Jolien Vermeylen Wins European Sprint Triathlon Championship
Jolien Vermeylen secured the title of European Sprint Triathlon Champion on Saturday in Melilla, a Spanish exclave in northern Morocco. The 31-year-old from Antwerp finished the race, which involved a 750 m swim, 20 km cycling, and 5 km running, in 57 minutes and 32 seconds., reports 24brussels.
Vermeylen emerged from the water in second place, joining a leading group of approximately ten athletes during the cycling segment. She made a decisive move on the run to secure her victory. Italy’s Bianca Seregni finished in second place, just ten seconds behind, while Germany’s Franka Rust claimed bronze, thirteen seconds adrift of the champion. Nele Dequae placed 29th overall, finishing 14th in the U23 category, and Rhune Vansteenkiste came in at 34th, ranking 19th in the U23.
In the men’s event, Belgian competitors were less successful. Italy’s Alessio Crociani took gold in a time of 51:58, followed by Israel’s Shachar Sagiv and Norway’s Sebastian Wernersen. The highest-placed Belgian, Ibe Baelde, finished 21st overall, securing 13th place among U23 athletes. Joris Basslé and Erwin Vanderplancken finished 30th and 36th, respectively.
A mixed relay event featuring a Belgian team of Jolien Vermeylen, Ibe Baelde, Nele Dequae, and Joris Basslé is scheduled for today.
