SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan—Quebec’s Mathis Beaulieu took on many of the best triathletes on the planet and won his second career World Triathlon Cup medal, taking the bronze on Saturday in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
It was the first career Olympic distance podium for the 20-year-old on the World Cup. His first career World Cup podium, which came just one year ago, was in a sprint race when he won the silver medal in Huatulco at just 19 years of age.
Racing much of the day in the second pack within the field of 58 athletes throughout the triple-sport test, the rising star in Canadian triathlon exercised his swim, bike and run tactics to near perfection, surging to a third-place time of 1:47:08.
Beaulieu, from Quebec City, came out 1.5-kilometre swim in 16th spot, 28 seconds behind the front runners leading the field into the first transition. He climbed to the ninth spot after the first lap of the 40-kilometre ride. Bouncing around in the top-15 for the six laps, the determined Canuck made his mark when foot hit pavement on the streets of Samarkand.
Picking off athletes in the field throughout the first of four laps on the 10-kilometre run course, Beaulieu charged into fifth spot. He moved into podium position at the midway point of the run and jumped into the silver-medal position early in the bell lap before getting passed, leaving him in third spot.
Maxime Hueber-Moosbrugger, of France, won the race with a time of 1:46:43. Hungary’s Marton Kropko held of Beaulieu for second place with a time of 1:46:58.
Saturday’s triumph was another benchmark achieved in the impressive development of Beaulieu. The Quebec teen burst onto the international triathlon scene in 2022 where enjoyed a golden run, winning five straight junior races including a senior win in Stockton, Missouri and two junior victories in Europe. He continued his electric pace into 2023 where he won a bronze medal at the World Triathlon Sprint & Relay Championships in Hamburg, Germany. He also reached the bronze medal step of the Americas Triathlon Mixed Relay Championships in Huatulco, was second at the Americas Triathlon Cup in Ixtapa and captured three individual victories including the National Championship title in Montreal.
Complete World Triathlon Cup Samarkand Results
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