Month: October 2023

Duval and Mallozzi Speed To Wins at Ceuta European Cup

Benjamin Eastman

The triathlon season may be drawing to its close but the athletes are showing few signs of slowing down. At the European Cup in Ceuta, Spain, the Sprint distance affair saw some rapid performances. The event doubled as the Mediterranean Championships and, with local bragging rights on the line, several athletes elevated themselves to new levels. Men’s race With a sea swim followed by a winding route through the town with several tight sections, the course was technical at points. One athlete that had little problem in dealing with the…

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Breaking Down The Fastest Splits At The Rome World Cup 2023

Benjamin Eastman

Swim The men’s race gave the home Italian fans something to cheer early on as Nicolò Strada led the swim in a time of 8:56. Right on heels were Simon Westermann, Csongor Lehmann and Zalán Hóbor in 8:57. Hóbor’s performance was rather impressive considering that he is still a Junior athlete. Although he would fall away from contention later on the race, he acquitted himself well in the early stages of his World Cup debut. Vasco Vilaca, the race winner in Rome, was the next man out in 8:59. Matching…

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Vilaca Steps Atop Rome World Cup Podium After Late Burst

Benjamin Eastman

Redemption was not the right word. Vasco Vilaca came to Rome looking for something but redemption was not quite it. After a breakthrough season, in which he claimed four WTCS medals and finished 4th overall in the world, there was precious little for him to bounce back from. Illness had meant he did not have the WTCS Final he had hoped for and that he lost his place on the overall podium. All things considered, though, it had been a marvellous year. In a parallel universe, maybe Vilaca would have…

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Nina Eim Runs Away To Rome Victory For First World Cup Win

Benjamin Eastman

Close to an hour of cat-and-mouse racing delivered the athletes to the final hurrah in the women’s event at the Rome World Cup. Over a high-paced Sprint distance race, several athletes rose through the field and new faces looked like candidates for the win at different stages. From the off, a small group broke away from the field. Another virtuoso performance in the water by Bianca Seregni saw her splinter the field. A select group of Jolien Vermeylen, Olivia Mathias, Mathilde Gautier and Alice Betto. Once Betto exited, some 5…

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How Much Say Should National Federations Have Over Entries?

Benjamin Eastman

Although the start lists for the Rome World Cup are certainly impressive, an issue has arisen with regards to the entry process. In several cases, athletes have been prevented from starting even though they would be eligible to do so. To compound the issue, the start lists are not full. As such, the only thing preventing said athletes from racing is the decision of their federation. In the women’s race, fewer than 45 women are slated to take part. There is therefore space for another 20 athletes to participate. In…

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What If The 2023 Men’s WTCS Had Been Scored Like 2022

Benjamin Eastman

Yesterday we investigated what the women’s 2023 WTCS would have looked like had the 2022 scoring structure been used. Today it is the turn of the men. Unlike 2022, races of different distances were worth different points. A win over the Olympic distance was still worth 1000 points. However, wins over the Sprint and Super Sprint eliminator formats respectively gave 750 and 875 points. Meanwhile, the WTCS Final offered 1250 points to the winner, just as it did in 2022. With the change in scoring, the emphasis in the Series…

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What If The 2023 Women’s WTCS Had Been Scored Like 2022

Benjamin Eastman

At the start of the 2023 WTCS season, World Triathlon announced the new scoring structure for the Series. In a shift from 2022, races of different distances would be worth different points. In a continuation from the season prior, events over the Olympic distance would be worth 1000 points for a win. The WTCS Final would also be worth an additional 25%, with 1250 points being awarded for a victory. However, the Sprint and Super Sprint eliminator races would be of lesser values. In 2022, they had held the same…

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Women’s Race At Rome World Cup To Come Down To The Wire

Benjamin Eastman

One notable aspect of the women’s start list for the Rome World Cup is how short it is. The men’s race is close to full yet the women’s has fewer than 45 women starting. With Olympic points available in an iconic city, something has gone amiss in the entry procedure. Whether athletes turning down the opportunity to race or national federations not allowing athletes to participate (there have been confirmed instances of the latter), the cause of the short start lists may be worth further investigation. While the size of…

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Will Vilaca Be The Last Man Standing At The Rome World Cup?

Benjamin Eastman

On the single most tumultuous day of the 2023 triathlon season, Vasco Vilaca’s hopes came crashing down before him. An illness prior to the race combined with the sensational performances of others saw him slip from a place on the final podium to 4th overall. Despite the late disappointment, the brilliance of Vilaca’s season should not be overlooked. He was one of three men to win four WTCS medals in 2023 and has established himself as one of the very best triathletes in the world. This weekend, at the Rome…

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How Beth Potter Became The World Champion In 2023

Benjamin Eastman

Even after winning the opening race of the WTCS season in Abu Dhabi, Beth Potter maintained that she had not yet thought about a potential world title. The sentiment was sensible enough. The end of the season lay a long way down the line and there were plenty of pitfalls that prevented such a counting of the proverbial chickens. And yet, such was the authority with which she won in Abu Dhabi, a statement had been made. On the first weekend of March, Potter planted her flag into the ground…

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Who Had The Top Splits At The Tangier World Cup 2023

Benjamin Eastman

Swim Mathilde Gautier was the quickest of the women in the water as she logged a time of 10:03. Therese Feuersinger was right on her feet as she emerged in 10:04 while Zsanett Kuttor-Bragmayer, the last of the women to make the initial three-woman break, hit a time of 10:08. Leading the chasers was Jolien Vermeylen. The Belgian athlete clocked 10:12 to put herself 1 second ahead of Kira Hedgeland (10:13). Lisa Tertsch, Hollie Elliott and Anna Godoy Contreras then followed in 10:19 to complete the top-8 splits. In an…

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Le Corre Continues Fantastic 2023 With Tangier World Cup Win

Benjamin Eastman

At the Tangier World Cup, the women’s sea swim had provided several bumps. The waves, however, paled to the surf that followed in the men’s race. With several athletes being dragged left and right, others were left in the invidious position of thrashing at the water only to be carried backwards at points. Jamie Riddle coped best with the conditions and opened an early 9 second lead out of the water after looking for those behind using the waves to carry him to the end. A trio of Angel Sanchez…

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Tertsch On Top In Tangier With Late Blitz On The Run

Benjamin Eastman

In the first World Cup to be held in Morocco, the racing was an up and down affair from the start. Quite literally, in fact, as the waves bounced athletes around throughout the swim. Being only 750m for the Sprint distance, the swim mercifully ended sooner rather than later for those suffering in the sea, although not before Mathilde Gautier had forged a slight advantage along with Therese Feuersinger and Zsanett Kuttor-Bragmayer. Barely 10 seconds behind Gautier, Jolien Vermeylen headed up a small chase group. The Belgian former swimmer had…

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