Category: News

TriStats Voters Pick Brownlee and Duffy in Olympic Champ Showdown

Benjamin Eastman

Earlier this week, we asked who would win in a head-to-head between the past three Olympic champions in the men’s and women’s fields. Of course, it is hard to say exactly what would happen. A myriad of factors, including the exact course and the other athletes on the start line, would influence the outcome. In some instances there may also be an element of recency bias, with the performances of a decade ago now fading in their memorability. The challenge in any hypothetical race would thus likely come down to…

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Poll: Which Men’s Olympic Champion Would Win?

Benjamin Eastman

Yesterday, we asked you to vote for which of the past three women’s Olympic champions in triathlon you think would win in a head-to-head race at each of their gold medal winning peaks. Today, we are posing the same question for the men. Whereas the women’s poll consisted of the winners from London, Rio and Tokyo, this poll will also have the winner of Beijing in 2008. This is because Alistair Brownlee won in both 2012 and 2016. Rather than compare him against himself, we decided to group his victories.…

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Poll: On Their Day, Which Women’s Olympic Champ Wins?

Benjamin Eastman

Today we are asking a simple question. Of the past three women’s Olympic champions in triathlon, who would win in a head-to-head race at their peak? In 2012, Nicola Spirig narrowly won Olympic gold in a dramatic sprint finish with Lisa Norden. By 2016, Gwen Jorgensen had been nigh-on unstoppable for the best part of two years. At the Rio Olympics, though, she was challenged by Spirig who had returned after absences from the sport. Jorgensen won gold nonetheless, while Spirig took silver. At the delayed Tokyo Olympics of 2021,…

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Difficult Times Ahead for Metz Triathlon

Benjamin Eastman

The French Grand Prix is one of the premier triathlon circuits, contested by elite names from across Europe and beyond. Over a decade ago, the likes of Alistair Brownlee and Javier Gomez Noya graced the circuit while this year the likes of Alex Yee, Mario Mola and Jelle Geens went head-to-head. Over the course of five races, an array of French clubs compete in a team classification. Of the five athletes that start per team (and per gender) the scores of the three highest finishers are recorded. Currently, however, it…

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Sandör and Konig Take the Spoils at Final Race of 2022

Benjamin Eastman

The last Continental Cup race took place just one week before Christmas in Manama, Bahrain. Racing over the Sprint distance, the athletes enjoyed temperatures in the low-20s (Celsius); quite a change from the cold sweeping much of Western Europe. Men’s Race The men’s field saw recent Continental Cup winners Juan Jose Andrade Figueroa and Stefan Zachaeus take to the start line. Andrade Figueroa won the last Americas Cup of the season in Manta while Zachaeus triumphed in the recent African Cup race in Kilifi. Over the course of the 750m…

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Return of the Queen: Gwen Jorgensen Is Coming Back

Benjamin Eastman

Have you made your list for Christmas? Today came news that even the most ardent triathlon fan might not have put on their Christmas list. 2016 Olympic champion Gwen Jorgensen will be returning to short course triathlon. On Instagram, she wrote, “I am inspired by the mixed-team relay’s silver medal in Tokyo and aspire to contribute to that team in 2024. I believe team USA can be one step higher in Paris! This return is about more than just me. As a mom of two and long-time supporter of USA…

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Off-Season Diaries: The Best Triathletes Take Their Break

Benjamin Eastman

Following the end of the WTCS season, many of the world’s best triathletes are enjoying their off-seasons (albeit one that is later than usual). Rest is a vital part of any training programme. Here you can check out how some of the athletes have enjoyed their time off. Remember: if the best in the world can take time to recharge their batteries, you can too. Miriam Casillas Garcia went to Japan after a breakout season with training partner and expert tour guide Yuko Takahashi. Taylor Spivey spent time in the…

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Hauser Picked as Male 2022 Breakout Athlete in TriStats Poll

Benjamin Eastman

When we asked TriStats voters to pick their breakout male athlete of the 2022 season, we were not sure as to which man would win. After a season in which multiple men have won their first WTCS medals and recorded breakthrough seasons, it was no mean feat to decide upon them. Ultimately, Matthew Hauser of Australia was voted as the breakout man. While his winning margin was not as comprehensive as that of Miriam Casillas Garcia in the women’s poll, his final share of the vote was 36%. Hauser had…

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Holm and Garabedian Win Close Races in Dakhla

Benjamin Eastman

The final African Cup race of 2022 took place in Dakhla, Morocco, with multiple athletes starting in the hope of securing crucial world rankings points. The first half of the Paris 2024 Olympic Qualification window closes in May 2023. As such, strong performances in Continental Cups now can be highly important in boosting an athlete’s ranking and getting them onto World Cup and WTCS start lists before the May in the hope of securing precious points. Men’s Race Racing over the Olympic distance, the men’s field had a couple of…

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Who Won the Most Medals in the 2022 WTCS Season?

Benjamin Eastman

The 2022 season saw a number of great performances however one thing that stood out was the range and diversity of the medallists. 13 different women and 16 men won at least one medal, representing one of the deepest seasons on record. On some level, this is indicative of the growth of the sport as it matures. The Women Georgia Taylor-Brown led the way in the women’s WTCS with 6 medals from 6 starts. Taylor-Brown had a frankly astonishing season with a worst result of 2nd place and was the…

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The Big Risers in the Final WTCS Standings

Benjamin Eastman

Before Abu Dhabi, we wrote an article that suggested some of the athletes that could rise up the standings in the World Triathlon Championship Series with a big result in Abu Dhabi. Some of those suggestions were accurate, some were not and there were some athletes that caught us completely by surprise. The Men Morgan Pearson was the biggest riser in the men’s field as he jumped 81 places to take 33rd in the Series. His silver medal in Abu Dhabi was a remarkable comeback after a difficult year of…

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Velasquez and Andrade On Top After Close Races

Benjamin Eastman

The final Americas Cup races of the year took place in Manta, Ecuador, at the weekend. Several home favourites started for Ecuador however the local fans could only celebrate one win from the two races. Juan Jose Andrade Figueroa Breaks Clear 44 men took to the start line in Manta to compete over the Sprint distance. The winner of the last Americas Cup in Viña del Mar, Ramon Armando Matute, was first out of the water with a substantial lead over the field. Next out were Andrade Figueroa and Gabriel Teran…

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New World Triathlon Maternity Policy to Kick In

Benjamin Eastman

One of the most significant personal issues that confront elite female athletes is the balance between pursuing a career in professional sport with aspirations to start a family. For some athletes, it is not on their radar during their professional career however for others it is a major life decision that they do not wish to postpone. In recent years, we have seen athletes like 2019 world champion Katie Zaferes take a pregnancy break after the Tokyo Olympics and 2012 Olympic champion Nicola Spirig take maternity breaks in her athletic…

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Kaiser the Queen of the Field at Ipoh Asia Cup

Benjamin Eastman

Celine Kaiser Too Good for Field There are times in triathlon when races boil down to simple factors. Sometimes, an athlete is simply too good a runner for the rest of the field and all the tactics and calculations essentially go out of the window. The Asian Cup in Ipoh, Malaysia, was one such instance. Celine Kaiser of Germany ripped a 17:03 run split to take a comprehensive win. Only one other athlete was able to log a run split within one minute of Kaiser’s time: silver medallist Olivia Thornbury…

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Zachaeus and Stroschneider Take the Wins in Kenya

Benjamin Eastman

Zachaeus Eases to Win in Men’s Race Stefan Zachaeus of Luxembourg took a comfortable victory at the African Cup in Kilifi, Kenya after breaking clear with Martin Demuth and Badr Siwane in the swim. The trio pushed the opening stages of the bike however they were later joined by other athletes, including Donald Hillebregt of the Netherlands. Once the athletes were onto the run, the gulf in class was evident as Zachaeus quickly took the lead and split the second fastest run of the day in a 16:16. Hillebregt had…

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