Veracruz, Mexico, will play host to the Americas Championships over the Olympic distance this weekend. The elite women’s race will take place on Saturday while the elite men will compete on Sunday. In both, a separate U23 classification will be extracted from the results.
Fresh off his win at the Weihai World Cup, Crisanto Grajales will fly the flag for the home team. In China, he showed marvellous composure on the run to overcome his rivals and take the gold. If he can manage a similar performance this weekend, he could make it two wins in two races.
One challenge will be the shift in time zone. Having raced on practically the other side of the world, Grajales will have to navigate a long journey back and the toll that entails.
Should he suffer from any lingering jet-lag or fatigue, there are plenty of men that could step up and claim the Americas title.
His compatriot, Aram Michell Peñaflor Moysen, is an obvious threat. Peñaflor won Central American and Caribbean Games earlier in the summer and has a strong record on home soil having also medalled at the Huatulco World Cup in June.
World Cup medallist Diego Moya will also be a threat while Tyler Smith of Bermuda will be racing after claiming a WTCS personal best finish in Sunderland.
A Canadian contingent containing Aiden Longcroft-Harris, Martin Sobey, Clayton Hutchins and more will be tough to overcome. On a fast, flat course they could cause problems for plenty of athletes.
Matthew Wright will also look to bring home a medal for Barbados. Wright has enjoyed plenty of Continental Cup success in 2023, including a win in Sharm El-Sheikh.
From the U23 ranks, Brock Hoel and John Reed stand out as two of the most prominent dangers.
On the women’s side, Rosa Maria Tapia Vidal will lead the charge for Mexico. Having won a maiden WTCS medal in Yokohama, Tapia has proven herself at the highest level of the sport and will look to add a Continental Championship title to her season haul.
She added finishes of 10th at WTCS Cagliari and 14th at WTCS Montreal to her Yokohama medal. As such, she has been fairly consistent this season. To date, however, she has never claimed an individual international gold medal. Veracruz might just be the perfect race to rectify that.
Several athletes will block Tapia’s path to the gold. Erica Hawley will be a major threat after claiming a first World Cup medal in Yeongdo earlier in August. Prior to that, Hawley also took a first ever international win at the Americas Cup in Montreal. Following a summer of firsts, she could add a first championship title.
Emy Legault and Dominika Jamnicky present formidable opposition from the Canadian team. Jamnicky has been in fantastic form this season while Legault won the bronze medal at the equivalent championship in 2022. As the highest returning finisher from last year, Legault will fancy her chances of taking the win.
Gina Sereno, a World Cup medallist, will carry the American hopes in Veracruz. Like Smith, she logged a personal best WTCS finish in Sunderland. Meanwhile, Djenyfer Arnold will be the only female starter for Brazil. Both Sereno and Arnold have WTCS experience to call upon and should be in the mix.
Elizabeth Bravo likewise has plenty of experience to call upon while Natalia Casas will be racing on the back of her win at the Americas Cup in Edmonton.
In addition, there is plenty of talent in the U23 ranks.
Anahi Alvarez Corral, the winner of the Huatulco World Cup, stands out as a bona fide contender. Notwithstanding the speed of Tapia, Jamnicky and more, Alvarez is on paper the fastest runner in the race. With the bike course being flat, she could make her way into the front group and blast her way to the gold.
Her teammate, Mercedes Romero Orozco, will also be a challenger. Romero won bronze in Huatulco. Like Alvarez, she has plenty of running speed.
Anja Krueger only has two international starts to her name yet has won medals in each. At the Americas Cup in Long Beach, she came away with the win. That came after she earned a bronze medal at the Americas Cup in Montreal. Veracruz will represent a step up for her but her form should inspire confidence that she could fare well.
Finally, the Chilean Junior, Dominga Elena Jacome Espinoza, could be a factor. Jacome finished at the 6th World Junior Championships. Perhaps of greater relevance was her 4th place at the South American Championships over the Olympic distance in Villarrica. With a strong all-round skillset, she could land in the front group. She might not yet have the strength to win the race, but a medal is not necessarily out of the question.
