Dominic Coy secures World Junior Championship bronze in Portugal

Originally scheduled as part of the World Triathlon Grand Final in Bermuda, the cancellation of that event saw the World Triathlon Junior Championships move to Quarteira, Portugal this past weekend.

Spain and Germany took the top honours, but there was British success too.

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Junior Men: Dixon crashes out, Coy runs to bronze

There was British bronze on Saturday in the Junior World Championships, but had circumstances been different – perhaps – it could have been even more.

Daniel Dixon – who was also first across the line at the British Elite Senior Championships this year – lead out the opening 750m swim, and on his feet was Germany’s Henry Graf, who had pushed the Dixon into bronze earlier this year at the European Junior Championships in Kitzbuhel.

Dixon and Graf were joined by Andrew Shellenberger (USA) in an early breakaway attempt, the Brit always one to race aggressively and look to make things happen, rather than waiting, With plenty of experience at many international races over the past three years, he wouldn’t be intimidated by the race status.

2021 World Triathlon Junior Championships Quarteira

Just 10 minutes into the ride however he slid out at high speed on right hand corner at the bottom of a descent. Battered, bruised and trisuit ripped he got back into the race – but his chances at the podium were over.

Shellenberger would crash later in the race too, which ultimately saw the German pushing on to a 35 second lead at T2. Would that be enough to secure a European and World Championship double?

That answer was quickly answered in definitive style – absolutely not! Just a few minutes into the run and Graf was all but shuffling and clearly struggling big time. He would soon be swept up and end up way down the field.

Igor Bellido Mikhailova (ESP) was the class of the field on the run, and combined with a great T2, was well clear for gold medal.

Great Britain’s Dominic Coy was part of the large group of chasers and was the one pushing the paces and stretching out the group. Portugal’s Joao Nuno Batista – at just 15 years of age – took the silver (elder brother, Ricardo, was Junior World Champion two years ago), but Coy’s efforts were rewarded with a bronze medal.

Junior Women: slow start, fast finish for Julie Behrens

French athlete Candice Denizot (FRA) lead the way through the opening 750m swim, more than 40 seconds at that point ahead of Germany’s Julie Behrens, who wasn’t even in the top half of the field at that stage. Could the European Junior Champion recover from that seemingly poor start?

While compatriot Graf suffered on the run after his efforts on the bike in the Junior Men’s race, Behrens was making light of her deficit and was a key part in bringing the race back together over the 20km bike leg. Denizot was once again leading the way, but she had a huge line of athletes lined up ready to chase her down.

Behrens was impressive on the run, worked her way to the front and had time to enjoy the finish line. Tilda Mansson (SWE_ was actually the quickest runner of the day in silver, but a slow transition could well have cost her the opportunity to challenge for gold.