SINGAPORE — They may have only finished second in Singapore, but Britain’s Beth Potter and Alex Yee earned the honor of becoming the first-ever eSports Triathlon World Champions on Saturday (May 7) thanks to their consistently outstanding performances in the Arena Games Triathlon series.
Racing in heavy rain at Marina Bay, the duo were able to maintain their pace in the unique and hectic racing format and overtake their rivals in the overall standings of the three-leg series, which included races in Munich and London last month.
Unlike the traditional triathlon race format of swimming, cycling and running outdoors, the 2020 Arena Games Triathlon format was designed for indoor cycling and running amid the COVID-19 pandemic. After the swim in Marina Bay, the triathletes completed their cycling and running leg on smart trainers and self-powered curved treadmills on the Marina Bay promenade, which they were to repeat three times in the eight-person final.
“The race format was so hectic, I didn’t have much time to react and plan my race strategy,” said Yee, 24, who won Olympic gold in the mixed triathlon relay at the Tokyo Games last year.
“But when I return to traditional triathlon after this series, I think I will be able to respond better. So this is a valuable experience for me in my preparation for the next Olympic Games.”
While Yee enjoyed his overall title, New Zealander Hayden Wilde was the star of the men’s final as he overtook Britain’s and Germany’s Justus Nieschlag in the third cycling leg to secure the gold medal in Singapore.
Things got dramatic in the women’s final when Jess Learmonth – Yee’s partner in her triumph in the mixed triathlon relay at the Tokyo Olympics – had to give up while in the lead after sustaining a hip injury on the first leg of the race.
In the end, it was a duel between Potter and Hungarian Zsanett Bragmayer. In a close finish, it was Bragmayer who overtook Potter in the final kilometer to win a gold medal in Singapore. Another Brit, Georgia-Taylor Brown, finished on the podium in third place.
“I was in a lot of pain, but I gave it my all,” said Potter, who suffered from cramps after her race.
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