A dream setting for the world’s best triathletes. On Saturday the Opunohu Valley in Moorea welcomed nearly 150 off-road triathletes for the XTerra Tahiti Moorea, a course that proved particularly demanding: 1.4 kilometers of swimming, 34 kilometers of mountain biking, and 10 kilometers of trail running.
In the men’s race, spectators witnessed a remarkable duel between Thomas Lubin and the three-time world champion Arthur Serrières. After a sustained effort, the two competitors crossed the finish line together in 2 hours 55 minutes, sealing the race with a joint finish hand in hand.
“There wasn’t anything truly planned; I knew Thomas could swim with me, and then we decided we’d go one lap, two laps, three laps, and then tackle the running portion. I wouldn’t say the performance was secondary, but what mattered was sharing the moment and creating good memories, and that’s what I came here for,” Arthur Serrières said after the race.
On his side, Thomas Lubin wanted to acknowledge the tactical and technical superiority of his day’s running partner. “I took a pacing lesson today; I learned a lot because, in terms of race management, that’s where you see that he’s not a three-time world champion for nothing. It’s incredible,” he commented.
In the women’s event, Austrian Carina Wasle, a multiple XTerra winner and a medalist at the Cross Triathlon World Championships between 2007 and 2016, claimed victory with a time of 3 hours and 25 minutes. She beat Hannah-Lee Young and Emma Ducreux. Marta Slosarska took fourth place, thus finishing as the top local athlete in the competition.
Ethan Calloway
I'm a journalist and writer with a passion for international affairs, politics, and the forces shaping our global economy. Based on the U.S. West Coast, I explore the stories connecting nations and communities, with a particular interest in the Pacific region. At Island Society, my goal is to bring fresh perspectives, meaningful context, and a human voice to the issues that matter.