Ilona Hadhoum and Nils Serre Gehri crowned U23 triathlon world champions

The years go by, but France’s talent pool in Olympic-distance triathlon shows no sign of running dry. The events of September 25 proved as much, with Ilona Hadhoum and Nils Serre Gehri both winning U23 world titles.

The women’s race got under way at 3:35 p.m. on a sunny Friday afternoon. Ilona Hadhoum took control from the start and was the first athlete to complete the opening lap of the 1,500m swim. She held her position through the second lap, exiting the water in front alongside her teammate and reigning junior world champion, Léa Houart.

© World Triathlon

© World Triathlon

© World Triathlon

© World Triathlon

A breakaway quickly formed over the 40km bike leg, with Britons Bethany Cook and Eve Whitaker joining the two Frenchwomen. Seven more athletes bridged across, including Canadian Sidney Clement, the U23 vice-champion of the Americas, and Slovakia’s Margareta Vrablova, bringing the front group to 11.

© World Triathlon

© World Triathlon

© World Triathlon

The gap between the leaders and the chase group held at around 50 seconds before it began to grow. By the end of the bike leg, the advantage had settled at just over 1:10. Among those left behind were France’s third starter, Ambre Grasset, the 2024 junior world champion, and American Naomi Ruff, the No. 1 seed and U23 champion of the Americas.

Impeccable transitions allowed Hadhoum and Houart to start the 10km run at the front. Hadhoum immediately began to pull away. Her nine-second lead at the first timing point grew to 17 seconds by the end of the opening lap. One lap later, she was already 37 seconds clear of her teammate. Hadhoum never let up, and at the finish she had enough in hand to celebrate as she entered the stadium, completing the 10K in 32:56.

I’m really happy. I don’t have the words to describe this win. I didn’t attack at the start of the run. I felt good and settled into a pace that suited me. I didn’t want anyone beside me. I counted the laps one by one. It was a little tough at the start of the fourth lap, but then I was able to ease off and enjoy the win. After the junior title, now an U23 title. Maybe one day it will be an elite title…

© World Triathlon

© World Triathlon

Léa Houart crossed the line 1:15 later, a huge margin over this distance, completing an impressive move from the junior category to U23.

I’m happy with my race. Ilona thoroughly deserved the win. I put together the best race I could. I gave everything and delivered a complete performance. I’m delighted. Last year I was junior world champion; this year I’m second in the U23s. I’ve confirmed my level. The work is paying off. It’s incredible to have raced alongside Ilona. I swam on her feet and then rode the whole bike leg with her. We encouraged each other. There were four of us in the break at the start of the bike leg. We tried to push to hold our advantage, but the chasers came back. Ilona was stronger than me on the run.

The sun was beginning to dip over Pontevedra, but French star Nils Serre Gehri was only just starting to shine. A few hours after compatriot Ilona Hadhoum had followed up her junior world title with U23 gold, Serre Gehri claimed the men’s U23 title in his turn, a logical sequel to his 2024 junior world championship. A blistering surge on the run made the difference and provided the climax to his race.

It was an incredible day for me. I couldn’t have dreamed of anything better,” said Serre. “The first swim lap was a little difficult for me, but thankfully I managed to stay with the leaders. Then I really had to push hard to make the front group. I tried to save a little energy on the bike and, in the end, waited for the run.

In a packed field of 69 men, getting off to a good start was essential. Hungary’s Zalán Hóbor set the fastest opening lap and led the field through the second swim lap on the Lérez. American Carter Stuhlmacher then took over at the front before the swim exit.

A front group of 13 men formed out of the first transition. Exiting the water nine seconds behind Stuhlmacher, Serre Gehri managed to make the group, as did Briton Michael Gar, a European Championship medallist, top seed and World Cup medallist Izan Edo Aguilar of Spain, and formidable Greek cyclist Panagiotis Bitados.

Bad luck soon struck Aguilar, who crashed on the bike with compatriot Pelayo González Turrez. The front group then lost another rider when Stuhlmacher was also dropped.

As the chasers closed in, the leaders tried to reorganize. Serre Gehri, alongside teammate Pablo Isotton and Norway’s Eirik Berling Grande, briefly moved to the front, but it was already too late. A large pack re-formed before the final run. That prospect did not appear to worry the fast-finishing Serre Gehri in the slightest.

The Frenchman hit the front immediately out of T2. For a moment, it looked as if he might run away with the win just as Hadhoum had done a few hours earlier. But Briton Solomon Okrafo-Smart managed to reel him in, while teammate Gar also clawed back time and German Jaspar Ortfeld moved into the leading group at the end of the first lap.

With more and more contenders around him, Serre Gehri had to respond. He did so on the third lap. A savage acceleration opened the first gap, and then he turned the screw again. With one lap to go, Serre led by 12 seconds, an advantage that would reach 21 seconds at the line.

© World Triathlon

Fourth on his WTCS debut in Hamburg last July, the Frenchman had already shown the extent of his ability. Even so, the way he handled the pressure and broke clear with such ease to claim the title was particularly impressive.

Behind Serre Gehri’s perfectly controlled finish, the battle for the podium produced a far more dramatic finale. Michael Gar held on to second place ahead of Zalán Hóbor.