Taylor Knibb delivered a flawless swim, bike and run performance to win the inaugural T100 Triathlon World Championship Final and take the first-ever T100 Triathlon World Championship Title in dominant fashion, despite the sweltering heat in Dubai today.
Knibb has notched up four wins from four T100 starts in the inaugural T100 Triathlon World Tour and stamp her name in the record books, following victories in San Francisco, Ibiza, Lake Las Vegas and now Dubai, earning $310,000 in prize money along the way.
The American star wasn’t firing on all cylinders pre-race, but a monumental effort saw her stride to victory in Dubai. “I woke up and messaged my coach that I just feel rough, and I’m like, ‘Oh, this is going to be a bad day,’” said Knibb.
“So, I was kind of shocked! It only came together in the last 3km when everyone else fell apart, but it was very step-by-step. That was brutal out there, so have fun men!” she added to the male competitors racing tomorrow.
Speaking about her support across the T100 series, Knibb said: “I think my dad was more nervous today than me… I was like, ‘Oh wow, you’re really nervous, like it’s kind of spreading…’ But I have a fantastic team of individuals and then I have a lot of sponsors and so it’s just a huge team effort and I’m very grateful for everyone who supports me and believes in me.”
Ashleigh Gentle went all-in for the win and pushed herself deep into the red, ending the day 2nd in the T100 Standings with her 3rd place in Dubai, earning $140,000.
“It’s still pretty fresh, but I went for the win and it was so painful!” said Gentle. “I gave it everything and got 3rd in the end but I’m proud of my effort… It is pretty brutal… when I wasn’t feeling too good and Derron just flew past me on the run, it was super soul-crushing, but I did what I could.”
“All the athletes that I’ve been racing this year have been motivating me and inspiring me in training. I feel like I’ve been applying myself more, better than I ever have, because the level of the women’s field is just getting better and better and just trying to keep up is pretty difficult.”
“Taylor has just been dominating and when you’re racing an athlete like that, it is sometimes really difficult to truly believe that you can beat them. But I had this little fire in my belly… I have no reason to believe that I can beat her, but I’m on the start line and that means I have got a chance, so I just had to believe that and I don’t know how I did…. I didn’t beat her but feel like I was a step closer today and did everything I could to try and get there.”
Julie Derron, who joined the T100 Triathlon World Tour in Ibiza came 2nd in Dubai to claim 3rd overall in the series with just 3 race results. The Olympic silver medallist earned $90,000 for her efforts.
“I’m super pleased with my swim today,” said Derron. “I had a perfect start getting onto Flora’s feet and I thought, ‘That’s incredible, I just need to stay here!’”
“On the bike, I rode with Ashleigh. I think the technical nature of the course really suited me. Then on the run, I seem to have lost my run legs a little bit since Ibiza. But I saw Ashleigh coming back to me on the last lap and thought, ‘Even if it’s second, I have to get another second place!’”
“I’m super pleased… this whole season, being part of it, coming in on the podium, it’s just been incredible, so much fun and, yeah, it makes me really happy to finish off like this!”
Kat Matthews’ 5th place finish meant 4th in the T100 standings and an extra $75,000 while Flora Duffy, 4th on the day, took the 5th spot in the standings, ensuring the offer of a T100 contract for 2025 by finishing in that all-important top-10.
“Taylor has been phenomenal this year and thoroughly deserves today’s race victory and T100 series triumph,” said PTO CEO Sam Renouf. “It has always been our ambition to get the best athletes racing each other more consistently across the season and I think, as a result, fans have been treated to some spectacular racing. We also wanted to crown our first T100 Triathlon World Champions in a spectacular race at an iconic location and just looking at Taylor coming across the line with the Dubai skyline in the background, I think we achieved that.”
The Dubai T100 World Tour Final action wasn’t just limited to the pros. The race weekend kicked off at sunrise with an Age Group Sprint race, welcoming over 1,200 amateur athletes from the UAE and beyond. Showcasing the spirit and inclusiveness of triathlon, the athletes raced a 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run course across the sea, roads and tracks of Dubai. The race culminated at the finish line at the Meydan Racecourse, lined with cheering fans and supporters.
Winning the overall Age Group Women’s Sprint Race in an impressive time of 01:11:40 was Michelle Derron from Switzerland. Reflecting on her experience, she shared: “My sister is racing in the pro field, so I decided to come out for some morning exercise before cheering her on. The course layout was perfect, with everything so close together. We even got to see the sunrise this morning, which was absolutely beautiful.”
Sisters Nouf and Nora from Kuwait, who finished first and second respectively in the under-18 age group, reflected on their experience, saying: “I found it to be such a great course—the uphills and downhills made it so much fun. We’re part of the same triathlon club in Kuwait and came here specifically for this race. The course is perfect, and we’re so happy to be here. It’s been an amazing experience, with the incredible atmosphere. I’ve never been to a race with this much support—it made it even more enjoyable.”
In the men’s race, Gerhard de Bruin emerged victorious with a time of 01:02:55. UAE-based athletes delivered a strong performance, claiming five of the top 10 fastest times. Among them was Mohamed El Akkad, who finished first in his age group (male 35-39) with a time of 1:07:19. Reflecting on the event, he remarked: “It’s a different feeling being part of such a big race. For the past two years, there hasn’t been a triathlon of this magnitude in Dubai, so it was a pleasure to participate and perform well in such a prestigious, first-of-its-kind event in the city. I will definitely be back to compete again next year!”
The rest of the GCC also seized the opportunity to participate in the T100 finale, as demonstrated by Abdul Rahman Adawi from Saudi Arabia, who secured a top-ten finish in the under-18 age group. Reflecting on his experience, he shared: “It was very exciting to participate here, and it’s the best race I’ve been in so far. I’ve raced in Dubai four or five times already, and this won’t be my last time traveling to the city to compete—especially if the T100 returns next year.”
The Dubai T100 World Tour Finals action continues tomorrow with the age group 100km race starting at 6.30am and the elite men race from 1.30pm.
Spectators are invited to watch the age group and elite action from the racecourse at Meydan Racecourse, or the pro action via the global broadcast. More details can be found here: https://t100triathlon.com/dubai/pro/