Pohle Wins The Challenge Championship
Who could forget the controversial sprint finish last year at the European championships between Lena Meissner and Caroline Pohle? The two would come together again at The Challenge Championship in Samorin, Slovakia as the top seeds and whether it would be a literal or figurative fight for the title was the question on everyone’s mind.
The two faced a strong field of 24 other qualified women as well as a cold 16C river to start the race. Sophia Green, a British short-course athlete who transitioned to long-course racing, was expected to lead out the swim and did exactly that. The women very quickly strung out into a long line with only Meissner (DEU) and Marta Sanchez (ESP) able to stay on Green’s feet. Pohle (DEU) sat in no man’s land on her own between the leaders and a big chase pack.
Megan McDonald (GBR) led the front chase pack of nine the majority of the 1900 m, with the likes of Lilli Gelmini (ITA), Maela Moison (FRA), Justine Guerard (FRA), and Sofia Aguayo Mauri (ESP) all jostling for position in the final meters. Notably missing from the chase pack was race favourite Elisabetta Curridori (ITA), who swam on her own just behind and hit transition three minutes off the leaders. With several women choosing to wear neoprene caps, it’s possible some, including Curridori, struggled with the cold.
Pohle Takes a Risk on the Bike
On to the bike, Sanchez took the lead early, but Pohle quickly targeted that position. In no time, she made up her 37-second gap from the swim and took the lead. Sanchez, Meissner, and Green stayed with her, but at the halfway point, Pohle attacked. None of the other women seemed to respond until it was too late and Pohle would ride the last 40 km solo off the front, hitting T2 with a 2:39 lead and claiming the bike course record.
Behind the front four, Katrine Christensen was another woman setting a rocket-fast pace on the bike. Along with Curridori, she bridged up to the front chase pack, joining McDonald, Guerard, Moison, Aguayo, Anastacia Nielsen, Francesca Crestani, and Jasmine Brown. But Christensen continued to push the pace and dropped the group, riding on own between the two chase packs.
Hot Temperatures on the Run
The last time Pohle raced The Championship in 2024, she collapsed from the heat with only 800 m to go. Coming into the race this year, she was vocal about her heat prep, and her concerted effort to make good use of the aid stations was noticeable. The heat started to affect her on the second half of the run but, despite Meissner’s best efforts that brought the gap down to 1:47 from over three minutes, Pohle was untouchable. Pumping her fists and shouting all the way down the red carpet, Pohle took the decisive victory in 3:55:39.
So, no argy-bargy sprint at this race, but Meissner joined her countrywoman again on the podium in second place. With an impressive bike-and-run combination, Christensen overtook a struggling Sanchez to round out the podium. Special mention goes out to Curridori, who put together a fiery run to finish fourth.
“I can’t describe it because I’m so happy and so proud of myself and of my team,” Pohle said after the race. “We [planned] a risk–I did an attack on the bike–so honestly, I didn’t know if it would work, but it worked.”
“ I felt not so good in the first hour of the race. I mean, I struggled on the swim. I came out in third position, so I was so frustrated. So I pushed very hard on the bike and I made my move and it worked,” she continued.
“In 2024, I collapsed 800 m before the finish line, so you don’t know until it’s over. So I pushed really hard until the end. I know Lena is really, really strong, on the run so I give my absolute best. I’m really happy.”
Women’s Top Three:
Caroline Pohle (GER) – 3:55:39
Lena Meissner (GER) – 3:57:11
Katrine Græsbøll Christensen (DEN) – 3:58:32
