(Reuters) - Taylor Knibb clinched the first-ever T100 triathlon world championship title on Saturday with a commanding victory in Dubai, delivering a flawless performance across the swim, bike, and run disciplines despite the intense heat.
Temperatures reached 31 degrees Celsius (87.8°F) in the emirate, where the 26-year-old American Knibb completed a perfect streak with wins in San Francisco, Ibiza, Lake Las Vegas, and Dubai, earning $310,000 in prize money in the inaugural T100 triathlon world tour series.
After a solid 2km swim, Knibb lost some ground in the transition but quickly regained her position during the 80km bike segment.
“I woke up and messaged my coach that I just feel rough, and I’m like, ‘Oh, this is going to be a bad day,’” said Knibb.
“So, I was kind of shocked! It only came together in the last 3km when everyone else fell apart, but it was very step-by-step. That was brutal out there, so have fun men!” she added to the male competitors racing on Sunday.
As the race neared its conclusion, Knibb’s lead over Australian Ashleigh Gentle and Paris Olympics silver medallist Julie Derron narrowed, but her resilience in the 18km run ensured she maintained a steady advantage, finishing ahead of Derron in second and Gentle in third.
Gentle fought hard, closing the gap to just over a minute, but struggled in the final stages, and Swiss Derron surged past her in the race.
Gentle secured $140,000 after a second place finish in the T100 Standings and Derron claimed third overall, earning $90,000 for her efforts.
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru)
