On paper, the Australian team could have suffered at the Wollongong World Cup from the absence of Sophie Linn, their only female World Cup winner of recent times. However, in reality, the home team will be optimistic of doubling their World Cup gold medal tally for the season.
Several in-form Australian women will be starting. Ellie Hoitink is only a few days removed from her triumph at the Oceania Championships over the Olympic distance. She will be up against Jaz Hedgeland who won the equivalent title over the Sprint distance in March.
Richelle Hill impressed on her way to taking the silver medal in Taupo at the weekend. Given that she will be making her World Cup debut, it is a little harder to gauge how she will fare, although her performance at the Oceania Championships certainly gave reason to think she could log a high finish.
The Australian team will also be represented by some of the strongest swimmers in the field. With the likes of Emma Jeffcoat and Tara Sosinksi starting for the home team, the race could break up early. How the triple-H threat of Hoitink, Hedgeland and Hill deal with the swim could swing the outcome of the race. Should any of them falter, though, Jeffcoat, Sosinksi and others are more than capable of carrying the baton.
Of course, there will be several notable rivals for the home team to overcome. Sian Rainsley is the leading danger after she memorably won the Hong Kong World Cup. On her way to claiming her first world level win, Rainsley beat the likes of Katie Zaferes and Kirsten Kasper. Moreover, she was so good in all facets of her racing that it is hard to look beyond her for another win.
Rachel Klamer is another candidate to watch. Towards the end of 2023, she logged a mighty 5th place at WTCS Pontevedra and showed the clearest sign yet that she was overcoming the hamstring niggles that had dogged her. Should her run fire in the same way that it did at the WTCS Final, she will be tough to beat. She will also wear number 1 in Wollongong.
Another fast runner that could challenge the home team is Tilda Månsson. The Swedish athlete has at times been held back by her swim. Nevertheless, she has popped up to win a World Cup in each of the past two seasons, and was a double World Cup medallist in 2023.
On the note of World Cup medallists, all of Ilaria Zane, Tereza Zimovjanova, Romana Gajdošová, Lisa Perterer and Ainsley Thorpe won medals in 2023 and will look to add to their collection in Wollongong. Each brings a slightly different skillset to the table and could shape the race in their own way.
In addition, Roksana Slupek enjoyed a streak of Continental Cup wins through late 2023 and early 2024 and could translate her run into World Cup success. Likewise, Maria Carolina Velasquez Soto cannot be discounted.
All told, then, the Australian team can be confident, albeit in a tempered and cautious manner. After the double Australian gold at the Napier World Cup, the same result could be in the offing in Wollongong. For that to happen, though, they will need to find a way past several tough opponents, with Rainsley currently looking like the primary obstacle.
TriStats Predictions
- Sian Rainsley
- Ellie Hoitink
- Jaz Hedgeland
- Ainsley Thorpe
- Rachel Klamer
