Category: Analysis

Triathlons are notoriously difficult to compare. From different courses, profiles, and occasionally idiosyncratic measurements, there are plenty of factors that converge to make any comparison rather limited. Throw in the variance in participants and it very quickly looks like a futile pursuit. However, there is nonetheless a way to compare the relative strength of a field against another. Borrowing from the index system of the French federation, every race can be assigned a score based on the world rankings of those starting. Namely, the rankings of those in the top-8…

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Earlier this week, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that Russia will be allowed to race under neutral colours at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Strict eligibility conditions will be in place. For example, any athlete that has actively supported the war in Ukraine will not be allowed the compete. In the wider picture, though, Russian and Belarusian athletes will be at the Games next summer. The question to be asked here is what this means for triathlon. In April of this year, World Triathlon lifted its ban on Russian…

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After Oceania failed to earn a New Flag slot at the Tokyo Olympic Games, the situation looks different in the women’s event ahead of the Paris Olympics. Manami Iijima of Guam is slated to take the Oceania New Flag slot after two recent Asia Cup medals pushed her up the world rankings. First came her 2nd place at the Asia Cup in Kota Kinabalu. A week later, she repeated the trick with a 2nd place at the Asia Cup in Hong Kong. Those two results have lifted her to 161st…

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In 2024, there will likely be a major showdown between South Africa’s leading female triathletes in the hunt to claim the women’s African New Flag slot at the Paris Olympic Games. By way of reminder, to earn a New Flag place, an individual must be the highest ranked athlete from their continent and race for a country that has not already qualified an athlete of the same gender to Paris. Moreover, they must be inside the top-180 of the world rankings. Unlike their male counterparts, the South African women do not yet…

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In the female Americas New Flag race, it could be a repeat scenario from the Tokyo Olympic Games. In 2021, Romina Biagioli of Argentina earned the Americas New Flag slot. Looking ahead to 2024, she is in pole position to claim it again. As an aside, Felix Duchampt is in the same boat with respect to the European men’s New Flag place. To earn a New Flag place, an individual must be the highest ranked athlete from their continent and race for a country that has not already qualified an athlete of…

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In contrast to the European women’s New Flag race, the contest to earn the female Asian New Flag is not a particularly open affair. This is largely due to the fact that the athlete leading the way, Ekaterina Shabalina, is the highest ranked woman of any female athlete in contention for one of the five New Flags. Following her recent win at the Asian Sprint Championships, Shabalina sits in 50th in the world rankings with 2027 points (rounded) to her name. In addition to her Asian title to Saudi Arabia,…

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With a little over six months to go until the end of the Olympic qualification window, time is running out for athletes to stake their claim to race in Paris next summer. At this point in time, the races to take the New Flag slots at the coming Olympic Games are perhaps the most intense of any remaining contests. The Mixed Team Relay will have a qualification event in Huatulco next May, which will offer up plenty of drama, while the final few slots allocated in the individual Olympic qualification…

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The final men’s New Flag slot for the Paris Olympic Games does not currently have an eligible candidate. As things stand, Oceania does not have a male athlete (not from Australia or New Zealand who are all but guaranteed qualifiers) in side the top-180 of the world rankings. The crucial number is 841 points (rounded to the nearest integer) to take 180th in the rankings. The closest man from Oceania is Benjamin Zorgnotti of Tahiti. With 765 points, Zorgnotti finds himself 192nd in the world. Strong performances at the 2023…

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The race to claim the men’s African New Flag race once again highlights the importance of Continental Championships. As is the case in the Americas men’s race, in which Matthew Wright has assumed pole position in the race to Paris after winning the Americas Sprint Championships, a championship medal is currently making all the difference. Jean Gael Laurent L`entete of Mauritius is primed to take the African New Flag slot in large part due to his 3rd place at the African Sprint Championships in Blue Bay. That result earned 301…

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There is a clear front-runner in the race to claim the Americas male New Flag Olympic slot. In contrast to the Asian race, in which Jason Tai Long Ng and Ayan Beisenbayev are a hair-width apart in the world rankings, Matthew Wright has a considerable margin in the Americas contest. With a buffer of almost 500 points, Wright will head into 2024 as the prohibitive favourite to claim the New Flag place. As a reminder, a New Flag place at the Games is awarded to one man and one woman…

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Yesterday we kicked off a series of articles investigating the state of play in the New Flag races to the 2024 Olympic Games, starting with the European men. As a reminder, a New Flag place at the Games is awarded to one man and one woman for each of the five continental associations. The recipient must be the highest ranked athlete from their continent and race for a country that has not already qualified an athlete of the same gender to Paris. In addition, an athlete needs to be in the top-180…

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In 2023, only two women and four men managed to win more than two medals in the World Triathlon Championships Series. At the next rung down in the sport, the World Cup circuit, fewer athletes still matched the feat of winning more than two medals. Moreover, in total fourteen athletes won multiple WTCS medals this season. At the World Cup level, that number stood at eleven. Of course, one factor behind this is that the WTCS is structured to incentivise repeated attendance at the race. To be in contention for…

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In the wake of the final World Cup of 2023, the Olympic qualification rankings will be frozen in place until the first World Cup of 2024 takes place in Napier, New Zealand, in February. However, one pathway into the Olympic Games remains very much alive and kicking. One of the more exciting aspects of the qualification process is the New Flag system. One New Flag slot is available per gender for each of the five continental associations (Europe, Asia, Americas, Africa and Oceania). To earn a New Flag place at…

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