This weekend sees a double header of World Cup racing in Huatulco and Samarkand. As the final World Cup events of the Olympic qualification window, there will be plenty on the line. One athlete in Huatulco, though, faces a unique challenge.
Anahi Alvarez Corral will look to defend her World Cup win from 2023 on home soil. Last year, Alvarez claimed victory on the back of a storming run split, demonstrating a level of speed that even Gwen Jorgensen simply could not live with. Her challenge will be to repeat the trick and deliver another gold to the Mexican crowd.
Should the race in Huatulco come together in a large pack, it is hard to see Alvarez losing. Indeed, as long as she is within 30 (or even 45) seconds of the leaders in T2, she will probably have enough in the tank to win the race. On paper, at least, there are not quite as many threats in the swim as there have been at some other World Cups this season. There are certainly very good swimmers, but the race looks like could come together before the run.
Nevertheless, a win for Alvarez is far from a foregone conclusion. Several noteworthy threats will also take to the start line, such as Maria Carolina Velasquez Soto. The Colombian athlete has plenty of running speed and won the silver medal at the Wollongong World Cup last month. Most significantly, she is also a fantastic cyclist. If anyone can break clear of the pack in the second discipline, chances are it will be Velasquez.
Lisa Perterer will also be racing and is renowned for her love of hot conditions. Should Huatulco hold to form, a difficult day could be on offer for the field which will only strengthen Perterer’s case for a medal. Furthermore, the World U23 Championships silver medallist Maria Tomé will likely be a major threat.
Rachel Klamer should be in the mix and narrowly missed a medal in Wollongong. She will start as the number 1 athlete, however her focus may be on the Mixed Team Relay Olympic qualifier that falls the day before the women’s race. One of her main goals is to compete alongside her husband Richard Murray at the Paris Olympics in the relay. Should Klamer accomplish her relay mission in Mexico, then, the World Cup may become more of an afterthought.
Dominika Jamnicky is in a similar boat. The relay could prove her key to the Games and so she will look to produce a big performance in the qualifier on Friday. However, Jamnicky can also qualify individually with a big World Cup result. Whereas Klamer will be at the Games regardless of the relay, Jamnicky will have two shots at boosting her qualification chances in Huatulco. She finished in the top-5 at the race last season and will look for an even better result this time round to strengthen her Paris odds.
Finally, Erika Ackerlund will probably figure prominently throughout the race. At every level, Ackerlund has been an extremely consistent performer. To make the next step in her career, she may need to get accustomed to fighting for medals on a more regular basis and to that end Huatulco could be a perfect test case. Ackerlund is strong across the board and has everything she needs to win the race. Her challenge will be to make it happen on the day.
TriStats Predictions
- Anahi Alvarez Corral
- Maria Carolina Velasquez Soto
- Lisa Perterer
- Rachel Klamer
- Maria Tomé
