Friday afternoon in the London Aquatics Centre saw the six heats – three women’s and three men’s – that would qualify the first names into Saturday’s all-important finals of the 2023 Arena Games Triathlon Series.
With each heat consisting of two rounds of 200m swim, 4km bike and 1km run, the second going out off a pursuit start based off the first’s times with mere minutes between the two, the athletes were all-in to secure qualification without the need for a repeat in Saturday morning’s repechages, with the further four men and four women qualifying after the play-off.
Women’s favourites through to Final
In the women’s heats there were no surprises as first Zsanett Bragmayer (HUN) and Beth Potter (GBR) then Gina Sereno (USA) and Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) made it through safely, Beaugrand slicing two seconds off the Arena Games 200m swim record in the process, clocking a lightning 2m10s time.
Heat Three saw Olivia Mathias (GBR) and Sophie Linn (AUS) blow the rest of the field away and able to coast the final 500m of the second run, the likes of Kate Waugh (GBR), Natalie Van Coevorden (AUS), Petra Kurikova (CZE) and Fanni Szalai (HUN) all through to Saturday morning’s repechage.
** Update **
Fanni Szalai, Rani Skrabanja, Emma Jackson and Petra Kurikova successfully negotiated their repechage to complete the ten names in Saturday evening’s finals.
Full-steam from McQueen, Smith on point
The first men’s heat saw a composed showing from Italy’s Nicolo Strada, while Chase McQueen had to hold off Darr Smith’s challenge early to comfortably secure his place in the finals.
The fabled Heat of Death brought the best out of New Zealand’s Kyle Smith as he held off a stiff challenge from GB’s Daniel Dixon and Gustav Iden – who battled back from a tough swim and a 5-second penalty to finish third – and qualified alongside Henri Schoeman.
Switzerland’s Simon Westermann made the early pace in the last races of the day, his progress into the finals assured along with Maxime Hueber-Moosbrugger, Justus Nieschlag among the names heading in to the repechage.
** Update **
Fabian Meeusen, Gustav Iden, Johannes Vogel and Jeremy Briand successfully negotiated their repechage to complete the men’s start lists in Saturday evening’s finals.
The full results can be found here.
