Cassandre Beaugrand may have delighted the massive home crowds when she became France’s first ever Olympic triathlon winner in her home city of Paris on Wednesday.
But she was the first to admit there was also a strong British influence in the win.
Beaugrand has been dominant this season, winning WTCS Hamburg and WTCS Cagliari recently – beating her main rival Beth Potter on both occasions.
And it was a similar story in tough conditions in Paris as she proved strongest on the run, with Potter in third and Switzerland’s Julie Derron splitting the pair to take silver.
Moving out of ‘comfort zone’
Strong currents in the Seine made the swim tricky and then heavy overnight rain turned the bike course into a war of attrition with a double-figure number of women suffering falls.
Those sort of conditions on the bike have proved Beaugrand’s nemesis in the past. But not this time. She looked as assured as anyone and was always near the front of the race as she produced a flawless display.
She’s spent the last 18 months training at Loughborough – and riding in the mixed British weather – and she was the first to admit she’s a different athlete now to the one who was a DNF at the last Olympics in Tokyo.
Speaking to the BBC she said: “I just can’t believe it. I think I need someone to pinch me right now.
“And I know I’m on the BBC and even though it was tough because I am French, I’d like to say how proud I am that all the group in Loughborough accept me and I want to thank them for pushing me all the way.
“I know I’m very lucky with all the people I have around me. I think it definitely helped me to move two years ago to Loughborough because I’m used to riding in the rain now.
“I remember my very bad memory from Tokyo when I didn’t even finish the race. I was so nervous about the rain.
“But I think I’ve gone out of my comfort zone and it’s worked. I have a different mindset and believe in myself more. A lot of English people have helped me a lot, so thanks to them.”
Embracing the pressure
Beaugrand’s also paid tribute to her boyfriend, marathon swimmer Hector Pardoe who will be in action himself at the Olympics next week for Team GB.
She added: “He always knew I could do it and I was like, can you shush as he was making so much pressure on me!
“But at the end of the day, I was like, why not? Maybe I can do it today. And that worked.”
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