TriaThlon 2013 · muLtisport 174 TriaThlon 2013 · muLtisport 174 175 muLtisport · TriaThlon 2013
long DiSTanCE TriaThlon
WorlD ChaMPionShiPS
surViVaL oF the Fittest
France's Bertrand Billard delighted locals in Belfort
by storming to victory in the 2013 ITU Long Dis-
tance World Championships ahead of New Zealand's
Terenzo Bozzone and Luxembourg's Dirk Bockel,
continuing France's good form in the event. Billard
was the fourth Frenchman to win the long distance
format, making them the most successful long dis-
tance nation.
Adverse weather conditions in Belfort resulted in
the format being altered before the race, with the
swim omitted and the course reverting to a 9.5km
run, 87km bike and 20km run. But that didn't
phase Billard, who said his gamble during the Ballon
d'Alsace bike climb paid off. "I did not listen to my
brother who told me not to go too hard. I took a risk,
I had no pressure on me, it was my first world cham-
pionship," he said. "I was motivated, I thought of my
family. Now I want to share it with them."
In the women's race, Australia's Melissa Hauschildt
clawed back a three-minute deficit going into the
final 20km run to become the 2013 ITU Long Dis-
tance world champion in Belfort. Hauschildt over-
took Denmark's Camilla Pedersen in the final run-lap,
after having been overtaken in the first transition
while adding extra clothing. Pedersen claimed a sil-
ver medal for the second year running, while
Canada's Rachel McBride claimed bronze.
