Category: Analysis

The WTCS Final in Pontevedra came to life in ways few would have imagined going into the event. The men’s in particular confounded expectations and produced the most exhilarating contest of the season. With minimal technical or topographical challenges on the course, the nature of the racing was almost entirely a product of the aggressive and smart moves by those at the front of the race. In this article, we will examine how the men’s and women’s races came together and unpack the details that made them so exciting. Swim…

Swim Matthew Hauser was a man on a mission in the swim at WTCS Pontevedra. He took control of the race early on and led for practically the entirety of the 1500. He was the first man out of the water and the only one to dip under 18 minutes; his final time was 17:57. Much of the drama that followed came from Hauser stretching the field. The likes of Alex Yee and Hayden Wilde lost around 50 seconds to the Australian which changed the complexion of the race and,…

There were no WTCS debuts in Pontevedra which makes sense given that the WTCS rankings determined the start list. What was a little more surprising was the fact that only two athletes managed to achieve a personal best WTCS finish at the race. Moreover, there was not a single personal best finish in the men’s event. All of the men’s podium had hitherto won a race. Coninx had two previous WTCS wins to his name, Tim Hellwig won in Hamburg in 2021 and Pierre Le Corre memorably triumphed in Sunderland…

Unlike the men’s competition, the women’s WTCS retained a semblance of order in Pontevedra. There would be no shocks, no upsets, simply an overpowering display of excellence from the new world champion, Beth Potter. With her win at the WTCS Final, Potter added 1250 points to her total, ending the season with 4559 points. Pontevedra was her fourth win of the year, after victories in Abu Dhabi, Montreal and Paris. A silver medal in Hamburg then completed what had been a near-perfect season. Having led going into the Final, Cassandre…

So… the final men’s WTCS standings look rather different than they did going into Pontevedra. Having entered the WTCS Final ranked 5th, Dorian Coninx launched himself to 1st place and the world title with a perfectly executed race. His 1250 points for the win helped him to a total of 4238, giving him the title by a handy margin. Hayden Wilde was one of the few athletes not to change positions. After his up-and-down day in Pontevedra, which included a disappointing swim, a shock penalty and then a huge charge…

For the last time in the 2023, the athletes will line up to contest the WTCS. Ahead of the conclusion of the season, we are taking a look at the performances of each starting athlete over the Olympic distance in 2022 and 2023. In the below cheat sheets, we take a number of WTCS data points to determine a base line for each individual. To start with, we look at their average time behind the fastest swimmer as well as their average position out of the water. This should offer…

The course at the WTCS Final in Pontevedra has something for everyone. The river swim should offer fairly fast conditions and the more confident open water swimmers should be able to gain some time. The bike then balances a lack of technical sections with a minor climb. As such, the weaker cyclists face a lesser risk of losing time around a series of tight corners while the more powerful athletes will be able to drop the hammer on the hill. Finally, the run is mostly flat but has enough bumps…

Although Beth Potter emerged as the winner at the Paris Olympic Test Event, it was actually Cassandre Beaugrand that assumed the leadership of the women’s WTCS standings. The French athlete has 3341 points while the Brit has 3309 points. Whoever crosses the line first at the WTCS Final in Pontevedra, then, will most likely come away with the world title. Of the two leading women, Beaugrand has the better previous WTCS Final finish. She achieved a 10th place last season in Abu Dhabi. Meanwhile, Potter’s best effort in a Final…

The 2023 WTCS looks as is it will boil down to a shoot-out between Alex Yee and Hayden Wilde. It was a similar story in 2022 and neither ended up taking the world title. Nevertheless, the pair have looked a cut above the rest of the field this season. In this article, we break down their seasons and show how they have stacked up against one another. Yee enters the WTCS Final in Pontevedra with the upper hand in the standings. On their day, though, both have shown the ability…