French veteran Choquert claims World Games' first duathlon gold

CHENGDU, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- France's veteran duathlete Benjamin Choquert broke through a strong Belgian field to claim the first duathlon gold medal of the Chengdu World Games in the men's individual event on Thursday.

Choquert crossed the finish line in one hour, 14 minutes and 14 seconds. Belgian Arnaud Dely followed nine seconds behind to take silver, while compatriot Vincent Bierinckx claimed bronze.

China's Duan Zhengyu and Tong Yujia finished 16th and 19th, respectively.

Belgium's Thibaut De Smet and Germany's Fabian Holbach, both former professional road cyclists, started strong. But Choquert, the 39-year-old silver medalist from the last World Games and the oldest competitor in the field, showcased endurance and a powerful finishing kick in the latter stages. After the second transition, he climbed from ninth place to take the lead.

"Our team's goal was to go all out on the bike, since we knew the short course favored strong runners," said silver medalist Dely, who, along with his teammates from the same club, formed the most competitive group in the race.

"We've tried a lot on the bike, but the course was so fast that it wasn't easy to break away. It took a lot of energy out of me, and I think that affected my final run when competing for the win," Dely said.

Bierinckx said he was satisfied with the result. "I feel fortunate that this is my first time on the podium. I've had so many fourth-place finishes before, never making it to the podium, but now I've finally done it here at the World Games."

Duathlon at the World Games features men's and women's individual races, as well as the 2x2 mixed relay. This is its second appearance as an official sport since the 2022 Games.

Both individual events follow the format of a 5km run, 30km cycling, and another 5km run. The mixed relay features teams of one male and one female athlete competing in a four-leg sequence (female first), with each completing two shorter segments of 2km run, 6km cycling, and 1km run.

Duathlon, which combines running and cycling, retains the competitive element of equipment transitions while offering opportunities for athletes with strong cardiovascular endurance and lower-body strength, regardless of swimming ability. ■