The men’s World U23 champion, Connor Bentley, will not be defending his crown in Pontevedra. Having initially been named among the start lists for the event, he has since withdrawn.
In addition Bentley is not on the wait list for the WTCS Final in Pontevedra so it is unlikely that he will be racing at all. A late substitution into the Final is not on the cards either.
Alex Yee, Jonathan Brownlee and Barclay Izzard are the three British men in line to start in the Final and all have reasons to keep their spot. Yee is locked in a world title battle with Hayden Wilde. For him to withdraw now would be an odd decision to say the least.
Moreover, Izzard’s recent form has made Brownlee’s potential discretionary selection for the Paris Olympic Games seem a little less certain. Brownlee and Izzard could enhance their Olympic chances with a WTCS medal, although time is running out on that front. At this stage, momentum could prove important in the British race to the Paris Olympics. As such, both Izzard and Brownlee will look to maximise their racing opportunities.
On the note of the Olympic Games, Bentley could also figure, perhaps as a discretionary selection. However, not racing in Pontevedra will deprive him of a chance to showcase his skills to the selectors.
Bentley is still due to race at the Valencia World Cup this weekend so injury does not appear to be the cause behind his withdrawal from Pontevedra.
Another change has been made to the British World U23 team as Sophia Green is out. Pontevedra would have been her final championship as an U23 athlete as she will age up next year. Her next race will now be at the Tangier World Cup.
While the likes of Bentley and Green are out of the World U23 Championships, some new faces have been added to the start lists.
Jose Ignacio Galvez Ponce joins the Spanish men’s team. He is coming off a recent finish of 25th at the European U23 Championships in Balikesir.
Ábel Sinkó-Uribe will also now be racing for the Hungarian men’s team. He last raced internationally at the Tiszaujvaros World Cup, finishing 45th.
On the women’s side, Finja Schierl has been added to the German team. Among her best results of the year was a 5th place at the European Cup in Wels.
