Nils Serre-Gehri takes first World Cup win in Hong Kong

It was only his fifth World Cup start. Yet Nils Serre-Gehri, who had made waves earlier this year by finishing fourth in his first-ever WTCS race in Hamburg, then went on to take the U23 world title in Pontevedra, raced with remarkable composure.

He first passed Switzerland's Max Studer in the closing moments, then held off a late charge from Australia's Callum McClusky to win on the line. Spain's David Castro also waited until the final metres to snatch a spectacular bronze.

I'm really happy to have been able to fight with these athletes. My second transition wasn't great, so I had to close the gap right from the start of the run, then bet on a big finish. I had to stay careful on the bike, but I knew a win was possible. After Pontevedra I was confident and in a good headspace. I told myself that at this stage of the season I had everything to gain and nothing to lose. I'm already looking forward to the next round in Miyazaki

No gaps after the swim and bike

The athletes had to deal with the choppy waters of Victoria Harbour over the 750 m swim, before climbing out and running up the steps to the transition area. Portugal's Miguel Thiago Silva was first out of the water, alongside American Chase McQueen and Australia's Oscar Wootton.

© World Triathlon

© World Triathlon

The chasers on the bike were a deep bunch, though. Portugal's Joao Batista, Switzerland's Simon Westermann and American Darr Smith were among those who pushed the pace to close the gaps. They ended up helping to build a large pack of more than 50 riders, all back together on the five-lap, 20 km bike course.

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© World Triathlon

A breathless finish over the last 5 km on foot

Nothing changed until T2, where Australia's Jayden Schofield once again posted the fastest time and headed out onto the run first. France's Nathan Grayel and Mexico's Aram Penaflor were right with him.

Max Studer quickly moved to the front of the group with McClusky on his shoulder, while Castro, Serre-Gehri and Joao Batista also slotted into the leading pack. Another Spaniard, Izan Edo, got off to an excellent start on the run, as did Hungary's Bence Bicsak.

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Studer attacked again at the bell for the last lap and held a few metres' advantage over the French U23 world champion for a long time. But a surge from Serre-Gehri on the final descent completely changed the race. McClusky managed to stay on his heels, then took the lead as they hit the blue carpet. Serre-Gehri answered, pumping his arms to draw level with the Australian, pass him and surge toward the finish line. McClusky took second ahead of Castro, while Studer had to settle for fourth.

I've raced a few World Cups in recent years and finished fourth or fifth several times. So this second place is a good sign for the rest of the season. I knew what to expect in the swim and that conditions would be rough. The pace on the bike wasn't very high, but the race was more tactical. I wanted to stay careful and be well positioned on the last lap. I came off the bike quite far back, but I nailed my transition and worked my way back to the front. The finishing straight was so long that I may have made a tactical error, which let Nils come back and pass me

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The other Frenchmen, Nathan Grayel, Aurélien Jem and Maxime Hueber-Moosbrugger finished 6th, 35th and 45th respectively.

The women's race ended with a similar finish, as Russia's Diana Isakova and Luxembourg's Jeanne Lehair threw themselves at the line together. The photo finish separated the two and gave the win to the Russian. China's Anqi Huang. completed the women's podium.

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Mathilde Gautier was the top Frenchwoman in 6th. Her compatriots Manon Laporte, Léa Coninx and Léonie Douche crossed the line in a tight cluster in 17th, 18th and 19th, while Manon Pomme took 42nd.

© World Triathlon

© World Triathlon

© World Triathlon