Ambre Grasset earns superb Junior World Championship win in Torremolinos

On Friday afternoon, the second day of the 2024 World Triathlon Championship Finals, strong winds picked up, creating tough circumstances for the large group of young female athletes competing for a chance to win a world title in Torremolinos.

The course featured a 750-meter swim in the ocean, a 20-kilometer bike ride, and a 5-kilometer run, and the women’s race was an exciting showdown right to the end. Ambre Grasset from France and Hungary’s Fanni Szalai went head-to-head for nearly the entire distance. Ultimately, Grasset took the win, breaking away after the last turn, while Szalai couldn’t respond. Lea Houart from France claimed the bronze medal.

Szalai emerged from the water first, while Houart, Eve Whitaker from Great Britain, and Pauline Courret from Hong Kong followed 12 seconds later. However, Szalai took longer than expected in the transition, allowing Houart to take the lead as she set off on the 20km bike ride.

A group of four quickly established a lead at the front, featuring Szalai alongside Tabea Huys from Austria, with Grasset and Houart pushing them forward. They collaborated effectively, creating a gap of almost 40 seconds over the chasing pack of 17 that included Whitaker, Merel Veltman from the Netherlands, Jimena Renata De La Peña Schott from the USA, and María López Faraudo from Mexico.

Szalai needed to navigate several bends to keep pace with the French competitors, who had a significant lead as they left T2 and headed onto the 5km run.

The Hungarian quickly closed the distance, leaving Huys struggling to keep up. She then overtook Houart and positioned herself right behind Grasset.

She remained in position until just before the second-to-last turn, at which point she pressed down on the accelerator. Grasset responded well, and they raced side by side as they approached the last turn before the blue carpet. It was then that Grasset made a decisive move from the outside, creating a vital lead that she maintained until the end. Szalai looked visibly let down with her silver medal, but she has many more opportunities ahead of her. Similarly, Houart felt a bit of disappointment with her bronze medal, while María López Faraudo delivered an impressive performance to finish fourth, and Swiss competitor Anouk Danna took fifth place.

You can access the complete results here.