Category: WTCS

Is WTCS Sunderland Vulnerable To Just Stop Oil Protests?

Benjamin Eastman

The final WTCS race of the regular season awaits in Sunderland. Notwithstanding that the athletes will have a final chance to log points at the Olympic Test Event in Paris, Sunderland will mark the beginning of the end of the Series before attention turns to the Final in Pontevedra in September. Yet apprehension may stalk the minds of the organisers over the coming weeks. On the first day of the Second Test of the Ashes at Lords (London), two Just Stop Oil protestors invaded the pitch to cast orange powder…

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First Look at the WTCS Sunderland 2023 Start Lists

Benjamin Eastman

First of all, what is a Sunderland? After extensive research, we can confirm that it is in fact a town in the north of England. Throughout the history of the WTCS, Britain has played host to a stop in every season except 2012 (when it held the Olympic Games instead). In the early years, the event took place in London, a run that included the 2013 Series Final. Later, it was moved to Leeds, the home of the Brownlee brothers and, for 2023, the event has been shifted further north…

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The Statistical Breakdown of WTCS Montreal 2023

Benjamin Eastman

With several prominent absences in the men’s field and an evenly-matched trio of 2023 winners in the women’s race, WTCS Montreal was always likely to come down to fine margins. That ultimately proved to be the case as the contenders were gradually whittled down over the course of the race until Matthew Hauser and Beth Potter struck clear to win the golds. To go with the breakdown of the splits from Montreal, in this article, we take a broader overview of the dynamics of the race. The Swim Vittoria Lopes…

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Who Had The Best Splits At WTCS Montreal 2023?

Benjamin Eastman

Swim In the women’s race, Vittoria Lopes picked up where she left off in Cagliari and clocked the fastest swim. Her time of 8:48 was super fast; even if the course appeared to be a tad short, it was a real show of speed from the Brazilian. Lena Meißner was next out in 8:50. After fast swims at WTCS Abu Dhabi in 2022 and 2023, she made her return to the front of the race after a spell out with injury. Meißner’s swim has really found a new level over…

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The Debuts and Personal Bests at WTCS Montreal 2023

Benjamin Eastman

Debuts When it comes to the debuts at WTCS Montreal, there is one obvious place to start. Maria Carolina Velasquez Soto was the standout among the new faces as she recorded a 10th place finish. By way of comparison, in 2021 and 2022 only three women were able to hit a top-10 at their first race in the WTCS. They were Lucy Charles-Barclay (5th, Leeds 2021), Kate Waugh (9th, Hamburg 2021) and Emma Lombardi (4th, Yokohama 2022). Velasquez is therefore a part of a very select group in recent WTCS…

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Stories You Might Have Missed From WTCS Montreal 2023

Benjamin Eastman

From Taylor Knibb’s breakaway to Beth Potter’s outstanding win. From Matthew Hauser’s maiden triumph to Kenji Nener’s redemption. Wherever one looked at WTCS Montreal, there were plenty of narratives to follow. Throughout the field, there were an array of fantastic performances that deserve their own mention. With so many stories to keep track of at WTCS Montreal, in this article you can find some of the highlights that you might have missed. Maria Carolina Velasquez Soto Although there will be a separate article to address the debutants in Montreal, Velasquez’s…

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Hauser Untouchable On His Way To Maiden WTCS Win

Benjamin Eastman

Prior to WTCS Montreal, Matthew Hauser was quoted as having drawn inspiration from the victory of the Australian men in the opening Test of the Ashes. In a performance to out-do that of his cricketing counterparts, Hauser brought a little of his own “Bazball“* to Montreal In the absence of Vincent Luis and Márk Dévay, there would be a new leader in the swim for the first time since 2021. It was none other than Hauser himself that stepped up to the seize the day. Having lined up on the…

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Potter Back on Top With Win From Behind at WTCS Montreal

Benjamin Eastman

Three British women toed the start line at WTCS Montreal, each already an owner of a gold medal from the Series this season. Sophie Coldwell lined up to the left. Georgia Taylor-Brown took her place to the right. One dark shape amidst the cluster of wetsuits, though, stood completely still. Beth Potter arrived in Montreal having won the opener race of the season in Abu Dhabi. Despite her majestic start to the year, the subsequent success of her compatriots seemed to distance her from the spotlight. She was still there,…

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The Start List Cheat Sheets For WTCS Montreal 2023

Benjamin Eastman

What does the data say about each athlete on the start line at WTCS Montreal? To provide a little insight, we have prepared the below cheat sheets with all the key information you need for the men’s and women’s fields. Note that, in contrast to the last cheat sheet for WTCS Cagliari, this time round the data shown applies for Sprint races in 2022 and 2023. In some cases, athletes have a preference for the shorter distance so it makes sense to highlight the most relevant data points. For every athlete, you…

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The Key Course Information at WTCS Montreal 2023

Benjamin Eastman

WTCS Montreal will be held over a short and fast course that could play into the hands of a number of athletes. Whereas the race last year was held as a series of Super Sprints, with qualifiers and a final, this year’s event will be contested over the Sprint distance. Despite the switch in format, the course in Montreal shares a lot of characteristics with that of last year. 2023 Route 2022 Route Across the above graphics, you can see how large swathes of the 2022 course have been carried…

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Zaferes and Bentley Added To WTCS Hamburg Start Lists

Benjamin Eastman

Among the high-profile additions to the start lists at the upcoming WTCS Hamburg, two that stand out are the 2019 world champion, Katie Zaferes, and the reigning world U23 champion, Connor Bentley. On a similar note, Tim Hellwig, the winner of the event in 2021, is now also due to race. One of the biggest changes is that Zaferes has replaced her US teammate, Erica Ackerlund. Zaferes finished 12th at WTCS Cagliari in a statement performance and has moved into 29th place in the overall Series standings. With only two…

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Which Brit Will Come Out On Top In Montreal Royal Rumble?

Benjamin Eastman

After three races, three British triathletes have stepped onto the top of the podium to receive a WTCS gold medal this season. As such, it would make designate the British as favourites for the win when all three line up on the start line in Montreal. The most recent race win came from Georgia Taylor-Brown. After a slightly slower start to the season by her stratospheric standards, Taylor-Brown enjoyed a return to form to win WTCS Cagliari in style. Whereas she missed the breakaway in Abu Dhabi and Yokohama, she…

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Montreal Will Be The Most Open Men’s WTCS Race Of 2023

Benjamin Eastman

In light of the news that Hayden Wilde and Alex Yee have dropped out of WTCS Montreal, the race is suddenly wide open. With the world champion, Leo Bergere, also absent, there are no returning medallists from the 2022 iteration of the event. The Series leader – and one of the most consistent athletes this season – Dorian Coninx will also be absent. Bergere and Coninx also medalled in Montreal in 2021 (with the latter winning the event) and so would have been among the favourites this time aroud. The…

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Yee and Wilde Drop Out of WTCS Montreal

Benjamin Eastman

The two race winners in the men’s 2023 WTCS, Alex Yee and Hayden Wilde, have withdrawn from WTCS Montreal. Yee, the winner of WTCS Abu Dhabi and WTCS Cagliari, has opted against making the trip across the Atlantic. Similarly, his British teammate Barclay Izzard has pulled out of the event. Meanwhile, Wilde, the winner of WTCS Yokohama, has been switched out for Dylan McCullough. Wilde is coming off a win at the French Grand Prix in Bordeaux. To then travel and race at WTCS Montreal would have been quite a…

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First Look at the WTCS Hamburg 2023 Start Lists

Benjamin Eastman

The start lists for the fifth installment of the 2023 WTCS season are now available as the Series returns to what might just be its spiritual home: Hamburg. The German city has been an ever-present in the WTCS, hosting a race every year since the inception of the competition. During the uncertainty of 2020, it managed to cobble together a single-day world championships in lieu of the Series. Indeed, there has been a world-level short distance triathlon in the city in every year since 2002. As races to win go,…

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