24th WMC Triathlon - Brive-la-Gaillarde (FRA) – Competition Day 2 & Closing Ceremony
BRIVE-LA-GAILLARDE (FRA) - The 24th World Military Triathlon Championship concluded yesterday with the last two events of the competition, the elite and senior mixed relay.
Logically, the French mixed relay was the favorite of the Elites event since it lined up the winning duo of each individual race. Mathilde Gautier and Audrey Merle for the women, Pierre Le Corre and Nathan Lessmann for the men. And so it is without surprise that the French delegation won a new gold medal. The four Tricolores dominated the race, allowing France to conclude these World Championships at home with six medals, including three gold.
The French beat the Hungarians Gergely Kiss, Zsanett Bragmayer, Tamas Toth and Karol Horvath, who won silver, while the Swiss Fabien Meensen, Nora Gmur, Benjamin Faeh and Jasming Weber finished on the third step of the podium.
In the Senior Mixed-relay, Belgium wins its second gold medal of the championship thanks to the title of William Didier, Véronique Waelkens, Dieter Staelens and Mandy Dammekens, who achieves a double after her victory in the senior individual competition. Canadians Martin Larose, Lesley Quila, Brad Allen and Sarah Graves finished second ahead of Spaniards Pedro Gallelo Yugo, Loreto Pastor Sopelana, Sergio Sorrino Sierra and Monica Falgueras Velazquez.
This magnificent last day of competition, organized by the French delegation, continued with the Closing Ceremony of the event attended by the following personalities: CISM President Colonel Nilton Gomes Rolim Filho, NATO & EU French Representative Army Corps General (OF8) Jérôme Goisque, French Chief of Delegation to CISM General de Brigade (OF6) Arnaud Dupuy de la Grand'Rive, CISM Sport Director and Official CISM Representative of the Event Lieutenant-Colonel Jan Van den Dool, PCSC Triathlon Lieutenant-Colonel Victor Lopez Antolin, Brive-la-Gaillarde Mayor Frédéric Soulier, Corrèze Department Prefect Mr. Etienne Desplanques, Commanding Officer of the 126th Infantry Regiment Colonel François Ferraton, Commanding Officer of the Corrèze gendarmerie Chef d'escadron (OF3) Vecchionni, Chiefs of Mission of the 20 participating nations and local and international authorities.
The Official CISM Representative Lieutenant Colonel Jan Van den Dool, spoke at the closing ceremony: "First of all I would like to congratulate all the participants. We have seen a great competition, with great battles in the water, on the bike and running along the lake, and we have also seen many personal victories. I would also like to congratulate France in particular. Of course for their victory in the general classification, but also for their fantastic performance in the organization of this great championship. I have seen great performances and many examples of friendship through sport, but every event has an end, including this magnificent championship!"
The 226 participants from the 20 member nations present in Brive-la-Gaillarde were finally able to enjoy a magnificent fireworks display around the Lac de Causse to put an end to a superb edition that will certainly remain in the memories of our military athletes!
Thank you to France for this organization and see you on June 7th in Athens for the beginning of the 54th World Military Sailing Championship!
(Source: CISM Media & Communication Department - F. BOUKLA / Activ'images)
