Yee's brilliant form may be setting himself up for a big summer
Alex Yee is just 23 years old, but he proved he belongs on a world stage after winning the World Triathlon Series even in Leeds. With the help of a quick bike and fastest run in the field, he turned in one of the best performances of his young career, beating second place Morgan Pearson by 25 seconds over the course of a 1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run.
“I was really proud of my race in Leeds, I felt as though it was one of my first complete races,” Yee said after the race. “Though the swim was rough, I got out in a competitive position and, following a good T1, I worked hard and caught the front of the race.”
Alex Yee doing some pacing. | Photo: @worldtriathlon
Yee was the 25th competitor out of the water at 18 seconds behind leader Aaron Royle. He quickly transitioned onto the bike, however, and picked his way past riders over nine hilly laps. He had the 11th best bike time. “My new Émonda felt amazing up the climbs, and I definitely felt like I was on the best bike.”
At the end of the first lap of his run, Yee had a gap off the front that he held comfortably across the line. He was the only runner to break 30 minutes, which he smashed by 14 seconds. In a race on British turf, Yee may have proved he belongs on the sport’s biggest stage this summer.
Alex Yee standing on the podium after winning his first ever World Triathlon Series event. | Photo: @worldtriathlon
“The race felt as though it flowed, and racing in front of a home crowd for the first time in 18 months made it feel extra special,” Yee said. “I know I’m not the complete athlete, and there are still a lot of things that I will look to develop in future races, but it felt amazing! And everything is moving in the right direction.”
Yee joined the Trek triathlon team in 2020 along with triathletes like Martin van Riel, who finished third in Leeds at 36 seconds back. Yee has been on a steady rise this season, placing third in a unique format Super League Triathlon event in London this past March. (Which Van Riel happened to win — the two teammates certainly have a good friendly rivalry going.)
It appears that Yee is going to be busy this summer.
