Year: 2023

How to Qualify for the 2024 French Olympic Triathlon Team

Benjamin Eastman

This is the big one. France will be the home team at next year’s Olympic Games. They have the men’s defending world champion among their ranks. They are also the reigning Mixed Team Relay world champions. Along with Great Britain, they are one of the only countries with a realistic chance of sweeping golds in all three events in Paris. With lofty ambitions guiding the team, the French Federation have produced what might be the most stringent selection policy for the Games. As you will see below, the criteria are…

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Max Stapley is Officially a British Triathlete

Benjamin Eastman

After a year of racing under the World Triathlon colours, Max Stapley has officially completed his switch of sporting to nationality to Great Britain. The change took effect as as of 29th May 2023. Until 29th May 2022, Stapley represented Australia. However, he has always had somewhat of a nomadic existence as a triathlete. As a Junior athlete, he was often based in France. Indeed, in 2017 he raced at the European Junior Championships in Kitzbühel as an Australian. That day he finished 33rd. His World Cup debut for Australia…

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Races in Cagliari Shake Up The WTCS Rankings

Benjamin Eastman

By the slimmest of margins, Dorian Coninx is the new Series leader in the men’s WTCS. He nudged his nose 3 points ahead of Vasco Vilaca, the previous leader, after yet another top-5 finish. Across his three appearances this season, Coninx has mustered results of 5th, 4th and 4th. A first podium of the year beckons; with the likes of Alex Yee and Hayden Wilde closing in, though, as well as Vilaca and Leo Bergere, Coninx will need to land on the podium if he is to defend his lead.…

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Poetry in Motion at WTCS Cagliari 2023

Benjamin Eastman

Chapter 1: Abu Dhabi Chapter 2: Yokohama Chapter 3: Cagliari Two men skip stones along the shore. One turns to the other and says, “the best throw earns the gold”. With a small nod, the friend assents and waits as the first man, his stare intense, gazes over the sea. He casts his stone and as it skims over depths not yet known he yelps with glee. “Beat that, my man,” he crows. The second man ignores his friend. He knows what he will do. With a slow draw, he…

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A First European Championship Title For Luxembourg?

Benjamin Eastman

In the history of the European Championships, Luxembourg has won a solitary medal at the Senior elite event. That came back in 2009 when Elizabeth May took silver behind Nicola Spirig. Heading into the 2023 event in Madrid this weekend, the Grand Duchy might just have their best chance in over a decade to rise one step higher up the podium. Jeanne Lehair will arrive in Madrid on the back of 3rd place at the European Cup in Quarteira and 5th place at WTCS Cagliari. Since completing the switch of…

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Hedley and Okrafo-Smart Punch British World Junior Tickets

Benjamin Eastman

The selection race for the British team ahead of this year’s World Junior Championships in Hamburg took place on Sunday. With three slots to play for in both the men’s and women’s races, a collection of some of the best Junior talents in the country descended upon Mallory Park. Some athletes such as the winner of the Junior performance assessment, Lawrence Martindale, were unable to race due to injury. Millie Breese also did not race. Nevertheless, there was an impressive array of future prospects on display. In the women’s race,…

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The Debuts, PBs and Best Splits from WTCS Cagliari 2023

Benjamin Eastman

The Debuts WTCS Cagliari was not the easiest day to make a debut. The nature of the course made it easy to be lapped out and that is ultimately what happened to Garabedian and Peszleg. In making her first appearance in the Series, Garabedian became the first athlete from Cambodia to race in the WTCS. Prior to this year, Garabedian had represented France and she made her first start for her new country back in March. With her new nationality, Garabedian is expanding the frontiers of the sport. Hopefully her…

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Kovács and Vrablova Win Olsztyn European Junior Cup

Benjamin Eastman

In tandem with the European Cup in Olsztyn, two elite Junior fields took to the start line to contest the European Junior Cup at the venue. After the recent dabble with the Super Sprint distance at the European Junior Cup in Caorle, this time it was back to the Sprint distance for the field. Although slightly chilly weather awaited the athletes, they managed to heat up the day with their racing. Men’s race Márton Kropkó, the recently-crowned World Junior Aquathlon champion, made the most of his speed in the water…

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Can Lehmann Spoil Spain’s Day at Madrid European Champs?

Benjamin Eastman

The European Championships over the Olympic distance will take place in Madrid this weekend and the home Spanish team have a number of gold medal prospects. Leading the way will be Antonio Serrat Seoane, last year’s silver medallist from WTCS Bermuda. On his day, Serrat is one of the best runners in the field. His past two WTCS races in Yokohama and Cagliari did not go entirely to plan, however he did open his season with an 11th place at WTCS Abu Dhabi. If Serrat can get his swim right,…

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Furuya and Kishimoto Entertain Home Crowds in Osaka

Benjamin Eastman

With a home race in Osaka, an array of Japan’s best triathletes were determined to put on a show. With the Sprint distance on the agenda, the racing was as fast as promised by the organisers to the onlooking spectators. Men’s race Jumpei Furuya arrived in the city on the back of a win at the Asia Cup in Taizhou and it seemed that some parts of the field were determined to shake him off as quickly as possible. Mitsuho Mochizuki led the way in the water, clocking 9:00 for…

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The Statistical Breakdown of WTCS Cagliari 2023

Benjamin Eastman

WTCS Cagliari brought two fascinating races as Alex Yee and Georgia Taylor-Brown repeated their 2022 victories at the venue. Here we dive into the exact details of the race and the numbers behind the results reveal plenty. Swim Men The most obvious takeaway from the men’s swim distribution is how the peak concentration of athletes exited the water around 15 seconds after the fastest swimmer. As a result a large front pack was able to coalesce during the first bike lap. Although there was a split in the field in…

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6 Stories You Might Have Missed From WTCS Cagliari

Benjamin Eastman

Piece of cake for Le Corre Pierre Le Corre barely missed a beat. In fact, he made it all look a little easier than he probably should have. In his first WTCS race of the season, the recently-crowned world military champion claimed 5th place on the back of a consummate all-round display. He was also the only man to hang with Alex Yee and Hayden Wilde on the first lap of the run (notwithstanding Jonas Schomburg’s not-so-surprising sneak attack that put him in first place for a spell). In doing…

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German Double For Hellwig and Neubert In Yasmine Hammamet

Benjamin Eastman

After his win at the African Cup in M’Diq two weeks ago, Tim Hellwig was the prohibitive favourite in the men’s race in Yasmine Hammamet. Similarly, Tanja Neubert was the one to watch in the women’s race after impressing at Bundesliga Kraichgau last weekend. Although they faced fairly small fields, they nonetheless had to prove their mettle under the Tunisian sun. Men’s race Chris Ziehmer led the way in the swim although with most of the field bunching together the identity of the leader changed several times. Hellwig cruised 6…

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Bentley and Klamt Back Up Caorle Wins With Olsztyn Gold

Benjamin Eastman

The latest European Cup of the season took place in Olsztyn, Poland, the home of last year’s European Championships over the Super Sprint distance. This time round the athletes took on the Sprint distance. Women’s race It was the conviction with which Selina Klamt raced that impressed the most. From the starter’s signal in Olsztyn she was at the front of the field. Nor did she simply lead. Klamt made sure to push the pace and dared the field to keep up. Appoline Foltz of France ultimately led the way…

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The Hero We Deserve: Schomburg Earns Best WTCS Finish

Benjamin Eastman

He has an unorthodox habit of blasting out the first kilometre of every single run in a triathlon. And more often than not it does not fully pay off as he is caught. However it is hard to deny that Jonas Schomburg flaunts an exuberance in his racing that few can match. When he attacked at WTCS Cagliari on the run, it seemed like it would be like the previous times. Think WTCS Bermuda last year (yes, that’s him there attacking out of T2 pictured above). Think Bundesliga Kraichgau last…

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