Search
shop

Kate Waugh spoils the French party in Toulouse with a stunning performance across the board

Reaction from the women's podium at SLT Toulouse.
Staff Reporter
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Great Britain’s Kate Waugh was in a league of her own at the second round of the Super League Triathlon Championship Series in Toulouse this weekend, as the World Triathlon U23 Champion took her first SLT victory.

Having finished in fifth last week in London, Waugh now moves to the top of the overall standings with two races left in the series and looks like a force to be reckoned with after dominating across swim, bike and run in the South of France.

In second and third, French athletes Leonie Periault and Emma Lombardi gave the home crowd something to cheer about, but were no match for Waugh as the Brit won by a big margin after expertly navigating her way through the stages of the brutal Triple Mix format.

Advertisement

“I’m absolutely over the moon”

Despite having a fantastic season on the WTCS circuit so far this year, Waugh was yet to take the tape in a race until this weekend and was rightly overjoyed to get a maiden victory against some world class competitors in Toulouse.

Super League Triathlon Toulouse 2023 - Kate Waugh and Michelle Dillon
Photo Credit – Darren Wheeler / That Cameraman / Super League Triathlon

“Honestly, I’m absolutely over the moon, that was absolutely mad and it was so much fun. I’ve got some crazy adrenaline right now. I knew I had a good chance of getting on the podium today, so I just tried to take each stage as it went and go full gas from the gun, which paid off today.” 

Acknowledging the challenging nature of the course, with the technical aspect of the bike course in particular really pushing the athletes to their limits, the Brit shared that she had to remind herself to keep a cool head on the latter stages of the ride.

“I felt like I was absolutely railing it around the corners to the point where I was losing my back wheel a couple of times and on the last couple of laps, I knew I had a gap and I was just like okay calm down now and keep your head.

“I just went absolutely full gas and my legs were gone, at one point I heard someone shout that I had 50m on the person behind me, so I was looking around frantically thinking there was someone I couldn’t see, but in the end I made it!” 

Podium made better by home crowd support for Lombardi and Periault

Whilst they couldn’t keep with Waugh on the day, both Periault and Lombardi were happy with their performances to get on the podium, as Periault shared that the atmosphere was amazing out on the race course.

“I’m very happy with my performance, the first one was very hard for me, but I was fighting for my team and for me and the atmosphere here in Toulouse was amazing and I’m so happy.

“It was very special to race here, especially for me as a French athlete with the crowd and I am very happy with my race and very happy with second place.” 

Reiterating her countrywoman’s point, Lombardi added that despite it being full gas throughout the stages, she still found the time to enjoy the race and the support from the home fans.

“It was hard, it was really hard, over such a short format you are always at full gas and I just did my best with what I had today. It was a really interesting race being here in Toulouse and the crowd was great.” 

Tomos Land
Written by
Tomos Land
Tomos Land is a triathlon & running journalist whose expertise lies in the professional world of short course & long distance triathlon, though he also boasts an extensive knowledge of ultra-running.
Discover more
tri-fit vortex tri suit review
TRI-FIT VORTEX tri suit review – race day approved performance
Maja Stage Nielsen Kat Matthews Jocelyn McCauley IRONMAN Texas 2023 podium photo credit IRONMAN
PremiumRacing to keep up: Is social media making us train harder?
Cadomotus chronos aero triathlon cycling shoes
The triathlon cycling shoe that promises a 10-watt saving: Cadomotus Chronos Aero triathlon cycling shoes review
Wahoo ELEMNT RIVAL
PremiumTraining to heart rate vs power on the bike
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumHow to pace a triathlon to leave it all out there WITHOUT blowing up
latest News
Jeanne Lehair wins SLT London 2023
Supertri Chicago 2025 women’s results: Lehair holds off Olympic star Taylor-Brown
Alberto Gonzalez Garcia Supertri Chicago 2025
Supertri Chicago 2025 men’s results: Speedy Gonzalez Garcia STUNS the big names
Jonny Brownlee with bike transition Supertri Toronto 2025
WATCH AGAIN: Supertri Chicago 2025 as Lehair and Gonzalez Garcia take the wins
Tim Don Supertri Toronto 2025
Tim Don: Watch out for Jonny Brownlee bounce back and Fanni Szalai at Supertri Chicago
Morgan Pearson run T100 San Francisco 2025
Morgan Pearson born to run – ‘maybe I’m the T100 X Factor with a lot to prove’
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

All plans include a 7-day free trial

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

All plans include a 7-day free trial

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

100+ new articles/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...