Georgia Taylor-Brown, inspired by the Macarena, secured her first T100 victory in Pamplona, overcoming intense heat. The three-time Olympic medallist shimmied to the start line to the 1993 Los Del Rio classic and surged past competitors in the final leg, moving from third after the bike leg to first with a 01:09:40 time in the 18km run. Switzerland's Julie Derron finished second, while American Taylor Spivey achieved her best T100 result in third.
Taylor-Brown's Post-Race Comments
The victorious Taylor-Brown said: "I'm good, I think, but I'm so hot. It's really, really hot out there. I was trying to be quite smart with my racing on the bike because it was hot. And then the run, I felt really good for the first and the second lap. But I'm glad I went for it and got a gap because I really wanted to walk the end of it." She added: "I've been feeling good in training and just strong and happy and in a really good place. I'm really enjoying my new coach and my new group. I didn't expect to win or anything, but I just feel strong and confident. I did have fun. The bike course was incredible, and the run course was also quite nice, but just hot."
Race Highlights
Spaniard Sara Pérez Sala set the early pace in her home race, leading after the swim ahead of Spivey and Britain's Sophie Evans, whose compatriot India Lee was forced to record a DNF after struggling in the water. Swiss ace Alanis Siffert shone on the bike, rising an impressive 15 places and leading into the run before being overtaken by fellow countrywoman Derron. Taylor-Brown was cautious at the transition but quickly made up for lost time, hitting the front within 5km of the running stretch. She held her position and finished with an overall time of 3:38:03, one minute and 20 seconds clear of Derron.
British and Overall Standings
Taylor-Brown was one of three Brits in the top 10, with Holly Lawrence in fourth and Lizzie Rayner two places further back. Switzerland's Imogen Simmonds, who finished seventh in Pamplona following a third place in the season opener on the Gold Coast, leads the overall women's standings with 42 points, seven ahead of Taylor-Brown and American Taylor Knibb.
Runner-Up's Reaction
Runner-up Derron commented: "It was definitely hard. When I started the run, I was like 'Oh, I'm going to walk 18km.' I felt so rough coming off the bike, and I don't know how I managed to hold on to second place. So I'm super proud, super happy to finish on the podium again for my first race of the T100 series."
