Year: 2023

Yee Voted As Favourite To Win Paris Olympic Test Event

Benjamin Eastman

At the weekend, we asked who you think will win the men’s race at the Paris Olympic Test Event. The results of the poll showed a clear favourite as Alex Yee came away with 42.0% of the vote. The winner of WTCS Abu Dhabi and WTCS Cagliari this year, Yee has been in red-hot form. The next biggest portion of the vote went to “someone else” (20.3%). Among this category are the likes of Kristian Blummenfelt, Dorian Coninx and Vincent Luis, each previously a WTCS race winner. Moreover, Vasco Vilaca,…

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Mills and Romanens Earn Wins at Riga European Junior Cup

Benjamin Eastman

In slightly cooler temperatures than the European Junior Championships in Balikesir last week, Riga played host to the latest European Junior Cup of the summer. Several athletes that had contested the championship in Balikesir travelled onwards to continue their season while many more athletes were in search of crucial experience. A Sprint distance race was on offer, although the bike was slightly longer than usual and the run a tad short. While the men swam in wetsuits, the women took on a non-wetsuit swim. Men’s race Lawrence Martindale worked his…

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Who Will Win The Women’s Paris Olympic Test Event?

Benjamin Eastman

Having asked who will win the men’s Olympic Test Event yesterday, today we are turning to the women’s race in Paris. As expected, Georgia Taylor-Brown has withdrawn from the event and is no longer listed on the start list. Even with her absence, there will still be three WTCS race winners from the 2023 season taking part. Beth Potter won the season opener in Abu Dhabi and then followed it up with a gold medal in Montreal. Between those events, Sophie Coldwell claimed gold in Yokohama (having earned silver in…

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Who Will Win The Men’s Paris Olympic Test Event?

Benjamin Eastman

As the Paris Olympic Test Event draws closer, it is time to have your say over who you think will claim the win in the men’s race. Four men have won WTCS races this season. Alex Yee looked unbeatable at Abu Dhabi and then came out on top in a nail-biting clash with Hayden Wilde in Cagliari. In between, Wilde powered to victory in Yokohama and then added another win in Hamburg. Matthew Hauser claimed his first ever WTCS win in Montreal while Pierre Le Corre did the same in…

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Will Bergere Step Closer To Completing Character Arc In Paris?

Benjamin Eastman

With the structure of elite triathlon, the tendency is to bounce from race to race and rattle through the season. The WTCS tries to balance between scarcity, to make every event special, and frequency, to give the audience as much racing at it craves. Sometimes, though, it can be worth zooming out. If we take a broader picture, one that encompasses this entire Olympic cycle for example, different questions can be posed. Instead of asking the more basic questions such as who will win the Paris Test Event, we can…

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Back to the Future: The American Olympic Race in Paris

Benjamin Eastman

In many respects, over the post-Tokyo Olympic cycle the American women’s team has come full circle. Whereas some countries, such as Germany, have seen a myriad of shifts during this cycle, America finds itself essentially right back where it started. Alarmingly for the rest of the world, that position is one of strength. The Paris Olympic Test Event will be the first chance for any of the US squad to qualify for next year’s Olympic Games. Three of the five starters can head to the race in particularly high spirits…

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Who Are The Oldest and Youngest First-Time WTCS Race Winners?

Benjamin Eastman

Is age just a number? Last month, Pierre Le Corre earned his first ever WTCS gold medal with a brilliant performance in Sunderland at the age of 33. His achievement raises a question. How old have the oldest first-time winners in the WTCS been? To go with that, how young have the youngest first-time winners been? In this article, then, we dive into the oldest and youngest first-time winners throughout the history of the WTCS. The Oldest As it turns out, Le Corre is in fact the oldest man to…

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First Look at the Karlovy Vary World Cup 2023 Start Lists

Benjamin Eastman

Karlovy Vary is home to one of the toughest courses on the international circuit. Racing in the city dates back to 1999 although it only actually became a World Cup event in 2017. Famed for its tough bike course, it is always a real test for the athletes that take it on. The timing of this year’s iteration may have influenced the attendance of some athletes. The event falls only a fortnight before the WTCS Final. Taking on such a difficult Olympic distance race may therefore not line up with…

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Changes Made To Paris Olympic Test Event Start Lists

Benjamin Eastman

With only a week to go until the Paris Olympic Test Event, several updates have been made to the start lists. The newest European champion, Ricardo Batista, has been added to the men’s start list and will be racing for Portugal. Batista claimed both the Senior and U23 titles over the Super Sprint in Balikesir with an imperious performance. Judging by his recent form, he could certainly enliven the race in Paris. While Batista has been added, two stalwarts of the Portuguese team are no longer due to start as…

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The Splits Breakdown of the 2023 Euro Super Sprint Champs

Benjamin Eastman

Swim The World U23 silver medallist, Gergely Kiss, produced the best split of the final at the European Championships in Balikesir, clocking 3:01 for the 270m. Kiss did not, however, log the quickest split of the weekend. That honour went to Alessio Crociani in the first semi-final as he hit a time of 2:59. Nicola Azzano was the second fastest man in the water in the final with a 3:03. Esteban Basanta Fouz and Jan Diener then followed with a 3:04 split. Crociani was 6 seconds slower than his sem-final…

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Gorman To Make First International Start Since Broken Sacrum

Benjamin Eastman

Over the past week, a couple of changes have been made to the Valencia World Cup start lists. The likes of Sophie Coldwell, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Vetle Bergsvik Thorn have withdrawn from the event. The Spanish contingent has also grown following the additions of Marina Muñoz Hernando, Paula Del Pozo Borrachero, Natalia Castro Santos and Iratxe Arenal Arribas, among others. One name, though, stood out among the new faces. Tamara Gorman, the former World Junior and World U23 champion, will be making her first international appearance since suffering a broken…

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The Top Splits at the 2023 European Junior Champs

Benjamin Eastman

Swim In the Junior men’s final, Zalán Hóbor led the way in a time of 3:02. The Hungarian arrived in Balikesir on the back of wins at the European Junior Cups in Tiszaujvaros and Tabor. He had also been a part of the breakaway at the World Junior Championships in Hamburg. His strategy was therefore clear from the start as he tried to pressure the rest of the field. Pietro Giovannini was the next man out in 3:04. In the second Junior men’s semi-final, Hóbor and Giovannini had each clocked…

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The Splits Breakdown of the Yeongdo World Cup 2023

Benjamin Eastman

Swim The swim was a key component in setting up the men’s race in Yeongdo as only seven men dipped under 9 minutes for the 750m. Max Stapley led the way into T1, along with Aiden Longcroft-Harris, in a time of 8:55. Trent Thorpe, Daniel Dixon and Kyotaro Yoshikawa followed in 8:57 while Takumi Hojo and Valentin Wernz were the other men under 9 minutes in 8:58 and 8:59, respectively. Stefan Zachaeus was the next man out in 9:03. Along with a couple of others, he was able to make…

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The Musical Chairs of Germany’s Top Female Triathletes

Benjamin Eastman

Ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, the German Triathlon Union faced a decision. They had managed to qualify two women for the Games, with one of the slots being assigned to Laura Lindemann. The second slot, though, remained up for grabs. To determine the recipient, a trial race over the Super Sprint distance was held. The rationale behind the trial was to find the athlete best able to assist with earning a medal in the Mixed Team Relay. Beyond Lindemann, however, hopes on the women’s individual front were…

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Batista and Gautier Claim Super Sprint European Crowns

Benjamin Eastman

The second European titles of the summer were settled in Balikesir, Turkey. After the fields were cut down to thirty men and thirty women over the course of the semi-finals, an array of excellent athletes lined up to dive into the sparkling, almost turquoise water. Women’s race Mathilde Gautier and Selina Klamt imposed themselves early in the swim and exited with an early lead. Both clocked 3:18 for the 270m which earned them a scant lead of 2 seconds over Tilly Anema of Britain. The lead trio exited T1 practically…

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