Year: 2023

Positives To Take Amid World Cup Reality Check For Jorgensen

Benjamin Eastman

The return of former Olympic champion Gwen Jorgensen continued at the World Cup in New Plymouth this weekend. After winning a bronze medal in her first race back at the Oceania Cup in Taupo last month, it was hard going into New Plymouth to gauge where Jorgensen would fit. In our preview, we predicted a top-5 finish for her. Her run had looked strong in Taupo and with another month of training under her belt it did not seem too outlandish. At the same time, New Plymouth represented a step…

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Quarteira Junior Cup Goes Down to the Wire

Benjamin Eastman

After the excitement of the Quarteira European Cup yesterday, the European Junior Cup at the same venue took place today. A full strength French Junior contingent started off the back of their test weekend in Cannes. Although, Ilona Hadhoum was a late withdrawal. Her much anticipated showdown with Margareta Vrablova will have to wait for now. In both the men’s and women’s races, tight finishes were the order of the day. For much of the run, it was almost impossible to call the winner in either Sprint distance event. Women’s…

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Let’s Talk About Hayden Wilde’s Swim in New Plymouth

Benjamin Eastman

Hayden Wilde was peerless in the men’s field on his way to gold at the New Plymouth World Cup. After a difficult day at WTCS Abu Dhabi when he was let down by his equipment, he was quickly able to shake off any lingering disappointment and reaffirm his credentials as a challenger for the world title this season. En route to victory, he logged the fastest bike and run splits of the day and at no point did he look troubled by the challenge of those around him. Wilde’s prowess…

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Wilde Cruises to Homecoming Win in New Plymouth

Benjamin Eastman

As the men’s field ran into the Tasman Sea, all eyes were on home favourite Hayden Wilde. Last time out in New Plymouth, Wilde had come away with a 4th place. While Olympic and WTCS medals have followed in the subsequent four years, a World Cup win has eluded Wilde. In front of home crowds, he now had a chance to tick that box. A European double punch led the way in the water as youngsters Nicolò Strada and Ricardo Batista exited first in 9:01. Trent Thorpe was next out,…

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Van Der Kaay’s Golden Run Continues With Another Win

Benjamin Eastman

Overcast conditions awaited the athletes in New Plymouth as they walked out to the start line in the women’s race. The volcanic ash beach was perhaps appropriate given how Nicole Van Der Kaay’s form has erupted this season. After three consecutive wins, the question remained as to whether anyone could slow her inexorable run. In a wholly expected plot twist, it was Emma Jeffcoat that led out swim. Jeffcoat has been in sublime swimming form of late and looked in total control. The waves of the sea made it hard…

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Beaugrand a Class Apart as Thorn Shocks in Quarteira

Benjamin Eastman

As the European Cup season took its first steps into the Olympic distance for 2023, a field brimming with talent lined up in both the men’s and women’s events in Quarteira. Lisa Tertsch was a late withdrawal a few days prior but that did little to diminish what was already a hotly anticipated event. Women’s race Under sunny skies the women ran into the sea and the sea said no. For several athletes, the opening dolphin dives into the water did not quite bring the speed they may have hoped…

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De Koning Wins Again as Murray Bounces Back in Namibia

Benjamin Eastman

Swakopmund is rapidly becoming a vital hub in Namibia in the realms of triathlon and energy. A green hydrogen power station has been commissioned in the town and in November HDF (Hydrogen de France) Energy announced its financing of the plant. On a side note, HDF will also be financing Zimbabwe’s first hydrogen plant. Depending on one’s preference, critics of the move could reach either for complaints of neo-colonialism or of an over-extended neoliberalism, not least given the involvement of a western European nation-state. In the words of Taylor Swift,…

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How to Qualify for the 2024 Italian Olympic Triathlon Team

Benjamin Eastman

With a lot of young talent coming through, Italy could be a sleeping giant on the world stage in triathlon. In the here and now, though, the Italian team is already burgeoning with talent. The race to make the Olympic team in Paris will therefore be fierce. Despite a 4th place in Leeds last year, it also seems like we have not yet seen the full extent of what an Italian Mixed Team Relay is capable of. Expect that to change this year as the team pushes to lock up…

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Last Time Out: A Look Back to New Plymouth in 2019

Benjamin Eastman

It has been four years since the last World Cup race took place in New Zealand. For years, New Plymouth was a fixture on the circuit and served typically as an early season hit-out for some of the best triathletes in the world. This weekend, the event makes its long-awaited return. After that big thing happened in 2020, the world is a different place and so too is the landscape of elite triathlon. New Plymouth offers clues as to just how different the triathlon scene now looks. Upon looking back…

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Comparing the Performances of the French and German Juniors

Benjamin Eastman

The French and German Junior tests for 2023 took place less than two weeks apart with both containing a number of great performances. Given the talent involved and the proximity of the events, it is hard to avoid comparing how the respective athletes stack up against one another. The purpose of this article is not to say which country is better or which athletes were definitively the best. The goal is simply to mine the information available and see what comes out. It is important to note that the athletes…

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How Did the German Juniors Perform at Their Tests?

Benjamin Eastman

On Sunday, the first German Junior test took place in Leipzig. The athletes competed over a 400m swim and then a 3000m run, with a break between. The top-16 performers of each gender were subsequently invited to Kienbaum to participate in the second test. The top-3 finishers of each gender in Kienbaum would then be selected for the European Junior Cup in Caorle in May. In turn, the results at Caorle will determine the selection for the World Junior Championships in Hamburg. Today, we will be breaking down the performances…

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The Issues of the Recent African Cup Races

Benjamin Eastman

At the recent African Cups in Maselspoort and Nelson Mandela Bay, there have been some good races. At the same time, though, there have been a couple of factors that have undermined the events. These issues are organisational and do not detract from the performances of the athletes. After all, the athletes are showing up and putting their best foot forward. However, in light of the recent African Cups, it is clear that the events could benefit from some attention from World Triathlon going forward. The first issue is small…

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A New Plymouth Showdown Between Van Der Kaay and Dodet

Benjamin Eastman

Sometimes an athlete enters a run of form in which everything they touch turns to gold. In recent weeks Nicole Van Der Kaay has given every indication of being in that kind of form. In three races, she has rattled off three wins in Wanaka, Taupo and Devonport. The litmus test of her form now comes with the step up to the World Cup level. To date, Van Der Kaay has won a solitary medal at the World Cup level. That just happened to come at the New Plymouth World…

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How to Qualify for the 2024 German Olympic Triathlon Team

Benjamin Eastman

It is the stated goal of Germany to qualify three men and three women to the Paris Olympic Games in triathlon. At this point they are almost certain to qualify three women; a third male slot, by contrast, is still up in the air. We already know that Paris and Pontevedra will form the core components of the German selection criteria. However, the German Olympic Committee has since approved the full selection policy. Without further ado, then, let’s dive in to how the team will be picked. How will the…

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Wilde the Favourite at the New Plymouth World Cup

Benjamin Eastman

All eyes will be on Hayden Wilde this weekend as World Cup racing returns for 2023 in New Plymouth, New Zealand. One year ago, Wilde won the New Plymouth Oceania Cup. That was his first win of a 2022 that catapulted him to a new level in triathlon. Now he returns to face the same New Plymouth course and crowd, with dramatically elevated expectations. Wilde is the clear favourite going into the men’s race. Will he be able to deliver? On the one hand, Wilde is the only male WTCS…

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