Month: November 2023

Manoel Messias Powers to Gold at Vina del Mar World Cup

Benjamin Eastman

In the end, the men’s race at the Vina del Mar came down to a moment of breathtaking simplicity. For all the action that preceded it, and in complete contrast to the uncertainty and drama that surrounded the end of the women’s event, the race was put to bed by an attack from Manoel Messias that was as straightforward as it was ruthless. Messias had not enjoyed the best of starts, although it was better than his experience at the Pan American Games a week prior when an equipment mishap…

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Gwen Jorgensen Takes Controversial Vina Del Mar Win

Benjamin Eastman

So… that did not quite go entirely as expected. As the final World Cup of the year took place in Vina del Mar, a fantastic women’s race was marred by a controversial denouement. In brisk conditions, the athletes lined up for a beach start with their final venture over the Sprint distance laying in wait. The American trio of Katie Zaferes, Gwen Jorgensen and Gina Sereno hung together on the left-hand side of the beach as the race countdown began. Wearing the numbers 1, 2 and 3, respectively, they counted…

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Beisenbayev and Shabalina Speed to Asian Sprint Titles

Benjamin Eastman

In addition to the Asia Cup in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, the Asian Sprint Championships took place in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The winners of the Asian Games (and Asian Olympic distance Championships), Kenji Nener and Yuko Takahashi, were absent, meaning that new names would claim an Asian title to sign off their seasons. In both the men’s and women’s events, the fate of the gold medals would come down to the late stages of the run. Men’s race Kyotaro Yoshikawa blitzed the 750m swim alongside his compatriot Mitsuho Mochizuki, putting the…

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Kurt Wesley and Zoe Clarke On Top in Kota Kinabalu

Benjamin Eastman

The Australian team dominated the latest Asia Cup in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, coming away with the wins in both the men’s and women’s events. The races took place in difficult conditions, with the searing heat proving an issue for some. Although the athletes only had to tackle the Sprint distance, the heat made the challenge considerably sterner. Men’s race Lachlan Jones of Australia got out to a great start in the water. Jones clocked 7:47 for the 750m sea swim and earned a solid lead. His compatriot Chris Meegan was…

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The French Grand Prix Star Performers of 2023 – Women Part 2

Benjamin Eastman

The final instalment of the the French Grand Prix top performers of 2023 is here. After casting an eye over part 1 of the women’s first division yesterday, today we will look at part 2. Determining top performer of a team is a subjective business and some teams are more clear-cut than others. Overall, though, factors like highest finishes, number of appearances and consistency can create a strong enough case for someone to be considered their team’s star. Les Sables Vendée Triathlon – 2nd Les Sables Vendée were the surprise…

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The French Grand Prix Star Performers of 2023 – Women Part 1

Benjamin Eastman

We have studied the top performers in the 2023 men’s French Grand Prix and now it is the turn of the women. To find the top performer of a team, an array of considerations can be noted. Seeing as the Grand Prix is a five-round competition, with each counting towards the final standings, the number of appearances by an athlete figures prominently. At the same time, the value of each contribution matters. For example, a single medal-winning performance or a top-10 finish might mean more than multiple results outside the…

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World U23 Champion Simon Henseleit Reflects On His Year

Benjamin Eastman

When rising through the ranks of elite triathlon, the goalposts are always shifting. It usually starts with trying to qualify for an first international team, such as at the World Junior Championships. The following season, the target can become a higher finish at the same event, or maybe winning a national Junior title. First Senior international starts can follow, as can appearances at U23 championships. From Continental Cups to World Cups and to the WTCS, there is always another level to strive towards, always another layer of the sport to…

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The French Grand Prix Star Performers of 2023 – Men Part 2

Benjamin Eastman

Yesterday we started our dive into the top performers of the men’s French Grand Prix in 2023. In this article, we will tackle part 2. Among the factors that weigh upon an athlete’s relative importance within a team are how often they race, their best results and even if they won a medal. Furthermore, if an athlete’s strong performance coincides with a particularly good round for their team, that could also be of significance. While no individual athlete can carry an entire team alone, they can nonetheless have a major…

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Tom Richard The Latest Athlete To Join Saint-Raphaël Set-Up

Benjamin Eastman

After a successful 2023, Tom Richard has revealed that he will be making a change in his coaching set-up. The French athlete enjoyed an impressive season, logging finishes of 7th and 12th at WTCS Sunderland and WTCS Pontevedra, respectively. In doing so, he sealed his right to start for France at WTCS races in 2024. He also added finishes of 17th at WTCS Hamburg and 18th at WTCS Cagliari en route to finishing 22nd overall in the Series. Alongside his season best WTCS finish in Sunderland, Richard was a part…

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The French Grand Prix Star Performers of 2023 – Men Part 1

Benjamin Eastman

The third athlete is so often pivotal to the success of any team in the French Grand Prix. With three athletes scoring at any given race, depth can be as much a determinant of a team’s prospects as individual brilliance. Over the course of the season, though, some athletes mark themselves out from their teammates and step up as the star performer for their squad. As much as the team supersedes the individual in the French Grand Prix, there will always be space for someone to stand out. In this…

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First Races of the 2024 Bundesliga Season Announced

Benjamin Eastman

The schedule for the first division in the 2024 Bundesliga is starting to take shape. The competition will kick off in Kraichgau on 25th May, marking the ninth time that a stop has been held at the venue. Tübingen will also return after hosting a successful round in 2023. Next year it will welcome the teams on 21st July and the event will represent the seventh time Tübingen has appeared on the circuit.   The timing may prevent any of Germany’s Olympic qualifiers from racing in Tübingen seeing as the Games will…

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Hidalgo Hunting Hat-Trick at 2023 Vina del Mar World Cup

Benjamin Eastman

With two wins from his previous two international appearances, Miguel Hidalgo has something of a hot hand right now. Indeed, his wins at the Brasilia World Cup and the Pan American Games make him the favourite at the upcoming World Cup in Vina del Mar. His two recent victories both came over the Olympic distance. That itself is a sign of Hidalgo’s development. At the end of last season, he noted that his strength lay more in Sprint events and that he needed to work towards the longer format. With…

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The Next Generation of Male Multi-Strategy Triathletes

Benjamin Eastman

Being able to win a WTCS race is no mean feat. Similarly, winning a WTCS title requires a near-perfect season built upon consistency and high finishes. The challenge of winning multiple world titles, however, is on another plane altogether. Since the start of the WTCS, only four men have become world champion more than once: Alistair Brownlee, Javier Gomez Noya, Mario Mola and Vincent Luis. It should be noted, though, that Luis’ second title came at a single-day world championships in 2020. Of that quartet, only Mola has really been…

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American Women Eyeing Podium Sweep In Vina del Mar

Benjamin Eastman

It has been a good year for the American women’s team. Three athletes have won WTCS medals (Taylor Spivey, Taylor Knibb and Summer Rappaport) while their former world champions, Gwen Jorgensen and Katie Zaferes, have also made trips to World Cup podiums during their post-maternity comebacks to the sport. As a result, the US team has a collection of world-level medallists from which to fill the remaining two Olympic slots beside Knibb on the Olympic team next year. At the Vina del Mar World Cup, the American women will individually…

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The Next Generation of Female Multi-Strategy Triathletes

Benjamin Eastman

Over the weekend, we discussed the importance of strategy and the ability to win WTCS races in multiple ways. At this point in time, we concluded that there are three women and only one man in the current era of WTCS race winners that can be considered multi-strategy athletes, of which at least two (Flora Duffy and Vincent Luis) are close to the end of their careers. During the post-Paris Olympic cycle, a new crop of athletes will come through. In this article, then, we will survey the group of…

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