Author: Benjamin Eastman

ASICS World Triathlon Team Taking New Members in 2023

Benjamin Eastman

World Triathlon have announced that applications for the 2023 World Triathlon Team are now open. The ASICS World Triathlon Team was created to provide a developmental pathway for athletes outside the traditional routes into elite triathlon. A more detailed background into the Team is available here. Two current Team members, Jawad Abdelmoula (MAR) and Diego Moya (CHI), are currently in line to qualify for the Paris Olympics Games through the individual Olympic qualification rankings. Indeed, Abdelmoula and Moya are two of the current success stories of the programme. Historic successes…

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First Blood of 2023 To Go to Wilde in Abu Dhabi

Benjamin Eastman

The men’s race at WTCS Abu Dhabi essentially boils down to one question. Will the French make their strategy stick? We noted that several of the French men have highlighted their swimming on social media in the run up to the first race of the season. This came after swim-driven breakaways saw French athletes win the last two WTCS races of 2022. If the French are able to pull the same trick again, that will set the table for how the race can pan out. The obvious beneficiary of the…

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Another Win For Velasquez as Sobey Also Wins in La Habana

Benjamin Eastman

The racing in South America continued with an Olympic distance Americas Cup in La Habana, Cuba. The main story line heading into the race was whether Maria Carolina Velasquez Soto would win a third race in row. She won last week in Venezuela and at her last race of 2022. Men’s race Darr Smith wore number 1 while last week’s silver medallist in La Guiara, Venezuela, Irving Perez, wore number 2. All eyes at the start, though, were on Slovakian athlete Richard Varga. As one of the best swimmers in…

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Maselspoort Wins Earned by Beisenbayev and De Koning

Benjamin Eastman

A busy weekend of racing continued in Maselspoort, South Africa. In the first African Cup race of 2023, the athletes took on the Sprint distance although neither the men’s nor the women’s race had over twenty-five starters. Both fields were therefore marked by small groups on the bike. Men’s race Despite the warm water (with temperatures recorded at 23.8ºC), the men swam in wetsuits. That resulted in some solid times being recorded. Ayan Beisenbayev of Kazhakstan led the men as he produced a 9:14 split. Beisenbayev had previously won four…

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Duffy and Taylor-Brown Split TriStats Poll for 2023 Crown

Benjamin Eastman

Earlier this week, we put out a poll asking who you think will win the women’s WTCS in 2023. Prior to the poll, we wrote about the four favourites for the new season and suggested that any one of several women could take the world title. In the end, though, the votes consolidated around the leading duo of the past few years. The results Georgia Taylor-Brown narrowly led the votes with Flora Duffy close behind. They have occupied the top-2 positions at essentially every major race of the past two…

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Lukas Pertl and Xinyu Lin Earn Gold at Hong Kong Asia Cup

Benjamin Eastman

Hong Kong played host to the first Asia Cup race of 2023. It has been a long-awaited return to the city. The last Asia Cup to be held on the island was in October 2018 after travel restrictions made it virtually impossible during the pandemic. Hong Kong also saw a sizeable contingent of local and Chinese athletes take the start line. China in particular has been absent for much of the past few years, with few of its athletes making international appearances in triathlon. Men’s race The Pertl brothers, Lukas…

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Norwegian Athletes Run Fast Times at Barcelona Half Marathon

Benjamin Eastman

Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden have put Norway on the triathlon map to an unprecedented degree through their racing and training antics. Not to be ignored, a cohort of Norwegian triathletes recently took on the Barcelona half marathon. The half marathon represented an early opportunity in the year to test out running fitness before sharpening as the triathlon season proper takes hold. Solveig Løvseth was among those that took part. Løvseth made her WTCS debut in Yokohama in 2021. She finished 24th that day which remains her best finish at…

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Votes for the Men’s WTCS Winner 2023 Completely Split

Benjamin Eastman

As if to confirm how fine the margins appear at the top of the men’s WTCS going into the new season, our poll to see who people expect to win the Series was completely split. The results In our preview of the main contenders, we noted how close the men are and each of the four contenders received a substantial number of votes. Alex Yee received the most of any one individual. He won three WTCS races last season and will be looking to go even better this year. The…

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Prosser and Course Crowned as Oceania Junior Champs

Benjamin Eastman

Alongside the Oceania Cup, the Oceania Junior Championships took place in Taupo, New Zealand. In the women’s race, Hannah Prosser put together a consummate performance to take the win. She recorded a solid 10:02 in the swim to remain within range of the leaders and then added a strong showing on the bike to assert herself towards the front into T2. It was her run, though, that truly separated her. Prosser produced a time of 18:52 to take the win. For context, Gwen Jorgensen ran 18:31 and Nicole Van Der…

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What Did We Learn in Jorgensen’s First Race Back?

Benjamin Eastman

Well, that went smoothly. Gwen Jorgensen took to the start line in her first triathlon since the WTCS Final in Cozumel in 2016 as she raced at the Oceania Cup in Taupo. Taupo represented the first step in her comeback with her over-arching goal being making the American Olympic team in 2024. Her return itself is a huge undertaking after having a second child. After such a prolonged absence from the sport, it is as refreshing for fans as it is brave of her to return. By its nature of…

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Van Der Kaay and Castro Fajardo Take the Wins in Taupo

Benjamin Eastman

The second Oceania Cup of the season kicked off in Taupo with several athletes staying in New Zealand having already raced in Wanaka last week. There was, however, one major addition to the start list. Gwen Jorgensen, the former Olympic champion, would be racing for the first time since announcing her comeback to the sport. With both race winners from Wanaka, Nicole Van Der Kaay and Callum Mcclusky, in the mix, Taupo promised to be a fast race. Women’s race Under slightly overcast conditions, the athletes charged into Lake Taupo.…

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Flora Duffy Recovering From 2022 Knee Injury

Benjamin Eastman

The defending world champion, Flora Duffy, has revealed that she is currently rehabilitating a knee injury that she sustained last year. In an Instagram post, she revealed the she is enjoying a slower start to the year. As part of that process, she will not be racing at WTCS Abu Dhabi. This approach explains why she was not on the start list while some of her rivals to the WTCS title were. The main information she shared, though, pertained to a knee injury that she suffered in 2022. At this…

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Will Russia Return to Elite Triathlon in 2023?

Benjamin Eastman

Today marks one year since Russia invaded Ukraine and plunged Europe into one of the bloodiest conflicts since 1945. At this time, there is little indication that the war will end soon as talk of peace has not advanced beyond the most basic of stages. Thousands have died. Millions have fled from their homes to safety in other European countries. To talk of sport in such a world seems small. Nevertheless, there is a conversation to be had. That conversation revolves around the presence of Russian athletes going forward. In…

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The Money That Connects the Arena Games and Zwift

Benjamin Eastman

Tomorrow the Arena Games return for 2023. For those unfamiliar with the concept, the Arena Games began in 2020 during the pandemic-induced lockdowns as an alternative method of holding elite triathlons. The athletes race a series of short triathlons, with the disciplines taking place in the pool, on a Zwift-connected bike and on a self-powered treadmill. This made events contained and feasible under the contemporary public health guidance. Since 2020, the Arena Games has continued. Furthermore senior members of the Super League Triathlon team have indicated that they would like…

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Cassandre Beaugrand Rips a 15:39 5km On the Road

Benjamin Eastman

Nine days before taking the start line at WTCS Abu Dhabi, Cassandre Beaugrand produced a blistering 15:39 at the Derby Midweek 5km. Taking place yesterday (Wednesday 22/2/22), Beaugrand was the second finisher home, having been narrowly pipped to the win by fellow Loughborough triathlete Ben Bishop. Beaugrand is one of the favourites for the world title this year. In recent years, the four time WTCS medallist has established herself as one of the foremost swimmers and runners in the field. A sub-16 minute performance at any point in the year…

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