The Top 4 Highlights From The Grand Championship Finale in Singapore

When a weekend’s racing provides the level of excitement that the Super League Triathlon (SLT) Championship Finale in Singapore did, it is tough to nail down the best moments. A weekend of this calibre had numerous action packed highlights; we couldn’t pick them all, but below are our favourites from an adrenaline-pumping event!

#1 Jonny “Comeback” Brownlee

After a 2018 season, that is his own words, was the worst of his career, Brownlee took the field by surprise and delivered one of this finest performances till date in the Saturday’s Eliminator.

Active from the start of the race, Brownlee was in the top three in the first two rounds, avoiding elimination easily and looking well placed going into the final shootout. It was dramatic with the finale coming down to a race between Brownlee and Tyler Mislawchuk. Brownlee knew he didn’t have the sprint of Mislawchuk, so he went early, stretching the lead until he had time to celebrate down to the finishing line.

Brownlee wasn’t done just yet. He backed up Saturday’s performance with an equally strong showing in Sunday’s Enduro, just narrowly missing out on another victory to a returning Vincent Luis. Despite not getting the win on Sunday too he had done enough to take the top step for the overall victory in SLT Singapore Championship weekend. Brownlee has shown his class once again, and we’re betting this won’t be the last time you hear of him in 2019.

#2 Zaferes & Beaugrand – The Future Is Bright

Cassandre Beaugrand had pushed Katie Zaferes hard in Jersey, the opening event of this series, and was returning to the action in Singapore. She was looking to make a statement. While winning the overall was unlikely, she could certainly have a bearing on proceedings.

On Saturday, she took the fight to Zaferes, placing second behind the U.S. athlete; but on Sunday, it came down to the most exciting finish ever seen in a triathlon. Zaferes and Beaugrand were neck and neck throughout barely letting one another get more than a few paces ahead. It was a photo finish with both women diving for the tape. It would be a few minutes before the screaming crowd knew who was placed first, but for both of these warriors, it didn’t matter. They had given everything they had, and it had come down to a few millimetres.

Beaugrand took the day, edging out Zaferes by an almost incomprehensible amount. Zaferes confirmed her status as overall champion and Beaugrand had done enough to get herself onto the overall podium in third.

We may have seen Zaferes lead this series from start to finish, but we know the future is bright and a challenger is here!

#3 Vincent Luis – Down But Not Out

Vincent Luis’s weekend started off with a puncture, removing him from the proceedings and leaving him with only one point from that day’s racing. His chances of return looked bleak while the Championship seemed to belong to his rival Henri Schoeman.

Luis knew the only thing he could do was to come out on Sunday and win; win without looking backward, dominate the field, and let the results shake themselves out. That is precisely what he did, he took the race by the scruff of the neck and gave a demonstration as to why he’s a force to be reckoned with.

Luis edged the title by the finest of margins. He took the title by three points from Schoeman, a worthy winner based on his dominance throughout!

#4 Fun Run – An Exercise In Inclusion

In Singapore, we gave fans a chance to race on the same course as the pros in a 2.5km Fun Run. It was an opportunity for the community to get on the course together and celebrate health, wellbeing, and fitness. The start was led out by members of Team NILA, a national volunteer movement that promotes the culture of giving, active citizenship, and social cohesion. In commemoration of Team NILA’s 4th birthday (24 February), they had 50 Team NILA volunteers, attired in the iconic purple, who flagged off as the first wave of the Fun Run.

Running back down through the field we had a spectrum of local people filling the 500 strong mass of runners. The age range was spectacular to see with families taking to the course together, couples, first timers, and seasoned veterans.

The sight of so many different people all enjoying a moment of solidarity through exercise has to be in our list of highlights from the weekend. This is Super League!

More To Come:

Super League Triathlon returns on 23-24 March with its 2019 Series, starting off with the Qualifiers in Bali. New memories will be created and more highlights will emerge as the world’s best take on the challenge of SLT.

Check out the calendar now and book your place to come and be part of the most exciting and inspiring triathlon series ever!