At just 21 years old, Emma Lombardi pushed the door open for seniors by snagging the bronze medal at the European Triathlon Championships on Friday, over the Olympic distance and on a demanding course in the heart of the Olympic Park in Munich.
Beaten by twelve seconds by the Briton Non Stanford, crowned European champion, and by three seconds by the German Laura Lindemann in silver, Emma Lombardi displayed a broad smile with the bronze around her neck after an effort of almost two hours, for his fourth race in this format (1,500 m swim, 40 km bike and 10 km run).
“
I can't believe it!
Frankly, a European podium in the elite, wow it's great
, ”she reacted after her race.
Bad start in swimming, she managed at the cost of a great effort in the lake of the Olympic park, to reattach in extremis to the leading group before the cycling part, along the lake, forty kilometers without great difficulty, with some reminders but on a flat circuit to be performed eight times.
On the other hand, the part on foot was much more complicated, in particular the ascent over 750 m at 5% of the Olympiaberg hill, to be done four times.
Of the group of eight triathletes in the lead after the cycling part, Lombardi took the lead with his compatriot Cassandre Beaugrand and the German Laura Lindemann.
“
I knew it was going to be the battle with the others in front, especially the first laps with the climb.
I tried to stay placed as much as possible so as not to have to suffer if there were reminders or changes of rhythm, to be able to impose my rhythm
, ”explained Lombardi.
Mixed Relay World Champion
Starting more cautiously, Non Stanford imposed his steady pace throughout the race, to first come back to the trio, and then pick up Beaugrand at first, then Lindemann and Lombardi in a second time and fly away towards the European title.
It proves once again the impressive British pool, while Olympic vice-champion Georgia Taylor-Brown did not make the trip to Bavaria.
Fourth in Yokohama this season on the World Series (WTCS), Lombardi began to carve out a place among the best triathletes, performances that allowed him to take part in the golden adventure of the mixed relay at the World Championships at the end of June in Montreal with Beaugrand, Vincent Luis and Leo Bergere.
The Olympic format suits him well, by his own admission, but places will be expensive for the Olympic Games at home at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, in two years in Paris.
For her part, Beaugrand was ideally placed at the end of the cycling part, even attacking on the first climb of Olympiaberg in the running part, but the 25-year-old Frenchwoman broke down on the second half of the 10 km, to finish in 5th place.