In the middle of August, 220 had the incredible opportunity to experience the Olympic and Paralympic Test Events firsthand. This is what we took away from a formidable four days…
WORDS LIZ BARRETT IMAGE WORLD TRIATHLON/TOMMY ZAFERES
Thursday 17 August, 6:30am. We’re pedalling e-bikes over Pont de l’Alma, the next bridge along the Seine from des Invalides and Alexandre III. The sun is slowly rising behind the latter, so that the golden cherubs, nymphs and winged horses towering above either end of Paris’s most opulent bridge appear to be ablaze. We spin round and there’s the Eiffel Tower.
Paris at this time of day radiates a quiet solemnity. It knows it’s gorgeous, it’s simply waiting for the sun’s rays to show off its best side. How bloody brilliant triathlon gets the chance to do the same, we think, as we quicken our cadence and bike further into the best setting for a tri we’ve ever seen.
Pont des Invalides marks the entrance to the venue, and it’s also the crossing the athletes will run and bike over as they check out the Olympic and Paralympic courses for the first time over the next four days.
The beautifully ornate Alexandre III provides the money shot, though; the iconic blue carpet runs its length and it is the staging for not only both transitions but also the finish line. Sorry London 2012, you’ve just been upstaged.
But less of the fawning and more of the facts. Overleaf we’ve put together 10 key takeaways from the four Test Events – the men’s and women’s individual races, the paratriathlon and the mixed team relay – and what to expect at next year’s Games.
And, if you haven’t already, get booking those flights/trains/ferries to Paris for next summer… ←
1 PARIS IS THE PERFECT BACKDROP FOR A TRIATHLON
Like London, the French capital is replete with iconic monuments, buildings and roads, with the visual media having a field day trying to get as many of them into the same shot as was humanly possible. So much so that some on social media complained that the coverage on triathlonlive.tv was starting to play more like a travel show than a race. But then with such a monotonous bike leg (see No.2), you can hardly blame the broadcasters.
What’s more, there was the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. A visual treat for cycling fans worldwide and a bucket-list moment for every single triathlete and paratriathlete who pedalled up those hallowed cobbles. In all our post-race athlete inter
