Britain’s Beth Potter, the world champion in 2023, saw off France’s Leonie Periault and a stacked women’s field to win the opening race of the World Triathlon Championship Series season in Samarkand.
The double Olympic bronze medallist from Paris was bouncing back brilliantly after an injury-hit winter and she made her move late on the run after an epic duel with Periault, eventually beating the Frenchwoman by nine seconds.
Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR) had helped animate the race when breaking clear on the bike but she was just denied third spot when Jeanne Lehair (LUX) overtook her in the closing stages.
The race was missing Olympic champion Cassandre Beaugrand, who withdrew before the start because of a fever – full details here.
But 2016 Olympic winner Gwen Jorgensen was involved on what was her 40th birthday, crossing the line in 24th place.
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Swim – Seregni takes advantage
Conditions were calm for the swim and it was Vittoria Lopes (BRZ) who led it out early.
But then Tilly Anema (GBR), who was in a breakaway at the Samarkand World Cup last year, took over at the head of affairs.
However she and Laura Lindemann (GER), who had been on her feet, then went slightly off course and there was also plenty of confusion in behind.
All of which saw Bianca Seregni (ITA) move to the front and she was out of the water first in 18:18, just a second in front of Anema, with Taylor Spivey (USA) third and Lopes fourth.
There were some big gaps though – reigning world champion Lisa Tertsch was 48 seconds back, with British duo Taylor-Brown and Olivia Mathias both at +50s.
Bike – GTB throws down the gauntlet
Onto the bike and there was potential for a split given those gaps in the swim and that was how it panned out.
When it settled down we had a front group of 10 on the first of seven laps – Seregni, Anema, Spivey and Lopes plus German pair Lindemann and Selina Klamt, Kirsten Kasper (USA), Márta Kropkó (HUN), Jolien Vermeylen (BEL) and Robin Dreijling (NED).
But there was plenty of firepower in behind and Brits Taylor-Brown and Jess Fullagar along with Sweden’s Tilda Månsson were driving the chase pack and soon broke away from them.
They still had 30 seconds to make up but after lap two that was down to 13 seconds.
It all came back together on lap three which meant we had a lead pack of 24, though it didn’t include reigning champion Tertsch, who had crashed early on.
But any thoughts they would then roll around and save energy for the run were shattered when Taylor-Brown jumped off the front.
She only had three seconds on the other 23 to start with but gradually built that up – it was 21 seconds with a lap to go and then 32 seconds as she headed into T2 all alone.
Run – Potter vs Periault
Beaugrand recently set a French national 10km record with a 30:52 so her absence from the race definitely changed the dynamics of the run.
And it soon became clear that the 32-seconds buffer wasn’t enough for Taylor-Brown as Periault, Potter and Vermeylen had bridged up by the end of the first of five laps.
By the halfway stage it was Periault – who recently clocked a sensational time of 1:09 in the Berlin Half Marathon – and Potter who powered clear and looked to have it between them, with 40 seconds and more to the rest.
There was still nothing between them on lap four, when they lapped Tertsch.
But on the final lap Potter put the hammer down to just create a little daylight between herself and Periault and that proved the decisive move as she then kept on strongly to take an impressive victory, nine seconds to the good.
WTCS Samarkand women’s results
Saturday 25 April 2026 – 1500m / 40km / 10km
| Pos | Athlete | Nation | Swim | Bike | Run | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beth Potter | GBR | 18:53 | 59:35 | 33:36 | 1:53:17 |
| 2 | Leonie Periault | FRA | 19:04 | 59:18 | 33:46 | 1:53:26 |
| 3 | Jeanne Lehair | LUX | 19:02 | 59:24 | 34:43 | 1:54:20 |
| 4 | Georgia Taylor-Brown | GBR | 19:08 | 58:34 | 35:31 | 1:54:32 |
| 5 | Taylor Spivey | USA | 18:21 | 1:00:03 | 35:13 | 1:54:53 |
| 6 | Bianca Seregni | ITA | 18:18 | 1:00:13 | 35:18 | 1:55:05 |
| 7 | Jolien Vermeylen | BEL | 18:23 | 1:00:08 | 35:24 | 1:55:05 |
| 8 | Sian Rainsley | GBR | 19:00 | 59:30 | 35:25 | 1:55:09 |
| 9 | Tanja Neubert | GER | 19:10 | 59:14 | 35:43 | 1:55:16 |
| 10 | Tilly Anema | GBR | 18:18 | 1:00:12 | 35:38 | 1:55:21 |
