Photos – Supertri Boston

Yee beats Wilde again, while Lehair leaves her Olympic problems behind at the Supertri in Boston
In epic battles, Lehair defeats Georgia Taylor-Brown and Alex Yee repeats his Olympic victory over a frustrated Hayden Wilde

Olympic protagonists Alex Yee and Hayden Wilde renewed their rivalry at the Boston Supertri, with the Briton again storming to a dramatic victory after breaking Wilde’s resolve 100m from the finish.

Brownlee Racing superstar Yee, who won the Olympic gold medal in Paris with a late overhaul of Crown Racing’s Wilde, once again beat his New Zealand rival in a thrilling finish.

Wilde was unhappy with the way the race went when Yee crossed the finish line and later railed against the leading cycling group, which he felt was not keeping up.

In the women’s race, it was Podium Racing’s Jeanne Lehair who broke away from Crown Racing duo Georgia Taylor-Brown and Kate Waugh on the final leg of the day at the Supertri debut in Massachusetts, coming out on top ahead of a strong field that included Olympic gold medalist Cassandre Beaugrand and bronze medalist Beth Potter.

Both races were held in the super jersey format, with 300 m swimming in the sea, 4 km cycling and three consecutive 1.6 km runs, and this time too, ensured excitement right up to the finish line.

LEHAIR SHINES

Lehair had just come off a major Olympic disappointment when the 28-year-old was eliminated in Paris, but the French-born athlete, who will compete for Luxembourg in 2023, began her multi-sport redemption on the final leg of the day. After taking advantage of her short chute, presented to her by Podium Racing boss Tim Don, Lehair closed in on Taylor-Brown in the lead before pulling away with 800m to go. Frenchwoman Beaugrand finished eighth for Chris McCormack’s Crown Racing team.

“I’m relieved and happy. I know the girls would attack on the bike because that’s not my strength, but I gave it my all on the run and it worked,” said the 28-year-old at the finish. “I’m even happier that I was able to win after falling behind on the bike (at the front). I was still in the same shape as in Paris and couldn’t take advantage of it due to a mechanical problem on the bike.”

Lehair’s win was the first for Tim Don’s new Podium Racing team of the 2024 season, with Taylor-Brown and Waugh scoring points for Crown Racing.

“Jeanne had the Short Chute in the bag, so I’m super happy with my team,” said Lehair’s coach Don at the finish. “After Paris, today was all about execution for Jeanne and she took control of the race herself. She’s a spirited racer and when she attacks, she really attacks. Beating a multiple Olympic medalist like Georgia Taylor-Brown will give her a lot of confidence.”

Lehair’s win was tough on Taylor-Brown, who had largely dominated the race from the start. “The first Supertri race is always a shock, especially after coming down from the Olympics, but I’m excited to do these races and I’m getting fitter. I knew I had to go hard, but Jeanne came back and I didn’t have enough strength to keep up with her.”

SUPERSTAR SHOWDOWN

After putting up one of the best competitions at the last Olympic Games in Paris, Yee and Wilde renewed their rivalry in rainy Boston, Massachusetts, in the Supertri debut in the famous American city.

Yee, from the new Brownlee Racing team managed by Non Stanford, and Wilde, from Chris McCormack’s Crown Racing, were inseparable throughout the race. As the race drew to a close, French ITU World Champions Vincent Luis (Crown Racing), Dorian Coninx (Podium Racing) and Germany’s Tim Hellwig (Stars & Stripes Racing) were also in the mix.

Yee and Wilde alternated in the lead until, as he did so impressively in Paris, Yee made the decisive move with the finish line in sight, crossing the tape a second ahead of Wilde to start the series with a win for Brownlee Racing. Coninx took third place for Tim Don’s Podium Racing team.

“I made a big mistake at the (last) transition and I’m a bit rusty after the Olympics,” said Yee at the finish. “But we want Supertri to be exciting and I hope we put on a great show for you!”

Yee’s win was the first for the new Brownlee Racing team and delighted his coach Non Stanford. “It was a very exciting race, especially from a manager’s perspective. I’m super proud of all my athletes, they all gave it their all. Alex had us all on the edge of our seats again, in true Alex Yee style.”

Wilde once again had to watch Yee sprint away from him just before the finish line, and the New Zealander’s frustration was palpable at the finish line. “Close is not good enough. It was nice to have Vincent (Luis) up there on the bike, but it’s a shame the other guys didn’t do something and waited for the run,” said a frustrated Wilde at the finish. “I don’t call this racing and it’s a bit of a shame. I’ve seen too many silver medals in the last few weeks, so it would be nice to get a gold medal in Chicago.”

The rivalries between Lehair/Taylor-Brown and Yee/Wilde resume next week in Chicago, another new US city for Supertri racing. Will Lehair overtake the Brit or will Beaugrand and Potter get back into the race? And will Yee take a third straight win or is it time for Wilde’s revenge? Tune in next Sunday!

The rest of the 2024 Supertri League calendar is:

● August 25: Chicago Supertri

● September 8th: London Supertri

● 6 October: Supertri Toulouse

● November 3rd: Supertri NEOM