Yee on podium again at World Triathlon finals
THE World Triathlon Championship Finals in Edmonton Canada saw Loughborough’s Alex Yee claim men’s overall series bronze to back up his silver and gold medals from Tokyo.
Having started in Yokohama before moving onto Leeds and into a Canadian double-header after Tokyo 2020, it was the second race in Canada that would decide the 2021 world champions at the World Triathlon Championship Finals in Edmonton.
Alex Yee started the race ranked number one in the standings following his performances during 2021. Olympic champion Kristian Blummenfelt was second, less than 40 points behind Yee.
2020 world champion Vincent Luis forged a fast pace over the first of two 750m swim laps and, having exited the water before diving back in the for the second identical lap, he’d stretched the field out with Hungarian Mark Devay and Belgian athlete Marten van Riel the only ones able to keep within touching distance.
With these three athletes first onto the bike and opening up a lead of 26 seconds by the end of lap one, Blummenfelt was riding in the main chase pack and Bishop (+49 seconds) was the first of the British athletes, with Yee further back and over a minute behind the leaders.
As the 40km unfolded, the trio stayed clear of Blummenfelt’s chasing pack with the group with Bishop and Yee in further back. The gaps were consistently around 25 and 90 seconds from the leaders throughout the bike stage, however, by the time they transitioned from bike to run, the Norwegian had made sure the gap was all but eradicated.
Setting off in pursuit on the run, Yee left his group behind in transition to start the four-lap, 10km run alongside Wilde. At the front, Blummenfelt and van Riel were part of an eight-athlete breakaway, with Luis running just behind.
At the mid-point of the run, the Olympic individual silver and bronze medallists were one minute and eight seconds behind the champion from Tokyo and his lead pack, trying to close the gap and making their way through the field.
Starting the final lap, Yee was 13th and had cut the gap to 46 seconds. Having already made inroads into his final 2.5km, Blummenfelt made his move at the front to lead the way alongside van Riel and Bergère (FRA).
A sprint down the blue carpet saw Blummenfelt add the World Triathlon Championship Series title to his Olympic gold as he won in Edmonton, with van Riel and Bergere second and third in the race. Van Riel’s result saw him take series silver as well.
Yee crossed the line in 11th which saw him finish third in the overall series standings, with Bishop finishing 30th and Sheldon lapped out on the bike.
Speaking to World Triathlon after the race, Yee said:
“Today wasn’t my best day, no excuses, I just didn’t swim well enough. I gave it everything I had and for me, I fought to the end and luckily I get to hold onto a podium with these great guys. They did a phenomenal job today and kudos to them because they were all incredible.
“I was extremely proud to put on the number one to start this race and, for me, I had to race that with pride and I did everything I could and today it wasn’t enough, but it was amazing and really fun to be back out racing again.”
Commenting on Yee’s World Triathlon Championship Series bronze, British Triathlon’s Performance Director Mike Cavendish, said: “I want to congratulate Alex on another strong performance and his podium in the overall World Triathlon Championship Series standings.
“He’s had a fantastic year and to back up his Olympic silver with bronze in the overall standings is testament to all the work that he, his coach Adam Elliot and his wider support team in Loughborough have put in over the last few months.
“That team has been key to Alex’s development over the past few years and his performances in 2021 show that he’s very much at the top table of men’s Olympic distance racing.
“The exciting thing about Alex is that there is still so much more to come and I know that this result, alongside his silver and gold from Tokyo, will motivate him to kick on again next year.”