World Championships Long Distance Triathlon, 29 Jun 2025

After days of speculation as to whether the swim would be wetsuit legal, the water was 23.8 on race morning and we set off with wetsuits on. It was a mass start and down river to begin. It was a rather rapid start but the pace soon settled when we turned the buoy for a long 1.5km swim back up river against the current. I felt as though I was in a good position whilst swimming and came out a few seconds behind 2nd place in my AG (who I quickly over took in transition).

Out onto the bike in 2nd I got to work chasing down the lead, it was 3 x 40km laps. There was 400m climbing in the first 20km (with some scorching temperatures up in the mountains) followed by some rapid descents. I eventually caught the lead around 25km in on the downhill stretch. We subsequently fought it out for 1st position, losing the lead on the uphill and gaining it on the downhill. I slipped back into 2nd for good after a quick portaloo stop on the second lap. The eventual winner overtook me on the 3rd lap and I dropped back to 4th with around 13km to go. The heat was absolutely brutal.

I overtook a Canadian athlete in T2 and went out onto the run in 3rd position. The legs weren't playing ball but I stuck to my guns and kept running, even if it was at a slower pace than planned, focusing on keeping on top of fluids and nutrition at the aid stations. There is no other way to describe the run than tough, it was 30km in 33 degrees off the back of a hilly bike course. I came over the line in 6th position, which sadly after a DSQ for another GB athlete post race, means I finished in 5th in my Age Group in the world. I'll take that.

Chloe Simper