Triathlete Léonie Périault in search of consistency

The return to school in the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) was encouraging with a fourth place achieved in the first round in mid-May in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates).

"It's my best start, even though the start list wasn't full," said Léonie Périault, who finished ^9th in the 2024 grand final. "I'm both surprised and happy."

Riding on this good form, like her title of French cross-country champion during the winter, the adopted Raphaëloise had the opportunity to run the 10 kilometers of Cannes in 31 minutes and 45 seconds.

A performance that opened the doors to the French athletics team by competing in the European Championships for the distance: "I've been trying to incorporate cross-country into my preparation for several years. I hadn't focused my preparation on this event at all. It was the icing on the cake."

As a bonus, a ^12th place finish (in 32'11'') allowed France to climb onto the third step of the team podium. "I enjoyed this first selection," she savors. "The other athletes were curious to know how I train."

"Capable of the best and the worst "

Last year in Japan, the Frenchwoman won, securing her second victory on the world tour. On Saturday, at the Yokohama (Japan) round, she will aim for a top-6 finish to secure her qualification for the grand finale, in mid-October in Australia.

"February seems a long way off. I want to see where I am. The goal this year will be to become more consistent, something I've struggled with so far," promises the 2024 European vice-champion. "I'm capable of the best and the worst." Among her areas of work are her "weak points," including swimming, where the shoe pinches depending on the race scenarios.

Alongside him, several members of the "Turbo tri tribe" structure, coached by Fabio Rastelli, will set off from the second city of the Japanese archipelago: Léo Bergère ( ^3rd at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games), Tom Richard and Yanis Seguin.

Four players eagerly awaiting the World Cup rounds in Saint-Raphaël and Fréjus at the end of August. "It's fantastic because France is the most successful country in the world. It's a source of great pride, even more so in our training grounds."

She will try to shine this summer with Cassandre Beaugrand, Olympic champion in Paris, and Emma Lombardi ( ^4th ). "I'm focused on myself, " she insists. "I'm not competing against the French. We're pulling each other up. We're missing that French hat-trick." And why not remedy that at home?