Cassandre Beaugrand, 2026 triathlon world champion: “In my head, I’m not the same person anymore”

Cassandre, seeing you win is becoming routine. Can you explain why it really isn’t for you, and how you keep challenging yourself every time you race?

There’s an enormous amount of work behind a performance that can look easy. The general public doesn’t see the doubts, the pressure or the constant self-questioning behind those performances. What was a little strange was that, before the Paris Olympics, I was already getting good results. I could win races, but it wasn’t yet something you expected at every race. Today, it is more of an expectation, and that put a bit more pressure on me in the post-Olympic races. I arrived with a different status, as if I had to perform every time.

That was a little difficult to manage last year, but I still managed to put together some great races. This year, I think I embraced that status more and grew in confidence, thanks in part to my athletics competitions. I know people expect more from me now, and that can be difficult to handle. You have to learn to detach yourself from it, and that’s not the easiest part of the job.

What was your state of mind when you arrived in Pontevedra for the final? Full of confidence, or was there still some doubt or apprehension?

I compete in a mechanical sport, so plenty can happen with the equipment. I’m not immune to something going wrong either, as happened last year. I was a little apprehensive about this final because I had already put together a perfect season before the race. For me, this was the icing on the cake. I would have been disappointed not to complete the season properly with just one race left.

I was really clear about what I wanted to do, but so much can happen in a one-day race. I just wanted to arrive with the best tools possible and be able to adapt. The more adaptable you are, the better things tend to go. We know very well that a race never unfolds exactly as you imagined it. I think that may be one of my strengths now. I’m able to adapt to the day’s tactics.

© World Triathlon

© World Triathlon

© World Triathlon

© World Triathlon

Do you now feel like you’re the one everyone is targeting at the start of a race, alone against the field?

Not necessarily, because I have lots of friends in the field. Georgia Taylor-Brown, who finished second behind me, is a training partner and a very good friend. I also get on very well with the French team girls. I don’t feel like I’m racing against them or that I’m their enemy, which is really nice. We all know each other very well, even if naturally we’re closer to some people than others.

My aim is really to have as few weaknesses as possible and to be as complete an athlete as I can. When you have few or no weaknesses, you can adapt to any situation.

The British athletes did everything they could to crack you on the bike in Pontevedra. How did you experience that?

First of all, there were eight of them on the start line, so naturally they set the tempo, with several strong swimmers and cyclists. The athletes with that profile tried to play their cards, worked together to break away and eliminate the strongest runners. But I think I’ve taken another step forward on the bike, and I feel stronger and stronger there. My aim is really to have as few weaknesses as possible and to be as complete an athlete as I can. When you have few or no weaknesses, you can adapt to any situation.

© World Triathlon

© World Triathlon

© World Triathlon

Did you have to do mental work to handle the pressure that came with your new status?

I tried to convince myself of and understand several things about who I am. For example, that my identity wasn’t tied solely to my sporting results, that I was a person in my own right. My results are one thing, of course, but they don’t reflect my whole identity. As athletes, we’re often reduced to our results. Yet when we go home, we don’t necessarily want people to talk to us about our work or judge us based on how we did at work.

I like performing, so I’m disappointed when things don’t work out. But it’s true that it’s harder to manage when that becomes an expectation from the outside. I understood that more clearly this year. I think some people close to me said things that really clicked. But I’m stubborn, so it sometimes takes a while for things to sink in. I’m increasingly understanding why I do what I do, and that has helped me deal with the pressure.

I used to think a race was over if things went badly at the start. Now there’s a part of me that says anything can happen. Until I cross the finish line, it isn’t over.

You mentioned adapting earlier. Did you have a specific strategy for the final, and were you able to stick to it, or did you adapt to what happened during the race?

I try to be adaptable so I can make decisions when the time comes. But in this final, I focused more on following the guidelines my coach had given me. He told me not to go too hard on a course that was demanding from a muscular standpoint. He didn’t want me to blow up or overdo it at any point in the race. The goal was to save as much energy as possible for the end.

I may have used a little less energy on each leg, which is frustrating when you feel good. But I knew it was going to be a long race. So I tried to control my effort throughout and finish strongly on the run. It was still pretty tough, even if that doesn’t necessarily come across in the footage. I was happy to get to the finish because I was starting to feel it by then.

At what point during the final did you feel the title could no longer slip away?

After the first lap of the run, I felt I was in a very good position, and I knew I had to pay close attention to my nutrition and take every water bottle at the aid stations. I just tried to control my effort. After only one lap of the run, I knew I was ready and equipped for a potentially close finish.

With so little time to reflect on the 2026 season, have you fully grasped how exceptional it has been?

Yes, and I know it will be very difficult to have a better year than this one. I was flawless in 2026, and it seems hard to reproduce that level of performance twice. That’s why I’m going to take the time to enjoy it and appreciate what I’ve done. Then I’ll keep trying to write my own story, as I have until now. I know there will be disappointments and tougher moments, but that’s part of elite sport. I also know those are the moments that sometimes allow us to come back stronger.

© Thomas Maheux/FFTRI

© World Triathlon

© World Triathlon

How do you explain your dominance? What do you have over the others right now?

Self-confidence. In my head, I’m not the same person anymore. I really fight all the way to the end because I know so much can happen in a triathlon. I used to think a race was over if things went badly at the start. Now there’s a part of me that says anything can happen. Until I cross the finish line, it isn’t over.

What does the rest of your 2026 look like?

I wanted to end my season on a high, and I did. My sporting season is over. Now it’s time for a holiday and a Céline Dion concert, for which I somehow managed to get tickets.