all season, eventually pulling clear of closest title challengers Beth Potter and Emma Lombardi over the second half of the run to take the gold and the 2024 World Championship, the first Frenchwoman to do so.

“I made a mistake, and realised it was a big one because I lost so much time!” admitted a delighted Beaugrand. “I was fighting to the end and thinking of last year when I missed out being World Champion so I’m really proud of this. I actually get seasick and the waves were quite high so I couldn’t see the buoys, then I realised I was on my own. I was already panicking, thinking ‘what am I doing’, I thought I was swimming strong but to the wrong buoy, so I had to push hard on the second lap to catch up.”

“I just wanted this world title so badly and have dreamed about it for so many years. Last year I was very disappointed finishing second. Nobody can take this away from me now. I was training hard and fighting all year for this one.”

Silver for Potter saw her also take silver in the 2024 Series, bronze for Lombardi saw her leap from fourth to third in the overall standings for the second time.

Beaugrand had started as number one and as first onto the start line she took up the far right position, not knowing that it would almost be her undoing. From the horn she flew ahead but also quickly steered right, completely unaware that every stroke was taking her further off course and away from the rest of the field.

By the time she had reached the first buoy, she was onto the back of the field. By the time they hit the beach for the halfway turn, she had already made up a big 16 places, passing another strong title challenger Lisa Tertsch (GER) to get back in the race just 30 seconds off Italian Bianca Seregni and Lena Meissner (GER) up front.

After the second 750m swim and back to the long run into transition, Beaugrand was suddenly just in front of Potter in 10th, Georgia Taylor-Brown in 20th nearly 30 seconds back, Tertsch 45 seconds back and languishing.

With Beaugrand, Lombardi and Potter among the 12 riders up front along with powerhouse Lena Meissner and Olivia Mathias, the gap to the chasers went out to over a minute, making for a three-way Beaugrand-Potter-Lombardi title shootout.

And it was that trio that quickly asserted themselves on the run, pulling clear along with Jeanne Lehair (LUX).

But it was on lap two that the French star blew open the race with a now-trademark surge, Potter the first to drop off, then Lombardi.

The elastic now well and truly broken, there was seemingly nothing that Potter could do in her chase for the world title even as she passed Lombardi back into second, Beaugrand crossing the line with a huge 38 second winning margin over the Brit, Lombardi third, Vicky Holland with an inspired run into fourth ahead of Miriam Casillas Garcia.

Speaking after the race, Beth Potter said, “It was tough out there, but I put a good fight up and I just didn’t quite have it this year. I’m not disappointed with silver, I wanted to leave the course knowing id given everything and I’m proud that I did. I had no idea what happened to Cassandre, I was racing my own race out there.”

Emma Lombardi stated that she was, “really pleased, especially as I was 4th before the race, so ending this way is amazing. I still have a long time in this sport, I got a lot of fourth places this year and didn’t want to end the year like that.”

Elizabeth Carr was in action representing Ireland, finishing in 44th place.

You can find the full results HERE.