Strong winds from the east had punched through Samarkand’s Silk Road Complex all morning and they had not abated by the start of the women’s World Cup race. A swim that would have been otherwise near-flat became a sea swim in all but name, while the exposed bike and run course acquired a new tactical complexion. Yet the winds paled in comparison to the tornado that was Diana Isakova (AIN) on the run as she whipped to victory.

“It was my third World Cup and it was an amazing result for me,” she said, “because I'm preparing for the higher competitions that are going to be starting in a week.”

Tilly Anema (GBR) set the early pace in the water and by the end of the first lap of 750m had only Márta Kropkó (HUN) and Mathilde Gautier (FRA) for company. It was on the second lap that Anema took a crowbar to the split in the field, widening it drastically. Perhaps taking inspiration from teammate Jessica Fullagar’s silver medal from a two-woman breakaway in Samarkand last year, Anema ultimately set up her group of three into T1 with a lead clearing 40 seconds over the main pack.

In the experienced Gautier and the rising Kropkó, Anema could hardly have asked for better breakaway partners going into the 40km bike. Up against them in the immediate chase group was Fullagar, Alissa Konig (SUI) and Isakova. The gap between the two trios shrunk a little across the first lap but the incipient cooperation of the chasers promptly ended as Fullagar crashed and Isakova attacked.

By contrast, the lead trio were a well-oiled machine. Each shared the work in the wind, keeping the pace high, a pace that an isolated Isakova had no hope of matching. As the leaders came back past Isakova, the chaser could only give a forlorn glance back over her shoulder as they vanished up the road. Isakova was subsequently absorbed into a growing chase pack of nine women.

But then, as the leaders came through the first corner after transition at the start of the fourth lap, Anema hit the deck, with Kropkó also slipping and falling. Suddenly Gautier was alone.

Anema resurfaced in the chase pack and had to force not only the crash from her mind but that a golden opportunity had possibly gone begging. Still, she was more fortunate than Kropkó who was forced to retire from the race following her tumble.

And so the situation with two laps to go was delicately poised. Gautier still led by over a minute but faced the challenge of tackling half of the bike alone. Some of the faster runners on paper could afford to give the French woman some leeway, albeit not too much given Gautier was no stranger to the World Cup podium. Moreover the chasers could not risk burning themselves by chasing Gautier for risk of another exploiting their efforts.

One attempted move by Isakova was swiftly shut down by Ilaria Zane (ITA). Team World Triathlon’s newest member Tjasa Vrtacic (SLO) then took her chance by briefly driving off the front of the chase. The surges brought the gap down to 45 seconds but Gautier managed to limit the bleeding of time thereafter. The joining of the two chase packs behind her on the final lap also helped her a little.

Isakova emerged as the leader of the chase early in the run. Yet a bloodied, bruised Anema was not done and pushed up onto her heels. As Isakova passed Gautier on the opening run lap, Costanza Arpinelli (ESP), Lea Coninx (FRA) and Marta Pintanel Raymundo (ESP) grouped around Anema. Gradually, Coninx and Arpinelli pulled clear in a duel for their first World Cup medals. No one, though, could get near Isakova.

Last summer she claimed a first medal at this level in Tiszaujvaros and today it was a first win thanks to her storming run. Behind her, Coninx got the better of Arpinelli to take silver while Zane passed a fading Anema late on as the pair took 4th and 5th, respectively.

What they said:

Isakova said, when “Jessica Fullagar crashed in front of me it was quite unexpected and I had to go on my own for like one and a half laps.” Then going on to the run, “I was quite nervous, also because this is here is basically my second home, my second homeland, and I was just running towards the victory.”

“I had a really bad swim,” said Coninx, “and I just wanted to make everything I can on the bike. I worked really hard to catch up to them and we did this so it's okay.”

“I'm so happy about this,” said Arpinelli. “I couldn’t be happier. In the run battle with Coninx, “I tried to just think about me and my pace and focus on me. And at the end I tried to give whatever I had.”