Cassandre Beaugrand is one of short-course triathlon’s most promising young stars, with her medal at the Tokyo Olympics a testament to her burgeoning potential.

Having graced ITU events with her effortless style since 2012 as a Youth, the French athlete’s stock has steadily risen over recent years, and she has established herself as a shining light of triathlon in her home country.

Born in Livry-Gargan in May 1997, Beaugrand was immersed in sport from an early age, with her mother a runner and her father coaching at her hometown athletics club. After dabbling in several athletic events, including pole vaulting, she settled on triathlon as she combined her passion for both swimming and running.

Though she had begun her journey in triathlon on the ITU circuit by 2012, Beaugrand was crowned the French 2013 and 2014 Youth Champion in cross country, setting new national records in her age group for both 1500m and 10km.

Her drive to succeed in triathlon was unwavering however, as she punched well above her weight as a teenager in both relay and individual events, landing her first individual gold medal at the Junior European Cup event at Eton Dorney in 2013.

Such was her electrifying pace, she began participating in elite senior events, finishing second at the Sprint Triathlon European Cup in Bratislava just days before her 17th birthday.

Since then, she has continued to tally up podium finishes at ITU/World Triathlon events, and though she has endured some difficult periods during her time in elite-level competition, she remains one of the most exciting prospects in the sport.

Having relocated to Loughborough in 2023, Beaugrand will be looking to build on her prosperous Olympics Games in Tokyo and fulfil the sky-high expectations she has earned herself. Paris 2024 could well coincide with her peak.

Career record and results

Beaugrand has been consistently successful both as an individual and in relay events, a format at which the French team have excelled in recent years.

Cassandre was part of the French team which clinched silver at the Mixed Relay World Championships back in 2014. Two months on, she claimed victory in the French Sprint Triathlon National Championships and was also the silver medallist at the World Junior Triathlon Championship during that very successful 2014 season.

Beaugrand won the European Junior Championship in 2016, the same year in which she took bronze at senior level at the European Sprint Distance Championships behind the British duo of Lucy Hall and Jess Learmonth.

Beaugrand triumphed at the French Triathlon National Championships in 2017, and the following year she further asserted her dominance in her home country as she claimed the Sprint Triathlon National Championships.

Her maiden World Triathlon Series win came a few months on from that success as she edged out Laura Lindemann in Hamburg. Victory with France in the Mixed Relay World Championships made it two wins in two days in Germany. More success would follow at European Championship level just weeks later in Glasgow – another Mixed Relay gold alongside a bronze in the individual race at Strathclyde Park.

Team France were victorious Mixed Relay World Championship winners in both 2019 and 2020 too, with Beaugrand an ever-present in their sensational three-peat. 2022 saw Les Bleus continue their stranglehold over the MTR format, with Cassandre once again part of the squads that won European and World Championship gold medals.

2019 brought further World Triathlon Series podiums, in addition to a win at the Tokyo Olympic Qualification Event Mixed Relay – which preceded France’s bronze at the delayed 2020 Games. 2022 saw Beaugrand finished the season 5th in the WTCS rankings, along the way earning a dominant win in Leeds and a second place to Georgia Taylor-Brown in Montreal.

Beaugrand has also featured in Super League Triathlon races, grabbing wins in Singapore and Jersey as she finished third and fourth overall in 2018 and 2019 respectively. More recently, Beaugrand took London wins in 2022 in both the Championship Series (West India Quay) and the Arena Games (London Aquatics Centre).

Cassandre Beaugrand at the Olympics

While still a teenager, Beaugrand made her Olympic debut at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, coming home in 30th place in the Individual women’s race.

In the years between then and the Tokyo Olympics, Cassandre developed and matured as an athlete, and she headed to the event in Japan as a contender for a top-end finish. However, she would be left frustrated in the individual race as a puncture saw her unable to finish, having endured already endured a sub-par swim leg by her lofty standards.

Her fortunes would change in the inaugural Mixed Relay event though as she helped the French team – also featuring Dorian Coninx, Léonie Périault and Vincent Luis – to a memorable bronze medal.

In 2023, Beaugrand again showed her class, qualifying for her third Olympic Games with a mesmerizing performance at the Paris Olympic Test Event that was bested only by Great Britain’s Beth Potter.

Throughout the year, Beaugrand had been a model of consistency, with a sixth place finish at WTCS Abu Dhabi followed by fourth at WTCS Cagliari before back-to-back wins in Hamburg and Sunderland and her second place finish in front of a home crowd in Paris.

Third at the WTCS Grand Final in Pontevedra, Beaugrand was just pipped to the world title by Beth Potter, as the pair fuelled a rivalry that looks set to dominate the narrative in the build up to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Racing Super League Triathlon in 2023 produced some highs and lows for Beaugrand, as the French star, who finished second at the Arena Games Triathlon Finals in London, wasn’t able to find her groove in the SLT Championship Series and despite a win in the final race in NEOM, was fourth in the overall standings.

Back racing the now rebranded supertri in 2024, Beaugrand was beaten by Potter at the supertri E World Triathlon Championship, which took place in London in April.

Cassandre Beaugrand and family

Cassandre’s father Ludovic coached at Livry-Gargan Athletics Club while she was finding her feet in competitive sport, and he has had a hand in coaching her during her professional triathlon career.

Her mother, who was a middle-distance runner, has also played a key role in her journey to the pinnacle of triathlon racing.

Cassandre Beaugrand gear

Beaugrand is sponsored by Polar, a provider of high-quality fitness trackers, GPS sports watches and bike computers. In 2020, she was part of the unveiling of the Polar Vantage V2, one of the brand’s most premium watches, alongside Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas.

Cassandre’s wetsuit provider is Aquaman while her bike leg is supported by Lapierre and Hutchinson Cycling. Beaugrand also has a deal with Adidas and can often be seen wearing the brand’s clothing on her Instagram page.