Category: Comment

Higher and higher we rise in the Top 30, and the chances of Olympic glory and WTCS success look all the stronger. In this section, WTCS medallists and Continental champions abound. Any of them could be an outside runner to make the Olympic podium or the overall WTCS podium. Some of the difficulty in separating the names arises from whether they are likely to have a couple of outstanding performances or if they are likelier to be consistent across the season. Perhaps more than anywhere else in the ranking, the…

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As we get higher in the Top 30, the balance between potential Olympic success and WTCS success becomes more pronounced. At their best, everyone in this section can medal in the WTCS and some of the difficulty in separating them arises from whether they are likely to have a couple of outstanding performances or if they are likelier to be consistent across the season. Perhaps more than anywhere else in the ranking, the difference between who would win on any given day (for which Olympic success can be a proxy)…

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In this next segment of the TriStats Top 30, we are entering the territory of the athletes that can push for WTCS medals and World Cup wins. To put the rankings together, WTCS performances have generally taken priority. At the same time, results at World Cups and Continental Championships also feature and attempts have been made to strike a balance between the different levels of the sport. Moreover, we have tried to weigh the consistency of some athletes against the medal-winning exploits of others. Remember, these rankings are not intended…

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In this next segment of the TriStats Top 30, we are entering the territory of the athletes that can push for WTCS medals and World Cup wins. To put the ranking together, WTCS performances have generally taken priority. At the same time, results at World Cups and Continental Championships also feature and attempts have been made to strike a balance between the different levels of the sport. Moreover, we have tried to weigh the consistency of some athletes against the medal-winning exploits of others. There will always be an element…

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In this instalment of the women’s Top 30 Triathletes for 2024, we will be casting an eye of the names occupying places 24 through 19. While we have attempted to strike a balance between the different levels of the sport, WTCS performances have generally taken the priority. Results at World Cups and Continental Championships also feature while we have tried to weigh the consistency of some athletes against the medal-winning exploits of others and the potential of rising younger athletes against the experience of those nearer to the end of…

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We are back with the next cluster of athletes in the men’s Top 30 Triathletes for 2024. To compile the ranking, WTCS performances have generally taken the priority. At the same time, results at World Cups and Continental Championships also feature and attempts have been made to strike a balance between the different levels of the sport. Moreover, we have tried to weigh the consistency of some athletes against the medal-winning exploits of others. Remember, these rankings are not intended as a prediction for the year but rather as more…

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After starting with the men yesterday, today we are kicking off the women’s series in the TriStats Top 30 for 2024. The same parameters have been used to govern the women’s ranking as were applied with the men. In general, WTCS performances have taken priority but results at World Cups and Continental Championships also feature. Across the board, we have tried to find a balance between promise and experience, consistency and medals, and the different levels of the sport. It should also be noted that these rankings are not intended…

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It’s back! As we enter the Olympic season, the time has come to cast an eye over the men and women that form the TriStats Top 30 Triathletes. With so much talent on the World Triathlon scene, we have resisted the temptation to extend the list and, as a result, several worthy names have narrowly missed the cut. It should be noted that these rankings are not intended as a prediction for the year but rather more of a survey of how we feel the field stands going into the…

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It is a new year and a new batch of talented athletes are primed to make their move on the international stage. In this article, we highlight six up and coming athletes that could make a splash this season. As a disclaimer, we are not calling the athletes named here the definitive best athletes in the Junior/U23 categories. Instead we are highlighting six that look to have particular promise going forward.  The athletes still have to be eligible to race in either the Junior or U23 categories in 2024, so…

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Whereas a World Junior and European Junior title was enough to earn the mantle of the top Junior male triathlete of 2023, it is curiously not the case with the women. It may be a little inconsistent, and perhaps even a little controversial. After all, the athlete that won both titles could not have won a more important race at the Junior level. However, the top athlete here is actually one that did not take part in a single Junior race this season. Instead, the Junior Female Triathlete of 2023…

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Having assessed the top performances and the top athletes of each continent for 2023, we come to our final look back of the season. In this article, we are looking to the future as much as we are to the past, in a way, as we will attempt to determine which man was the best Junior triathlete of the year. The levels attained by Junior triathletes have been plain scary at times this season and the next generation looks to be seriously talented. Among the many contenders for the title…

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In 2023, there was a dominant force on the women’s Oceania triathlon scene. During the Antipodean season, one athlete proved untouchable at every race they attended. Thereafter, they went on to be the region’s best performer at the WTCS level. For combining local dominance and world-level success, there was thus no real question over who would be dubbed the Oceania Female Triathlete of 2023. Nicole Van Der Kaay (NZL) Nicole Van Der Kaay was superlative in the early part of the season. She crushed the Oceania Cups in Wanaka and…

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