Month: September 2023

Nener and Takahashi Triumph at the 2023 Asian Games

Benjamin Eastman

Hangzhou, China, played host to arguably the biggest race on the Asian triathlon calendar over the past two days. Taking place every four years (although this year was the 2022 iteration after delays), the Asian Games doubled as the de facto Asian Championships over the Olympic distance. Regarded in many Asian countries as being second only to the Olympic Games in terms of stature, success at the competition carries immense prestige. Indeed, for some the Asian Games hold greater significance than the Olympics given the degree of local rivalries. In…

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How Dorian Coninx Became World Champion In 2023

Benjamin Eastman

Entering the WTCS Final ranked 5th, Dorian Coninx was not many people’s first pick when it came to predicting the 2023 world champion. If momentum counts for anything in elite sport, though, Coninx was a clear example of catching a perfect wave. At the start of the year, in the men’s top-30 rankings, we noted that consistency had been an issue for Coninx in recent times. The double WTCS race winner could appear in red-hot form on one day, as his win at WTCS Montreal in 2021 and medal at…

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First Look at the Miyazaki World Cup 2023 Start Lists

Benjamin Eastman

Following the cancellation of the event in Montevideo, the World Cup in Miyazaki will be the penultimate race on the circuit in 2023. In addition, it represents the third and final stop on the Asian swing of autumn World Cups. After races in Chengdu and Tongyeong, as well as a long season hitherto, the athletes will be ready for a final roll of the dice in Japan. However, in contrast to last year’s Sprint event, this year the athletes will tackle the Olympic distance. The entire men’s podium from the…

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Le Corre Ready To Complete Next Quest At Tangier World Cup

Benjamin Eastman

Pierre Le Corre has quite a year. With WTCS medals, French Grand Prix medals, long distance medals and a World Military Championship win, he has ticked pretty much every box available. The only thing missing from Le Corre’s eclectic 2023 collection is a World Cup medal. Luckily for him, the Tangier World Cup presents the perfect opportunity for his next side quest. With the newly-crowned world champion Dorian Coninx withdrawing earlier this week, Le Corre will now wear number 1 in Tangier. He is in phenomenal form, having just medalled…

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The Statistical Breakdown of the 2023 World U23 Champs

Benjamin Eastman

One of the abiding images of the World U23 Championships in Pontevedra was the German flag flying at the top of the men’s and women’s podiums. In both events, Selina Klamt and Simon Henseleit judged their races to perfection. In this article, we will delve into the finer details of the racing and uncover how exactly the German duo claimed their victories while investigating where their rivals lost crucial ground. Swim Klamt got off to a perfect start as she led the swim in a time of 18:36. The distribution…

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Tomé and Tertsch to Tangle in Tangier World Cup

Benjamin Eastman

Fresh off the drama of the WTCS Final in Pontevedra, the first World Cup to be held in Morocco will take place this weekend. In the women’s race, several athletes will be looking to carry their Pontevedra form forward. Maria Tomé arrives on the back of her silver medal at the World U23 Championships. The Portuguese athlete had the second fastest run split in her race in Pontevedra and will present a major threat. She also impressed on the French Grand Prix circuit this year and the Sprint distance is…

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The Statistical Breakdown of WTCS Pontevedra 2023

Benjamin Eastman

The WTCS Final in Pontevedra came to life in ways few would have imagined going into the event. The men’s in particular confounded expectations and produced the most exhilarating contest of the season. With minimal technical or topographical challenges on the course, the nature of the racing was almost entirely a product of the aggressive and smart moves by those at the front of the race. In this article, we will examine how the men’s and women’s races came together and unpack the details that made them so exciting. Swim…

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Stories You Might Have Missed Around WTCS Pontevedra

Benjamin Eastman

Alongside the action in Pontevedra, elite events took place elsewhere. Read on to take a look at some of the stories you might have missed from the weekend. European Mixed Team Relay Club Champs The European Club Championships were held in La Baule, France, at the weekend. Following the Mixed Team Relay format, each team entered two men and two women. Each leg consisted of a 300m swim, 6.96km bike and a 1.9km run. After winning the women’s French Grand Prix, Poissy Triathlon came away as the champions. Their team…

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Who Had The Best Splits At The Word U23 Champs 2023

Benjamin Eastman

Swim Alessio Crociani surged ahead of the field on the second lap of the swim in Pontevedra. In doing so, he bought a 4 second lead that he carried into T1. Jamie Riddle was the next man out, clocking 18:13 to Crociani’s 18:09. Mitsuho Mochizuki followed in 18:14 and Jonas Osterholt managed a time of 18:16. Gergő Dobi matched Osterholt’s time while a trio consisting of Gergely Kiss, Henry Graf and Esteban Basanta Fouz managed 18:17. Josiah Ney recorded a time of 18:18 and race winner Simon Henseleit rounded out…

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The Takeaways From The Racing In Pontevedra 2023

Benjamin Eastman

After a blockbuster weekend of racing in Pontevedra, there were a number of stories to track across the WTCS Final and World U23 Championships. Kate Waugh’s breakthrough medal captured plenty of attention. Hayden Wilde’s unlucky penalty also caught the eye. When it came to the racing itself, the spectacular finish to the men’s race was something to behold. Meanwhile, Beth Potter’s victory in the women’s race was an exercise of total control. With so much going on, it would be easy for some of the narratives to slip between the…

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Breaking Down The Best Splits At The 2023 WTCS Final

Benjamin Eastman

Swim Matthew Hauser was a man on a mission in the swim at WTCS Pontevedra. He took control of the race early on and led for practically the entirety of the 1500. He was the first man out of the water and the only one to dip under 18 minutes; his final time was 17:57. Much of the drama that followed came from Hauser stretching the field. The likes of Alex Yee and Hayden Wilde lost around 50 seconds to the Australian which changed the complexion of the race and,…

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Which Athletes Hit Personal Bests At WTCS Pontevedra 2023

Benjamin Eastman

There were no WTCS debuts in Pontevedra which makes sense given that the WTCS rankings determined the start list. What was a little more surprising was the fact that only two athletes managed to achieve a personal best WTCS finish at the race. Moreover, there was not a single personal best finish in the men’s event. All of the men’s podium had hitherto won a race. Coninx had two previous WTCS wins to his name, Tim Hellwig won in Hamburg in 2021 and Pierre Le Corre memorably triumphed in Sunderland…

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Which Women Secured Their Olympic Places In Pontevedra

Benjamin Eastman

The WTCS Final in Pontevedra represented a second opportunity for elite triathletes to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games next summer. In the men’s race, several individuals earned their places having satisfied various national criteria. The women’s event was no different as a number of athletes nailed their places on the start list at the Games. The race winner, Beth Potter, met the particularly brutal criteria set by British Triathlon. To earn a place, she would need to medal at both the Paris Olympic Test Event and in Pontevedra. No…

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How The Women’s 2023 WTCS Standings Look Post-Pontevedra

Benjamin Eastman

Unlike the men’s competition, the women’s WTCS retained a semblance of order in Pontevedra. There would be no shocks, no upsets, simply an overpowering display of excellence from the new world champion, Beth Potter. With her win at the WTCS Final, Potter added 1250 points to her total, ending the season with 4559 points. Pontevedra was her fourth win of the year, after victories in Abu Dhabi, Montreal and Paris. A silver medal in Hamburg then completed what had been a near-perfect season. Having led going into the Final, Cassandre…

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Beth Potter Stamps Authority Over WTCS With Final Win

Benjamin Eastman

It started with Beth Potter and it was only fitting that the 2023 WTCS ended with her. A first ever WTCS win in Abu Dhabi launched her season in the perfect manner and from there she barely put a foot wrong. After wins at WTCS Montreal and the Paris Olympic Test Event, Potter arrived in Pontevedra with a potential first title on the line. To do that, she would have to overcome Cassandre Beaugrand, the winner of the WTCS stops in Hamburg and Sunderland. In the water, the upper hand…

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