Sara Pérez second in the Challenge Sir Bani Yas
The Spanish triathlete returns to the middle-distance podium in an extreme event in the Emirates.
El Sir Bani Yas Challenge has reached the calendar international making a strong entrance. Under the patronage of His Highness the Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the test was held on one of the largest natural islands in the United Arab Emirates, 250 km from Abu Dhabi.
And it left no one indifferent: extreme heat, constant wind, and a wild course marked the day for both the PROs and the age groups.
As part of an exclusive experience, the triathletes stayed on a luxury cruise ship specially designed for the event, reinforcing the "premium event" aura promised by the organizers.
Sara Pérez, a podium with double value
Sara Perez, 37, returned to an international middle-distance podium nine months after his third place in the Challenge TurkuThis time, she earned a hard-fought silver medal in extreme conditions. She led the swimming and cycling events, but the running segment was fraught with obstacles.
He lost all nutrition by kilometer 9 of the bike, and by kilometer 30, he ran out of water. Then, during the run, he had to stop a couple of times due to stomach discomfort. Despite this, he kept a cool head and rallied to finish strong, running the final kilometers at a pace of 4:05/km.
TOP 10 women (PRO)
| Job title | Athlete | Country | Final time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aurelia Boulanger | FRA | 04:22:07 |
| 2 | Sara Perez | ESP | 04:23:18 |
| 3 | Lottie Lucas | GBR | 04:28:37 |
| 4 | merle brunnee | GER | 04:29:53 |
| 5 | Diede diederiks | NED | 04:30:55 |
| 6 | Giorgia Priarone | ITA | 04:34:06 |
| 7 | Rosie Wild | GBR | 04:40:23 |
| 8 | Dimity-Lee Duke | AUS | 04:45:37 |
| 9 | Hanni van Wyk | RSA | 04:50:59 |
| 10 | Simona Krivankova | CZE | 04:54:37 |
Guisolan, historic comeback and victory
In the men's race, the great protagonist was the Swiss Jonathan Guisolan, who staged an impressive comeback, coming out of the water last and overtaking the entire field to take the victory. The Hungarian Csongor Lehmann and British Kieran Lindars They completed the podium.
The South African Henri Schoeman, one of the favorites, had to withdraw from the foot race.
Among the Spanish, Julen Díez He finished in a solid 12th place and highlighted the toughness of the course: “The hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life”On the bike he rode at the power of HOMBRE DE HIERRO (220w NP), reflecting the effort needed to finish.
TOP 10 men (PRO)
| Job title | Athlete | Country | Final time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonathan Guisolan | SUI | 03:54:24 |
| 2 | Csongor Lehmann | HUN | 03:55:25 |
| 3 | Kieran Lindars | GBR | 03:56:18 |
| 4 | Will draper | GBR | 03:57:31 |
| 5 | patrick cometta | SUI | 03:59:26 |
| 6 | Tomasz Szala | POL | 04:02:01 |
| 7 | Martin Demuth | TUE | 04:02:15 |
| 8 | Merten Breye | BEL | 04:02:35 |
| 9 | Wojciech Kopycinski | POL | 04:04:48 |
| 10 | Nick Thijs | BEL | 04:07:01 |
A debut to stay on the international calendar
The last minute drop of Sam Laidlow Due to physical problems, he opened the door to new figures. Sir Bani Yas has not only proven to be a very tough event, but also a top-quality event that will likely return in the coming seasons as a key stop for middle-distance athletes.
