Year: 2023

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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Dijkstra and Slupek Take Wins At Tunisian African Cup

Benjamin Eastman

Les Berges du Lac – Tunis played host to the first of three African Cup races in November yesterday. With the event taking place over the Sprint distance, it proved a day for breakaways. In both the men’s and women’s races, the podium consisted entirely of athletes that escaped off the front. Moreover, both winners were able to capture the gold medals after disrupted seasons, giving both a boost before the 2024. Men’s race In the men’s race, Igor Dupuis led out the swim in a time of 9:09, carrying…

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The Rise of the Swim-Run Strategy in Elite Triathlon

Benjamin Eastman

When it comes to strategy in triathlon, some approaches are rather obvious. The run-centric approach of using a field-leading run split to win the race is perhaps the most basic way to win a race. Under this strategy, an athlete either has to be with the lead group when they arrive in T2, or at least close enough to the leaders, and then use their running superiority to win the race. World class exponents of this approach include Alex Yee and Hayden Wilde. Similarly, the breakaway approach is a recognisable…

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Strategy and the Value of Multiple Threats in the Men’s WTCS

Benjamin Eastman

Yesterday, we introduced the concept of strategy in the WTCS and surveyed the female gold medallists from the current Olympic cycle that could lay claim to being a multi-strategy athlete. The conclusion was that Beth Potter, Flora Duffy and Georgia Taylor-Brown are the three multi-strategy athletes that are currently operating in the women’s Series. As it happens, the trio have also won all four of the world titles since 2020. In this article, we will be turning to the men’s Series and considering which of the WTCS gold medallists in…

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Talking Strategy and Race Approaches in the Women’s WTCS

Benjamin Eastman

There are many ways to skin a cat. Equally, there are several ways to win a WTCS race. Strategy is a slightly under-developed concept in triathlon, in part because in plenty of cases an athlete’s make-up means that they only have one way of succeeding at the top level. All things being equal, the fastest runner in the field does not need to bury themselves in a breakaway to win a race. Moreover, the fast swimmer that lacks running speed will be unlikely to plump for a run-driven strategy. In…

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Main Talking Points From The 2023 Pan American Games

Benjamin Eastman

In addition to the outstanding performances by Miguel Hidalgo and Lizeth Rueda Santos, the triathlon at the 2023 Pan American Games held plenty of talking points to track. In addition to the dog that tagged along for the ride on the bike, the races saw a number of sub-plots, including breakaways, super splits, multi-sport endeavours and more. Messias lets rip Manoel Messias found himself out of contention in the men’s race as he arrived into T2. Having won two WTCS medals in 2023, in Abu Dhabi and Montreal, he was…

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The Bundesliga Star Performers of 2023 – Women Part 2

Benjamin Eastman

After surveying part 1 of the star performers of the 2023 women’s Bundesliga yesterday, in this article we will look at the remaining half of the top division. A range of factors can separate one teammate from another and it is a subjective measurement to call anyone the top performer when there is so much variety in appearances and performances. Generally, though, it is possible to pinpoint a star for each team. Team Berlin – 2nd Berlin enjoyed a wonderful season as they took 2nd place overall and Céline Kaiser…

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Rueda and Hidalgo Triumph at 2023 Pan American Games

Benjamin Eastman

The Americas Championships over the Olympic and Sprint distances have been and gone this autumn. However, championship racing for the region still had an event to go. The Pan American Games are a quadrennial competition for the countries of the Americas with the 2023 edition being hosted by Santiago, Chile. In a similar manner to the Asian Games, the event offers immense regional prestige. Taking place every four years, a Pan American Games gold can also be an elusive medal with athletes only ever getting a few bites at the…

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The Bundesliga Star Performers of 2023 – Women Part 1

Benjamin Eastman

After working through the top performers of each men’s team in the 2023 men’s Bundesliga, today it is the turn of the women. As much as the Bundesliga is a team competition, there is nonetheless plenty of space for individuals to stand out. To find the top performer of a team, a number of considerations have to be taken into account. The number of appearances an athlete makes plays a big part. At the same time, the value of each contribution matters. For example, a medal-winning performance stands out as…

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First European Dates Confirmed For 2024 Season

Benjamin Eastman

The European triathlon calendar for 2024 is starting to take shape. Europe Triathlon recently confirmed the opening salvo of events, including the schedule for the European Cups and European Junior Cups as well as the European Super Sprint Championships. The Super Sprint event will be returning to Balikesir, Turkey, in August. Earlier this year, the 2023 event took place in the same city with Ricardo Batista and Mathilde Gautier coming away with the wins. In 2024, Balikesir will host the European Super Sprint Championships between 9-11 August. It will also…

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Breaking Down The WTCS Medal Winners Of 2023

Benjamin Eastman

There are plenty of ways to slice up the WTCS. The points tally is the most obvious way of doing so, although even that can be fiddled with to create new ways of viewing the standings. One of the most basic ways of assessing the season is by looking at the medals won. On the one hand it offers an alternative metric for consistency as well as for who the most dominant athlete could have been. On the other, it also provides a means of assessing the depth of the…

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The Bundesliga Star Performers of 2023 – Men Part 2

Benjamin Eastman

Today we are picking up on the second half of the star performers in the 2023 men’s Bundesliga. In this series, we are unearthing the most important performers for each team in the competition. The term “most important” is at best a subjective measure. Among the contributing factors are how often an athlete appeared for their team, how high they finished or whether they even won a medal. In addition, their impact on their team’s overall final position in a round is also of significance. As much as a single…

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The Bundesliga Star Performers of 2023 – Men Part 1

Benjamin Eastman

At its heart, the Bundesliga is a team competition. Any individual can enjoy a great race but if they don’t have the teammates to support them their result will not ultimately count for much in the overall standings. Nevertheless, there will always be scope for certain athletes to play a particularly important role for a team. After all, the athlete that steps up and logs a high finish but does not have teammates finishing in similar positions may be the only thing keeping the team off the bottom of the…

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