Five WTCS victories from five starts, a reclaimed world title and three French running records would suggest Cassandre Beaugrand is at the peak of her powers.

But her partner and fellow triathlete Chase McQueen believes the Olympic champion could have even more to offer – because of how much she is enjoying the journey.

In a new video, embedded below, built around her dominant victory at the World Triathlon Championship Finals in Pontevedra, McQueen explains how a running adventure inspired partly by Alex Yee and a thriving training environment in Girona have helped Beaugrand find fresh motivation.

And with Georgia Taylor-Brown also benefiting from their partnership under coach Glenn Poleunis, the results were there for all to see as the training partners finished first and second in the Grand Final.

“I don’t think we’ve seen the limits”

For McQueen, the most satisfying part of Beaugrand’s season has been seeing the happiness behind the performances.

“Seeing that she loves triathlon again and seeing her at the races with a smile on her face, and in training so excited to hang out with the people in her group, I think that’s what means more to me than the results on the paper.”

That enjoyment has accompanied a remarkable run of success. Beaugrand won every WTCS race she entered in 2026, rounding off her unbeaten campaign with a commanding performance in Pontevedra to reclaim the world crown.

Yet McQueen believes there is still room for the French star to grow.

“After this year, honestly, I don’t even know if we’ve seen the best version of Cassandre,” he said.

“I think maybe for me the question has gotten even bigger. How far can she push this? Because I feel like she’s just getting started. I feel like she’s having the most fun she’s ever had.

“And even after everything she’s achieved in her career, I don’t think we’ve seen the limits.”

Taylor-Brown partnership brings out the best

A key part of that environment has been training alongside Taylor-Brown in Girona under Poleunis.

The British Olympic gold, silver and bronze medallist admits neither athlete knew exactly how the arrangement would work. But sharing the daily demands of training has proved beneficial to both.

“Now that we get to train together, we really didn’t know how it was going to go, if it was going to be a good thing or a bad thing,” Taylor-Brown explained.

“I can definitely honestly say it’s been a good thing, and I think we’ve both drawn off of each other.”

For Beaugrand, it also means working alongside someone she has long admired.

“When someone asks Cass who she looks up to in triathlon, the answer is always Andrea Hewitt and Georgia Taylor-Brown,” said McQueen.

“I’ve seen firsthand how much they push each other in training. They can be just destroying each other in a session one minute, but then the next minute they’re laughing.”

Their Grand Final one-two provided a fitting reward. Beaugrand took the victory in 1:50:52, with Taylor-Brown finishing 1:05 behind and fellow Brit Kate Waugh completing the podium.

And it was on the run that Beaugrand made the decisive difference, clocking 32:35 for the closing 10km compared with Taylor-Brown’s 33:41.

How Alex Yee inspired a running adventure

That running strength was another defining feature of Beaugrand’s year, with three French national records adding a different dimension to her achievements.

According to McQueen, part of the inspiration to explore what she could achieve beyond triathlon came from watching men’s Olympic champion Alex Yee embrace his own marathon challenge in 2025.

“A lot of that also came from being inspired by Alex,” he explained. “Cass saw that and was like, ‘Wow, he looks like he’s really enjoying himself, and maybe that’s something I should explore as well.’

“Running just gave her so much more freedom, and I think most importantly, it just reminded her of how much she loves competing against the best in the world, no matter what the sport is.”

Her appearance at the Monaco Diamond League proved particularly significant, giving Beaugrand a new sense of belonging on the athletics stage.

“After the Monaco Diamond League, I felt like something really changed with her,” said McQueen.

“I think what she did that day was just really prove to herself that she has her place in running. She’s not an imposter in that world. She belongs there.

“In a weird way, I think proving that to herself also just showed her a pathway back into triathlon and excited her for maybe what she could achieve in triathlon.”

An even bigger weapon

Rather than taking something away from her triathlon ambitions, the running adventure gave Beaugrand fresh confidence in what might be possible.

“She knew her running was at a totally different level than what it had ever been at before,” McQueen added.

“I guess the question really became, ‘If I can get my swimming and cycling back to where they were, but now I have this, what can I do?’

“And suddenly the run had become even more of a weapon than it was before, and I think that just gave her so much confidence.”

Pontevedra delivered an emphatic answer to that question, as Beaugrand rounded off her perfect WTCS campaign with another world title.

For McQueen, the prospect of a happy, motivated Beaugrand continuing to explore her potential is the reason to believe there could be plenty more to come.