American Taylor Knibb won big at the Lake Las Vegas T100 Triathlon to move within touching distance of a first ever T100 World Championship title.
The Paris 2024 mixed relay silver medallist crossed the line in Nevada over two minutes ahead of Julie Derron and seven minutes clear of Flora Duffy to win her third title this season.
Asked about her potential T100 title, Knibb said: “It’s just one step at a time. I’m just grateful for today and to have another race.
“I would kill to have that swim start every single time. I have a team of people here. My swim specialist and my movement specialist and they are each taking credit for that start. So they both have to come to every race now. On the bike I loved how broken up it was.”
Each athlete’s best three T100 race scores plus the final will count towards handing an inaugural title to a triathlete.
Knibb, having won three races, is in the best possible position to challenge for the title and needs to finish first or second to guarantee the victory at the finale in Dubai next month.
T100 men’s race
It was a Belgian one-two in the men’s race with Jelle Geens beating Marten Van Riel by 38 seconds on Lake Las Vegas. German Justus Nieschlag was a further four minutes back.
Geens was a wildcard and won on his inaugural appearance on the T100 Triathlon World Tour.
“It sounds crazy, but a month ago I wasn’t sure if I could even start here, so now to win here, it’s a great honour – and it was a hard and tough battle with Marten,” Geens said. “We said for years when we were still doing short course it would be cool to be on the podium together and it never happened in short course, but it’s happened now in our first battle over middle distance.”
Van Riel second place was enough, however, to keep him in pole position for the men’s T100 title. Any podium finish would secure the victory.
“I’m in a very good position going into Dubai so that’s obviously a nice cushion,” he said.
Inflated points will be available in the United Arab Emirates, where two world champions will be crowned next month.