World Triathlon Championship Series: Hong Kong star Coggins’ great return, more gold for Yee
Bailee Brown edges closer to belonging in elite company, after tiny margin separates Hongkonger from ‘huge breakthrough race’ during event in Weihai
Andrew Wright hailed a “great” return to elite action for Oscar Coggins after Hong Kong’s star triathlete delivered a stellar performance at Friday’s World Triathlon Championship Series race in Weihai.
Tokyo Olympian Coggins, who was mixing with elite company for the first time since withdrawing during last September’s Asian Games, finished 25th in a race won by Olympic champion Alex Yee. Leo Bergere, the bronze medallist in Paris, was second, with third going to Miguel Hidalgo.
Another Hongkonger, Robin Elg, who will compete in next month’s World Under-23 Triathlon Championships, came home 34th, while compatriot Mark Yu Shing-him pulled out following the swim.
In the women’s event, Bailee Brown matched Coggins’ 25th position, and, in the view of Wright, was “seconds away from a huge breakthrough race”.
German Lisa Tertsch, who claimed Olympic mixed relay gold this summer, won the race. She was followed across the line by the British pair of Beth Potter and Georgia Taylor-Brown.
For Coggins, a 42-man field featuring the top-three, and six of the top-10, from the Summer Games represented far and away the 24-year-old’s toughest test since coming back from a self-imposed six-month competition exile in March.
