With the first World Cup of 2024 comes the chance to make a statement. Perhaps more than any other athlete in the men’s field, Hayden Wilde will be the one to take advantage of the opportunity. Last season, Wilde won the first World Cup of the year. As with Napier this weekend, the event also took place in his home country (in New Plymouth). With home crowds expected to gee him on, another Wilde win seems a likely outcome. Wearing number 1, Wilde is the only WTCS gold medallist from…
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Beisenbayev and Carr Too Strong For Field In Troutbeck
Troutbeck, Zimbabwe, was the host of the third Continental Cup of the weekend. Whereas the dramatic affairs in Wanaka and La Guaira were won on the run, the Sprint distance African Cup saw both gold medals secured with exceptional performances on the bike. Men’s race Ayan Beisenbayev arrived in Zimbabwe locked in a tight race for the Asian New Flag slot at the Olympic Games. At this point, every win and medal will be vital on his quest to make it to Paris and he had the chance to start…
Read MoreSlupek Continues Streak as Duchampt Wins in La Guaira
The first Olympic distance race on the international circuit took place yesterday in La Guaira, Venezuala. Last year’s men’s winner, Rodrigo Gonzalez, was back to hunt for another gold medal, although several rivals were ready for him. In hot and humid conditions, the racing was certainly not the gentlest start to the season. Women’s race Roksana Slupek arrived in Venezuela on the back of a two race winning streak, having claimed victories at two African Cups at the end of 2023. The Christmas break clearly did her form no harm…
Read MoreZane and Crociani Seal Italian Double At Wanaka Oceania Cup
The first international triathlon of 2024 took place in Wanaka, New Zealand, yesterday (notwithstanding the Oceania Para-triathlon Championships that took place earlier in the month). In spite of the early time of year, there were several rapid performances over the Sprint distance event. Women’s race In a slightly surprising turn of events, Emma Jeffcoat did not lead out the swim. Rather, her Australian teammate Zoey Clarke was the quickest in the first discipline, clocking 8:47 for the 750m. Jeffcoat was 4 seconds back and emerged at the head of a…
Read MoreVoters Back Men’s 2023 WTCS Podium Over 2021 Olympic Podium
The men’s field ahead of the 2024 season is brimming with talent. Any of about a dozen men could conceivably win a WTCS race and vie for a spot on the podium at the Paris Olympic Games. Such is the depth at the top of the sport, there has been a near-complete shift in the podium from the 2021 Olympics to the 2023 WTCS. Hayden Wilde was the only man to make both podiums and is the only constant in the top-4. Kristian Blummenfelt, Alex Yee and Marten Van Riel…
Read MoreOrtfeld Wins and Perterer Leads Austrian Success in Kilifi
The final Continental Cup of 2023 took place at the weekend with the African Cup in Kilifi, Kenya. Amid small fields, with seventeen men and twelve women starting, the race saw healthy representation from the home team, offering hope for the long-term growth of triathlon in new regions. Both race winners from the 2022 iteration of the race, Stefan Zachaeus and Tanja Stroschneider, were present and gunning for another gold medal. Over the Sprint distance affair, though, both would ultimately be denied this time as new winners stepped up to…
Read MoreYang On Top At Xiamen Asia Cup As Edgar Wins Again
After an extended absence from the international triathlon scene, China played host to the final Asia Cup race of the year today in Xiamen. Having not hosted a regular triathlon since 2019, mainland China has now hosted seven events in a packed 2023. With the Olympic distance on offer once again, and Christmas being only a month out, an extended rest may be on the wish-lists for some of the participants. Be that as it may, in Xiamen the athletes ended the year with a bang. Men’s race After winning…
Read MoreOliveras and Slupek Take Wins at Agadir African Cup
The hardy few held firm, even in the depths of November, taking on the Olympic distance at the African Cup in Agadir. While the end of the season came almost two months ago for many, several remained on the hunt for world ranking points and international medals. As small as the fields were in Agadir, they were packed with potential race winners and neither the men’s or women’s races had a clear favourite when the starter’s horn sounded. Men’s race Ben Dijkstra stepped onto the start line in Agadir as…
Read MoreJames Edgar and Amber Schlebusch Win Hong Kong Asia Cup
In four months, triathlon will be back in Hong Kong as it makes it much-anticipated debut on the World Cup circuit. The latest Asia Cup on the island thus gave the perfect opportunity to fine-tune the running of the event. As will be the case in March 2024, the race at the Asia Cup was held over the Sprint distance. While that brought about a close finish in the men’s race, the women’s event was rather different. Women’s race Wing To Cho of Hong Kong led the way in the…
Read MoreJara and Wright Win Americas Cup in Vina del Mar
The last Americas Cup of the season took place in Vina del Mar at the weekend, ending a year that began all the way back in February in La Guaira, Venezuela. In an unusual occurrence, the event took place alongside the World Cup at the same venue and on the same weekend. Hosting multiple races is not entirely uncommon. Montreal hosted a WTCS event and an Americas Cup this summer, albeit on different weekends. Vina del Mar had the unique experience of hosting all the races in one go. The…
Read MoreManoel Messias Powers to Gold at Vina del Mar World Cup
In the end, the men’s race at the Vina del Mar came down to a moment of breathtaking simplicity. For all the action that preceded it, and in complete contrast to the uncertainty and drama that surrounded the end of the women’s event, the race was put to bed by an attack from Manoel Messias that was as straightforward as it was ruthless. Messias had not enjoyed the best of starts, although it was better than his experience at the Pan American Games a week prior when an equipment mishap…
Read MoreGwen Jorgensen Takes Controversial Vina Del Mar Win
So… that did not quite go entirely as expected. As the final World Cup of the year took place in Vina del Mar, a fantastic women’s race was marred by a controversial denouement. In brisk conditions, the athletes lined up for a beach start with their final venture over the Sprint distance laying in wait. The American trio of Katie Zaferes, Gwen Jorgensen and Gina Sereno hung together on the left-hand side of the beach as the race countdown began. Wearing the numbers 1, 2 and 3, respectively, they counted…
Read MoreBeisenbayev and Shabalina Speed to Asian Sprint Titles
In addition to the Asia Cup in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, the Asian Sprint Championships took place in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The winners of the Asian Games (and Asian Olympic distance Championships), Kenji Nener and Yuko Takahashi, were absent, meaning that new names would claim an Asian title to sign off their seasons. In both the men’s and women’s events, the fate of the gold medals would come down to the late stages of the run. Men’s race Kyotaro Yoshikawa blitzed the 750m swim alongside his compatriot Mitsuho Mochizuki, putting the…
Read MoreKurt Wesley and Zoe Clarke On Top in Kota Kinabalu
The Australian team dominated the latest Asia Cup in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, coming away with the wins in both the men’s and women’s events. The races took place in difficult conditions, with the searing heat proving an issue for some. Although the athletes only had to tackle the Sprint distance, the heat made the challenge considerably sterner. Men’s race Lachlan Jones of Australia got out to a great start in the water. Jones clocked 7:47 for the 750m sea swim and earned a solid lead. His compatriot Chris Meegan was…
Read MoreHidalgo Hunting Hat-Trick at 2023 Vina del Mar World Cup
With two wins from his previous two international appearances, Miguel Hidalgo has something of a hot hand right now. Indeed, his wins at the Brasilia World Cup and the Pan American Games make him the favourite at the upcoming World Cup in Vina del Mar. His two recent victories both came over the Olympic distance. That itself is a sign of Hidalgo’s development. At the end of last season, he noted that his strength lay more in Sprint events and that he needed to work towards the longer format. With…
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