Category: Races

The second European Cup of the season took place in the Spanish enclave of Melilla at the weekend and the event saw a pair of quick-fire races that were settled with decisive late breaks on the run. Women’s race The lingering effects of the cancellation of WTCS Abu Dhabi were also on show at the Sprint distance race as WTCS medallists were on hand to start their seasons. Each of Emma Lombardi, Sophie Coldwell and Kate Waugh won medals in the 2023 Series and were looking to launch their 2024…

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Taupo, New Zealand, played host to the Oceania Championships over the Olympic distance earlier today as Antipodean rivalries were resumed. Earlier in the year, Australia claimed a triple gold on New Zealand territory and the Napier World Cup and Mixed Team Relay event. The Oceania Sprint Championships then took place in Devonport, Australia, in March. That day, honours were split as New Zealand won the men’s race and Australia secured the women’s title. In Taupo, the New Zealand team looked to sweep both golds however they were confronted with an…

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The first international Olympic distance race of the African season took place at the weekend with the African Cup in Nelson Mandela Bay. The South African event attracted several of the country’s biggest names, including Olympic medallist Henri Schoeman, and yielded some lively displays. Women’s race After three straight wins in 2024, Vicky Van Der Merwe arrived as the prohibitive favourite. Victories at the African Cups in Maselspoort and Swakopmund book-ended her African Games win in Accra. Alongside her double African Championships success in 2023, her recent form on the…

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As well as playing a significant role on the road to the Paris Olympics, continental bragging rights were on offer at the Asian Sprint Championships in Dexing, China. In mild conditions, the home team looked to hold off significant threats, especially from the Japanese squad, while the New Flag race continued to burn between athletes from Hong Kong and Kazakhstan. With plenty of talent in the field, both races came down to tight finishes. Men’s race Tzu I Pan and Kyotaro Yoshikawa led the way in the swim. The two…

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The latest Continental Cup of the season took place at the weekend with Americas Cup in Vina del Mar. With the athletes competing over the Sprint distance, brisk conditions were on offer with both the air and water temperature under 15 degrees (Celsius). On a fast course, though, the winners certainly brought the heat on the run. Men’s race The Brazilian duo Victor Hugo Lopes Pereira Da Silva and Pedro Felipe Souza Fernandes Silva set the pace in the water and emerged together with the early lead. Tracking them were…

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Four French men lined up in the final of the Lievin World Cup with the thunderous home support ringing in their ears. Aurelien Jem had impressed in his semi-final earlier in the evening while Antoine Duval started having won a European Cup last autumn. Leo Fernandez, the 2022 European Junior champion, brought a touch of youth the the home finalists. And then there was the hero. The biggest cheer of the evening had been reserved for Vincent Luis as he walked out to the final. A winner of the Lievin…

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After a hectic day of racing through qualifiers, repechages and semi-finals, twelve women took to the start line in the final of the inaugural Lievin World Cup. Any lingering weariness from the earlier rounds, though, was swiftly set aside as the athletes tore into the race. Zuzana Michalickova made the most of the 150m (25m pool) swim. The Slovakian athlete powered into a considerable lead in no time at all. She would officially lead out in 1:43, although her actual swim time was closer to 1:35 (the timing split was…

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A last minute withdrawal has changed the complexion of the Lievin World Cup before it has even begun. Taylor Spivey, who was due to wear number one at the French race, has pulled out of the event and no longer appears on the start list. As a double WTCS medallist last season, Spivey would likely have been in contention for the win this weekend. Moreover, she is currently deep in the hunt for a spot on the American Olympic team and a positive performance would have done her prospects no…

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As the first ever indoor World Cup, Lievin will be a step into the unknown for the athletes racing this weekend. However, one athlete will start in the men’s field with an advantage over his rivals. Vincent Luis won the event when it was a European Cup back in 2022. As such, he has invaluable experience to fall back upon. An injury-hit 2023 season prevented him from showing his top form. However, it should not be forgotten that he finished 4th at WTCS Abu Dhabi last year and won WTCS…

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Elite triathlon took place in Asia for the first time in 2024 at the weekend with the Asia Cup in Putrajaya. The Sprint distance event attracted a glut of talented athletes, giving some the opportunity to stretch their legs for the first time this season and others the chance to accrue points towards their world rankings. Women’s race Heading into the race, Julie Derron was the favourite. The Swiss athlete had logged a trio of top-8 finishes in the WTCS last summer after making her return from injury. In Putrajaya,…

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A week after the first Americas Cup race of the year took place in La Guaira, several athletes were back to tackle the second stop of the Americas circuit. In La Habana, Cuba, the field took on the Olympic distance once again. Fortunately, the conditions were not quite as fierce as those seen seven days earlier in Venezuela. Women’s race The field remained almost entirely together during the 1500m swim. Ivana Kuriackova led the way in a time of 19:50 but did not earn much of a lead. Leslie Amat…

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Running parallel to the World Cup action in Napier were the Oceania Junior Championships. Just as Australia enjoyed a double victory in the World Cup events (through Sophie Linn and Callum McClusky), they left Napier with both Junior golds too. Aspen Anderson was a class apart in the women’s event. The Commonwealth Youth Games champion made it into a five athlete breakaway alongside Alexandra Field, Grace Henry, Hayley Cromwell and Isla Watson. Watson was the fastest swimmer of the quintet (10:49), although the quickest swimmer of the field was actually…

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Each man standing upon the start line at the Napier World Cup more or less found himself in the same position. To a man, they were reaching for something in the distance, so close they can almost taste it, with that something being Olympic glory in the summer. Of the field, Hayden Wilde has the most obvious path to gold in Paris and at the Napier World Cup today, his book began. He won his home World Cup in New Zealand last season, but when Wilde arrived in Napier in…

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In an Olympic year, everyone finds something extra in pursuit of their place at the big show in the summer. At the first World Cup of the 2024 season, that truth was plain to see as Sophie Linn stormed to victory and sent a clear message to the Australian selectors. Choppy conditions awaited the field in the 750m sea swim and not all the athletes were able to come to terms with the waves. Two that had no problems, though, were Sophie Alden and Olivia Mathias. Fresh from a training…

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New Zealand is famously a country without natural predators on land. Notwithstanding the few birds of prey that are indigenous to the region, the majority of the threats to native fauna have been imported. In many ways, the New Zealand triathlon scene is similar. Being a smaller country in the grand scheme of things, the New Zealand team has to carefully nature the few birds of prey that come its way. Last season, Nicole Van Der Kaay took the win at the New Plymouth World Cup and gave a clear…

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