Duffy Dominates the XTERRA World Champs to Take her 6th Title

Press Release / 06.12.2021

In the women’s XTERRA Worlds race it was Flora Duffy all day long with the fastest first run, bike, and second run times to take the tape in 2:39:49, more than six minutes ahead of Loanne Duvoisin (SUI). It’s the fourth Maui race in a row that she’s had the fastest splits in each discipline, and she’s now won her last 13 XTERRA races and 18 of 21 since 2013.

“Happy to perform well and win my sixth title,” said Duffy, who won the Tokyo Olympics gold medal. “Racing a duathlon was definitely a surprise, it made it a lot harder out there, but it was definitely the right call (to cancel the swim). It’s incredible to be back here in Maui, I really enjoy finishing my season here, and I want to thank everyone who cheered, it felt really special, a beautiful way to finish this magical year.”

Even though Duffy dominated, she still called it a tough challenge.

“The course is tough, its always tough, but we got lucky it didn’t rain as much as we anticipated early on because the second lap of the bike when it started to rain it got real slick out there real quickly, so that was nerve-wracking. I just told myself to stay smooth, and stay on my bike.”

Now, Duffy says, it’s time for a vacation.

“There was so much pressure and expectations on me going into the Olympics as the gold medal favorite, it was a five-year Olympic build, and that extra covid year really added to the intensity. After I won, I was on the highest cloud I could be on but also everything hit me – the expectations, the pressures I was carrying around on my shoulders. And since then it’s been difficult to balance all the media obligations while still trying to train and wanting to keep my season going because I had some big goals. I wanted to come here and defend my title, wanted to still race on the World Triathlon circuit, so it’s been a lot and I’m just thrilled I managed to pull off a great race day, win my sixth XTERRA, and now I can go on a big holiday.”

In the chase for second, Eleonora Peroncini was solidly in second place on the bike before the rain hit on her second lap and she had a big crash that broke her seat and set her back. Duvoisin and Flipo, who rode much of the bike together, took advantage to move into second and third where they remained to the finish.

“I’m so happy, and to have my family here with me today was really special,” said Duvoisin, who got her redemption in Maui after having to pull in 2019 due to a mechanical.

For Flipo, it’s her second top three in a row (she was 2nd in 2018).

“It was a tough race, it changed everything on the second lap with the rain, and then on the run I was by myself and trying to catch up to Loanne but I started cramping and was just trying to survive after that,” said Flipo.

Peroncini hung on for fourth, and Suzie Snyder came in fifth and as the top American in Maui for the fifth straight time.