Beyond gold: Cassandre Beaugrand on pressure, perspective, and what comes next for a world champion

Cassandre Beaugrand remains one of triathlon’s most intriguing figures. The Paris-born star’s victory at her home Games catapulted her into the global spotlight; a career-defining moment that brought with it a huge sense of accomplishment but also heightened scrutiny and expectation.

A change of pace soon followed, as Beaugrand upped sticks from Loughborough and the tutelage of coach Gavin Smith to join Glenn Poleunis’ set-up in Girona, allowing her to rediscover the balance and motivation she needed to continue achieving at the highest level in the sport.

Catching up with her just after that Grand Final, we talk to Beaugrand about a season of highs and hard lessons, her evolving mindset, and how life beyond the sport helps keep her grounded as she looks ahead to the next chapter of her career.

220: How has life changed for you since the Paris Games?

Cassandre Beaugrand: “Honestly, I would say that not too much has really changed. Maybe the only thing is that it has given me more confidence in myself as an athlete – I know I can win the biggest races in the world, and I know I can handle the pressure of performing on the biggest stages.

“It was an incredible experience and something I’ll always be proud of – and winning in Paris was probably my biggest lifetime goal in sport – but now life and my goals move on because there’s still more that I want to accomplish.

“I’d also say that maybe other people’s expectations have changed as well – there’s this sense that I should win all the time now, no matter the circumstance, which is challenging to deal with, maybe because I don’t really see myself any differently than before. I’m still an athlete that is learning and trying to improve every day.”

220: Would you say you’re a household name in France now?

CB: “It’s a tough question to answer because there are so many good athletes and triathletes in France. In Paris we didn’t win too many gold medals, especially on the female side, so maybe that makes my name talked about a little more.

“I feel like the media opportunities and commitments I’ve had since the Olympics have definitely increased, but also I live in Spain, so I probably don’t have the best gauge on how much things have changed in France. Every time I go back, I’ll sometimes get recognised or stopped for photos, but mostly when I’m at the pool or running.”

220: What’s been the best ‘perk’ since becoming Olympic champion?

CB: “The sense of accomplishment it’s given me, knowing all the years of hard work, setbacks, failures and sacrifices were worth it. I had a lot of low moments to get to the place where I was winning the biggest race in our sport. Also, the doors it’s opened for me – I’ve gotten to meet a lot of people and brands I maybe never would have met.”

220: Have there been any downsides to your new position within the sport?

CB: “People always say getting to the top is the easy part, but staying there is the hardest, and there’s a lot more attention and scrutiny on me as an athlete, so I’ve had to learn how to balance public expectations with my personal life and how I look at myself. It has taught me to stay grounded and relearn why I started this sport in the first place.”

220: What made you make the move to Girona in 2024?

CB: “I’ve always followed my heart, and after the Olympics, it just felt like this was the right moment to try something new. I needed a change of scenery and rhythm to get me motivated again. Girona had been on my mind for a while, and I knew the training environment was less stressful and easier with the climate.

“I really enjoyed my time in the UK, and owe a lot of my success to Loughborough and [coach] Gav [Smith], and I know it challenged and prepared me for all situations in many ways.

“But personally and athletically, I needed to find better balance between my training environment and life outside of triathlon. I just wanted a bit of sunshine!

“I now have my new training group with Glenn [Poleunis], a new home, and everything I need for training and wanted for myself. It feels slower in the best way, and I’m really enjoying having space to breathe, explore, and just live a little more in the moment.”

220: Talk us through your coaching set-up.

CB: “So Glenn’s a Belgian triathlon coach and he has a group of triathletes that includes Marten Van Riel, Youri Keulen, Charles Paquet, Alessio Crociani, and Kenji Nener. We also have one pro cyclist, Clara Émond, who is really helpful for me and great to train with.

“As we’re all balancing different schedules and goals, Glenn does a really good job individualising training, but also making sure we’re doing things together when it makes sense.

“We spend most of the year together in Girona, but this year did two altitude camps in Font Romeu, each for one month at a time.”

220: How does your new coaching set-up differ to that of Gavin Smith’s and his coaching style?

CB: “With Gav everyone in the group was racing short course. And with Glenn there are lots of people targeting different things. So sometimes I have lots of people to train with, but then also sometimes I’m on my own.

“Glenn is probably taking more of a physiological approach to training, taking lactate, monitoring heart rate, doing specific heat preparation, whereas with Gav we did all of that stuff, but a physiologist was managing the data side of things, while Gav did the coaching.

“In a lot of ways they are actually very similar, which is why I felt so confident joining Glenn after all of the success that Gav and I had together.”

220: Talk us through your 2025 season

CB: “My biggest high was probably winning the Alghero WTCS after my crash in Yokohama. My confidence took a bit of a hit after Yokohama and I had to prove to myself again that I can win the biggest races, and that I’m still at the same level as last year.

“I was also really proud of winning in Frejus [French Riviera WTCS] because again it was in France where a lot of people expected me to win. I wasn’t feeling my best in the race, but I proved to myself how strong my mind is when I fight all the way to the finish.

“Obviously, the low for me was the way I finished in the Grand Final [after a strong swim, bike, Cassandre would DNF on the run]. I think I maybe didn’t take the time I truly needed after the Olympics, and that came back to bite me in the end.

“All of those feelings from the year before and beginning of this year came together in a way that’s still hard for me to talk about. I’m still learning how to deal with pressure and expectation, and even my confidence and insecurities.

“I knew this year was going to be tough to fight for the series, but I got myself into a position where I still had a chance going into the final [she had been joint leader alongside Beth Potter but would finish seventh overall in the series].

“So it’s a tough pill to swallow that it ended the way it did, but, like I said, even though it feels hard at the time, those moments are what motivate and challenge me to be a better athlete.”

220: How do you relax?

CB: “I like reading, spending time with my friends, sharing time with my boyfriend [fellow pro Chase McQueen], shopping and finding new ways to decorate my home, and enjoying nice coffee.

“And I have Ghosty, my pet bunny, who takes a lot of my time. I’m still trying to think about what life looks like after triathlon, but I really like fashion in general and would really like to do something in that space one day.”

Vary the intensity, get strong and be careful of carbon shoes: 10 ways to train like World and Olympic champion Cassandre Beaugrand

A day in the life of an Olympic Champion

From double coffees to turbo sessions and bunny cuddles, here’s how Beaugrand fills a typical day in her adopted hometown of Girona.

8am: Wake up. My coffee machine is on a timer so it’s already hot. Feed and let Ghosty out for the day. Check phone.

8:15am: A petit flat white with almond milk because I have a sensitive belly, followed by two toasted tartines with Nutella (but I prefer the milk-free Chokolinette).

8:45am: I leave for swim training on my scooter.

9–10:30am: 4.5k swim session with Glenn and the rest of the group at the 50m pool in Girona (very cold).

11am: Stop for second coffee of the day – I don’t always get another coffee, but I do get a little snack or sandwich. I like going to Oniria or La Puntual with Chase or some teammates.

12–1:30pm: Run session – 20min warm-up, some drills and strides. An example session is 2 x hill reps (4 x 45secs on equal recovery) into 5 x 1min on the flat; 20mins cool-down.

3pm: Nutripure Protein shake as soon as I get home. Eat some leftovers from dinner the night before or maybe make something quick for lunch.

3:30–4:30pm: Nap.

4:30–5pm: A light snack, check phone and emails, and maybe some shopping on the Adidas website!

5pm: If Glenn is feeling nice, 90mins easy spin on Specialized gravel bike. But if he’s not, it’s 60min on the turbo in the heat chamber at my house.

7–8pm: Massage with Josep – the best physio, massage, and osteo in town.

8:30–10pm: Dinner, Netflix and chill with Chase and Ghosty. Chase might prepare dinner a bit more than me, but we eat lots of rice and pasta bowls, so maybe something like a baked aubergine Parmesan with some veggies on the side.

10pm: Prepare for sleep and for the next morning, including a long skincare routine to prepare for anti-aging!

10:30pm: Lights out.