Category: Comment

Main Talking Points From The 2023 Pan American Games

Benjamin Eastman

In addition to the outstanding performances by Miguel Hidalgo and Lizeth Rueda Santos, the triathlon at the 2023 Pan American Games held plenty of talking points to track. In addition to the dog that tagged along for the ride on the bike, the races saw a number of sub-plots, including breakaways, super splits, multi-sport endeavours and more. Messias lets rip Manoel Messias found himself out of contention in the men’s race as he arrived into T2. Having won two WTCS medals in 2023, in Abu Dhabi and Montreal, he was…

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The Bundesliga Star Performers of 2023 – Women Part 2

Benjamin Eastman

After surveying part 1 of the star performers of the 2023 women’s Bundesliga yesterday, in this article we will look at the remaining half of the top division. A range of factors can separate one teammate from another and it is a subjective measurement to call anyone the top performer when there is so much variety in appearances and performances. Generally, though, it is possible to pinpoint a star for each team. Team Berlin – 2nd Berlin enjoyed a wonderful season as they took 2nd place overall and Céline Kaiser…

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The Bundesliga Star Performers of 2023 – Women Part 1

Benjamin Eastman

After working through the top performers of each men’s team in the 2023 men’s Bundesliga, today it is the turn of the women. As much as the Bundesliga is a team competition, there is nonetheless plenty of space for individuals to stand out. To find the top performer of a team, a number of considerations have to be taken into account. The number of appearances an athlete makes plays a big part. At the same time, the value of each contribution matters. For example, a medal-winning performance stands out as…

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The Bundesliga Star Performers of 2023 – Men Part 2

Benjamin Eastman

Today we are picking up on the second half of the star performers in the 2023 men’s Bundesliga. In this series, we are unearthing the most important performers for each team in the competition. The term “most important” is at best a subjective measure. Among the contributing factors are how often an athlete appeared for their team, how high they finished or whether they even won a medal. In addition, their impact on their team’s overall final position in a round is also of significance. As much as a single…

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The Bundesliga Star Performers of 2023 – Men Part 1

Benjamin Eastman

At its heart, the Bundesliga is a team competition. Any individual can enjoy a great race but if they don’t have the teammates to support them their result will not ultimately count for much in the overall standings. Nevertheless, there will always be scope for certain athletes to play a particularly important role for a team. After all, the athlete that steps up and logs a high finish but does not have teammates finishing in similar positions may be the only thing keeping the team off the bottom of the…

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Triathlon: A Hard Sport For Hard Times

Benjamin Eastman

What compels people to do a triathlon? On an individual level, all sorts of reasons have been put forward over the years. The challenge is oft-cited, as is the variety offered in training. Once the option exists, there will almost always be someone willing to sign up. On the wider front, though, the question remains. What is the driving force behind the collective organisation of triathlon? Take running. There is a logic behind the birth of competitive running. Of the past few decades, ample weight has been given to the…

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Doping in Elite Triathlon and the Limits of Zero Tolerance

Benjamin Eastman

“As an unequivocal confirmation of its commitment to eradicating the use of prohibited substances and methods in triathlon, World Triathlon continues to commit time, effort, energy and a substantial budget to its anti-doping mission.” Lifted directly from World Triathlon’s website, the pledge of the sport’s governing body to tackle doping has noble intentions and should come across as reassuring. Yet in practice it may succeed in doing little more than chasing its own tail. Doping has returned once more to the foreground of the conversation in elite triathlon after Yuliya…

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Evaluating Jason West’s 2024 Olympic Games Hopes

Benjamin Eastman

One of the main talking points ahead of the World Cup races in Rome and Brasilia was the presence of Jason West. The American athlete previously raced in short course triathlon however he traded it in for the longer distances a couple of years ago. Earlier this season, he won medals at the PTO Asian Open and PTO US Open and has made a name for himself as one of the fastest runners in the middle distance realm. In light of his PTO success, the question was open to be asked…

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How Much Say Should National Federations Have Over Entries?

Benjamin Eastman

Although the start lists for the Rome World Cup are certainly impressive, an issue has arisen with regards to the entry process. In several cases, athletes have been prevented from starting even though they would be eligible to do so. To compound the issue, the start lists are not full. As such, the only thing preventing said athletes from racing is the decision of their federation. In the women’s race, fewer than 45 women are slated to take part. There is therefore space for another 20 athletes to participate. In…

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How Beth Potter Became The World Champion In 2023

Benjamin Eastman

Even after winning the opening race of the WTCS season in Abu Dhabi, Beth Potter maintained that she had not yet thought about a potential world title. The sentiment was sensible enough. The end of the season lay a long way down the line and there were plenty of pitfalls that prevented such a counting of the proverbial chickens. And yet, such was the authority with which she won in Abu Dhabi, a statement had been made. On the first weekend of March, Potter planted her flag into the ground…

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How Dorian Coninx Became World Champion In 2023

Benjamin Eastman

Entering the WTCS Final ranked 5th, Dorian Coninx was not many people’s first pick when it came to predicting the 2023 world champion. If momentum counts for anything in elite sport, though, Coninx was a clear example of catching a perfect wave. At the start of the year, in the men’s top-30 rankings, we noted that consistency had been an issue for Coninx in recent times. The double WTCS race winner could appear in red-hot form on one day, as his win at WTCS Montreal in 2021 and medal at…

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Breaking Down Round 5 of the Men’s 2023 French Grand Prix

Benjamin Eastman

In the end, it was close. After winning three of the first four races of the season, though, Saint-Jean-des-Monts Vendée Triathlon had enough of a buffer to hold on to claim the men’s French Grand Prix crown. As with the women’s series, extra points were on offer for the final. The winner would earn 31.5 points instead of the usual 21 and the points available decreased by 1.5 thereafter. However, even with the bumper points available, the top-7 actually came out of the weekend completely unchanged. Read on, then, to view…

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Breaking Down Round 5 of the Women’s 2023 French Grand Prix

Benjamin Eastman

They saved the best for last. Les Sables Vendée Triathlon had stunned the field in Metz and Quiberon by winning individual gold through Valentina Riasova and by finishing 1st and 3rd in the respective rounds. In Saint-Jean-des-Monts, Les Sables Vendée showed they had another gear left in them. In the single most dominant team performance of the championship, they locked out the podium. With 1st, 2nd and 3rd, they therefore recorded a perfect 6 point score. As a result, they earned 30 points for the win, which was up from…

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Is It Time To Board The Gwen Jorgensen Hype Train?

Benjamin Eastman

Gwen Jorgensen has been added to the women’s start list for the WTCS Final in Pontevedra. With her inclusion, she now has the perfect opportunity to cap what has already been a sensational month. Her recent form has left some observers scratching their heads. Where did she come from? And more importantly, where is she going? Not since Cotton Eyed Joe was on the scene have those two question preoccupied minds like this. Before September, Jorgensen had enjoyed a very good comeback to the sport. She nabbed a silver medal…

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Breaking Down Round 4 of the Men’s 2023 French Grand Prix

Benjamin Eastman

Quiberon saw a return to form for Saint-Jean-des-Monts Vendée Triathlon as they took their third overall win of the season. As with Poissy in the women’s standings, it now seems a certainty that they will seal the championship at the final race. Given that the last round will be a home event for Saint-Jean-des-Monts, they will be very confident indeed. There were precious few shifts in placing overall following Quiberon. Liévin continued their rise through the ranks while Mach 3 and Evreux impressed. No one, however, managed to rise by more…

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