Year: 2023

Olympic Tickets Punched In Pontevedra Men’s Race

Benjamin Eastman

After the Paris Olympic Test Event marked the first opportunity for athletes from multiple countries to qualify for the Olympic Games next summer, Pontevedra offered a new chance. A handful of men inked their names in to start at the Olympics next year after hitting their respective national criteria. Dorian Coninx and Tim Hellwig, the gold and silver medallists in Pontevedra, had already booked their places in Paris. The bronze medallist, Pierre Le Corre, was therefore the first man to stamp his ticket at the WTCS Final. Having finished 4th…

Read More

How The Final Men’s 2023 WTCS Standings Look After Pontevedra

Benjamin Eastman

So… the final men’s WTCS standings look rather different than they did going into Pontevedra. Having entered the WTCS Final ranked 5th, Dorian Coninx launched himself to 1st place and the world title with a perfectly executed race. His 1250 points for the win helped him to a total of 4238, giving him the title by a handy margin. Hayden Wilde was one of the few athletes not to change positions. After his up-and-down day in Pontevedra, which included a disappointing swim, a shock penalty and then a huge charge…

Read More

Miguel Hidalgo Successfully Appeals Pontevedra DQ

Benjamin Eastman

After his provisional disqualification at the WTCS Final in Pontevedra left the outcome of the world title in the balance, Miguel Hidalgo and the Brazilian team have successfully appealed against the ruling. As a result, he has been awarded his 6th place. Those that finished behind, such as Csongor Lehmann, Matthew Hauser and Tyler Mislawchuk, have all been demoted one place. Hayden Wilde has also been relegated a place from 9th to 10th, extending his deficit to Dorian Coninx, the new world champion. In the end, Coninx won the race…

Read More

Hayden Wilde Receives His Unluckiest Penalty Yet

Benjamin Eastman

Is there a more unhappy marriage than Hayden Wilde and penalties? Coming out of the swim at the WTCS Final, Wilde’s cap slipped from his fingers as he shifted it from his right hand to his left. He could only look on as he continued running and the hat fell onto the pontoon. Rather than stop, Wilde made his way to T1 where he thereupon received a 15 second penalty for having his equipment outside of his box. He subsequently missed the front pack and made it onto the run…

Read More

Dorian Coninx Thunders To World Title In Sensational Victory

Benjamin Eastman

It happened again. No one quite knows how it happened, but it happened again. The 2022 WTCS season had provided the most compelling finale of recent memory. Somehow, the 2023 Final in Pontevedra matched it. Alex Yee arrived as the Series leader with a slim advantage over Hayden Wilde. Having won five of the legs of the WTCS between them in 2023, the pair were the clear favourites for the world title. Moreover, they held a healthy advantage over Vasco Vilaca, the next closest chaser, as well as the French…

Read More

Tarentello Shocks Rodriguez While Ellis Adds Another World Title

Benjamin Eastman

Based on the evidence of the World Para-Triathlon Championships last year, it would have taken a brave gamble to bet against Dave Ellis and Susana Rodriguez repeating their respective triumphs in the PTVI class. Both had been imperious in Abu Dhabi in 2022 and it seemed unlikely that either would be beaten anytime soon. Nevertheless, when they arrived in Pontevedra to tackle the 2023 World Championships a coterie of challengers were ready and waiting to take their shots at the wearers of the crowns. Among the men, Ellis (B3), faced…

Read More

Schipper Stuns Plat In PTWC Race While Parker Takes Title

Benjamin Eastman

The PTWC races at the World Para-Triathlon Championships in Pontevedra saw a contrasting pair of races. In the women’s event, Kendall Gretsch (H2) of America and Lauren Parker (H1) of Australia renewed their long-running rivalry. Between them, they had won the gold and silver medals at the Tokyo Olympics but Parker had since reigned undefeated. Having not been able to find a way past her rival all season, Gretsch arrived in Spain with the knowledge that she would have to pull out all of the stops to take the gold. Due to…

Read More

Simon Henseleit Cruises To World U23 Title In Emphatic Style

Benjamin Eastman

It is always easier to see the pattern once it has revealed itself. Until recently, Simon Henseleit had been enjoying a trajectory that indicated he had something special in store at the World U23 Championships in Pontevedra. He had made his World Cup debut in the same venue a year prior and entered the race with the best WTCS finish of the field, a 14th place earned in Hamburg in July. With a pair of European Cup wins earlier in the year as well as strong showings in the Bundesliga…

Read More

First Stops of 2024 WTCS and World Cup Calendar Announced

Benjamin Eastman

The World Triathlon Executive Board has confirmed the first batch of races due to take place in the 2024 season. As was the case in 2023, Abu Dhabi will play host to the opening race of the WTCS season. The athletes will return to the Middle East in March for another early start to the season. Two months later, the Series will return with its classic stop in Yokohama. At the end of May, the third race will take place in Cagliari. Hamburg will then occupy its standard July slot.…

Read More

The Start List Cheat Sheets For 2023 WTCS Final Pontevedra

Benjamin Eastman

For the last time in the 2023, the athletes will line up to contest the WTCS. Ahead of the conclusion of the season, we are taking a look at the performances of each starting athlete over the Olympic distance in 2022 and 2023. In the below cheat sheets, we take a number of WTCS data points to determine a base line for each individual. To start with, we look at their average time behind the fastest swimmer as well as their average position out of the water. This should offer…

Read More

What You Need To Know About The WTCS Final Pontevedra Course

Benjamin Eastman

The course at the WTCS Final in Pontevedra has something for everyone. The river swim should offer fairly fast conditions and the more confident open water swimmers should be able to gain some time. The bike then balances a lack of technical sections with a minor climb. As such, the weaker cyclists face a lesser risk of losing time around a series of tight corners while the more powerful athletes will be able to drop the hammer on the hill. Finally, the run is mostly flat but has enough bumps…

Read More

First Look at the Tongyeong World Cup 2023 Start Lists

Benjamin Eastman

The Tongyeong World Cup comes a week after the Chengdu World Cup and marks the second of the three Asian stops in the autumn block of the circuit. After France dominated the women’s race last year, with Audrey Merle winning and Mathilde Gautier making the podium, they will have no female representatives this time round. On the men’s side, though, Matthew McElroy is pencilled in to defend the gold medal he won in 2022. A fast Sprint distance will be on offer as will crucial points towards world and Olympic…

Read More

Alvarez To Take On The Field At The World U23 Champs

Benjamin Eastman

In contrast to the men’s race, none of the medallists from the 2022 World U23 Championships return in the women’s event. Nevertheless, a stellar field will fight to make the podium this year and plenty will have realistic hopes of winning the gold. Although there are no returning medallists, one athlete returns that was a major part in determining the 2022 gold. Jessica Fullagar’s attack on the bike with Kate Waugh went a long in setting up Waugh’s eventual victory. Already this season, she has offered proof of her capacity…

Read More

Huys Comes Close To Time Trial Medal At European Champs

Benjamin Eastman

Austrian Junior triathlete Tabea Huys narrowly missed out on a medal in the time trial at the European Cycling Championships. Racing in the Junior women’s event in Drenthe, Huys completed the 19.8km course in 27:04.14, earning 4th place. She finished less than 8 seconds away from the bronze medal. Meanwhile, the race was won by Federica Venturello of Italy in a time of 26:23.87. As a cyclist, Huys has shown plenty of promise. In August she raced at the World Cycling Championships in Glasgow and finished 20th in the Junior…

Read More

Defending Medallists and New Faces Hunt Men’s U23 Title

Benjamin Eastman

The men’s field at the World U23 Championships in Pontevedra is brimming with talent. Even with the withdrawal of the defending champion, Connor Bentley, the remainder of the 2022 podium returns. Gergely Kiss, last year’s silver medallist, and Hamish Reilly, who won bronze, both have proven themselves at the U23 level and can be expected to be in the thick of the action. Both also have recent results that suggest they will be big threats in Pontevedra. Reilly finished 3rd at the European U23 Championships (taking 5th in the Senior…

Read More