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Mario Mola and Emma Pallant take world duathlon titles in Ibiza

World Multiport Championships kick off with exciting duathlon races

Photo by: World Triathlon

It’s a busy week of for the sport in Ibiza, Spain this week as World Triathlon hosts the Multisport World Championships, while on Saturday we’ll get to see the first race of the Professional Triathletes Organisation Tour.

The Multisport World Championships includes duathlon, cross duathlon, long distance triathlon, long distance aquabike,  aquathlon and cross triathlon world championships. Things kicked off in Ibiza with the duathlon world championships, with a pair of previous champions returning to the top of the podium as Great Britain’s Emma Pallant and Spain’s Mario Mola took the titles.

Pallant takes second world duathlon title

Japan’s Ai Ueda, Germany’s Celine Kaiser and Spain’s Maria Varo Zubiri led the way through the first 5 km run, hitting T1 in 16:49, but it wasn’t long before there was a group of 13 leading the way on the bike.

Hungary’s Zsanett Bragmayer trailed by 30 seconds at the end of the first run, but was able to bridge up to the front and ride clear of the leaders, with only Pallant able to hang on. They would pull well clear of the rest of the field, opening up an insurmountable two-minute lead by the time they got to T2.

Pallant trailed the Hungarian onto the final 2.5 km run, but quickly cruised by on her way to a convincing 23-second win. Ueda would hang on for the bronze medal.

“I didn’t realise it had been seven years since my last World Championships,” said Pallant. “So much has changed since and this being a sprint is totally different format so I was a bit nervous and doubting my slowtwitch a little bit and transitions so definitely felt the pressure! I’m used to killing the legs a bit but getting the speed was important and I had to back myself. I wanted to break on the bike but thought it would be the second lap and not into the headwind but that was it!”

Full results here.

Mola runs clear

Photo: World Triathlon

The Spaniard took the world duathlon title in 2018 and was in impressive form right from the gun in Ibiza. Mola was 12 seconds clear of the rest to the men after blasting through the initial 5 km run in 14:10. He remained clear of the field for the first half of the 20 km bike, but by the time the bike was done there was a huge group entering T2 together.

Mola and France’s Benjamin Choquert quickly set the pace for the run, with Mola surging clear with about 1 km to go and never looking back as he took the win in 51:03, five seconds up on the Frenchman, who finished two seconds ahead of his countryman Krill Le Bihan.

Full results here.