Samuel Côté, originally from Chambly, delivered a memorable performance, leaving his competitors far behind. Thanks to a combination of rigorous discipline, solid physical preparation, and effective strategy, Côté dominated the event, providing a performance that will be etched in the annals of the competition.
The Canada Man/Woman XTRI World Tour is renowned for being one of the most challenging long-distance triathlons in North America. Due to the cold temperatures, the swimming distance was reduced to 2 km instead of the initially planned 3.9 km. The triathletes also covered 180 km on the bike and ran a 42 km marathon, primarily on trails. Samuel Côté braved the cold and the challenging elevation to secure victory in 10:16:26, ahead of Montreal's Nicolas Karaçay (11:03:09) and Shefford's Raphaël Fontaine (11:04:19).
"I aimed for victory, even though I knew there were very good athletes from all corners of the world. The bike course is beautiful, and I'm glad I took the time to put on dry clothes after the swim because it was very cold. During the running portion, I went deep into the pain," said Samuel Côté at the end of the competition. He established a steady pace, gradually widening the gap with his rivals. His mastery of transitions and experience in mountainous terrain made the difference, particularly during the cycling segment and the final ascent in the running phase.
Élyse Latimer emerges victorious among women
Elyse Latimer from Northern Bruce Peninsula delivered an outstanding performance by securing first place among women, surpassing France Lemieux from Victoriaville (13:50:23) and Caitlin Port from St. Clements (14:07:08). She crossed the finish line with an impressive time of 12:21:13, demonstrating exceptional mastery of each discipline.
"I performed better on the bike segment than I expected, and the beauty of the landscapes was so captivating that it distracted me to the point of making me forget the pain! During the running portion, I felt good, but the last 12 kilometers were very mentally challenging. I even wondered if I would be able to finish, but I managed to draw on my reserves," said the winner
The XTRI SOLO POINT FIVE CANADA, a true success!
The XTRI SOLO POINT FIVE CANADA continues to establish itself as a must-attend event in the sports competition calendar in the country. The event attracts an increasing number of participants who appreciate the format and are developing growing loyalty.
The swimming distance was also reduced to 1 km, down from the initially planned 1.9 km. The triathletes then covered 90 km on the bike and ran 20 km. The winner of the Canada Man/Woman XTRI World Tour 2023, Chris Cheeseman from Trenton, claimed victory with a time of 4:47:14, ahead of Dannick Plante from Victoriaville (4:51:12) and Hugo Pereira from Brazil (4:57:47). “I felt great; the half was much easier than the full last year. I’ll think about my participation next year to try the long distance!” Cheeseman hinted at the observatory atop Mont Mégantic.
The situation is similar for the women, as Lynda Gingras, who won the long distance last year, excelled in the half distance with a time of 5:15:15. There was a heated battle for second place. Ultimately, Sabrina Maltais from Chibougamau took silver (5:46:58), narrowly edging out Myriam Paquet from Montreal (5:47:50) by just a minute.
About the Canada Man/Woman XTRI World Tour
The Canada Man/Woman XTRI World Tour was ranked No. 1 among the top 10 races in Canada in 2019 and 2021 and is recognized as the most demanding triathlon in the Americas by Triathlon Magazine Canada. As the only Canadian leg of the XTRI World Tour series, which takes place in 13 countries, this race challenges participants to swim 3.8 km, cycle 180 km, and run 42 km on both road and trail, with a total elevation gain of 4,500 meters.