French Men Sweep Alanya Podium As Bröcker Earns First Win

Benjamin Eastman

The European season may be ending, but the race at the European Cup in Alanya played to a similar tune as that seen earlier in the year. Back in March, at the European Cup in Melilla, the French men’s team locked out the podium. Seven months later, they were up to the same antics in Alanya. For many of the athletes starting it had been a long year and there were some tired bodies lining the beach. While the sea temperature exceeded 26 degrees (Celsius), the athletes nonetheless brought their…

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Miguel Hidalgo Claims Brasilia Win With Powerful Burst

Benjamin Eastman

Brasilia was the race that refused to be decided. At every step of the way in the men’s race, an athlete would step up to take control of proceedings only for someone else to pop up on their shoulder and take over. Although the group of potential winners remained small over the Olympic distance event, the race kept the identity of its winner well-hidden until the very last minutes. Charles Paquet got off to a good start in the swim and earned an early lead. Amid a strong crosswind, conditions…

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Alice Betto Shines In Brasilia En Route To World Cup Win

Benjamin Eastman

Alice Betto’s comeback to elite triathlon is truly gathering steam. In the summer, she made her first international start in nearly two years at the European Games, finishing 9th. Having gotten her return off to a good start, she has scarcely put a foot wrong since. A WTCS appearance in Sunderland followed, before she finished 13th at the Paris Test Event and 10th at the WTCS Final in Pontevedra. Then she added an 8th place at the Rome World Cup last week. At the Brasilia World Cup, though, Betto soared…

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Brinkmann and Chtioui Take 2023 African Junior Titles

Benjamin Eastman

In addition to the African titles over the Olympic distance, which were claimed by Vicky Van Der Merwe and Jamie Riddle, the African Junior Championships were contested in Hurghada, Egypt. Coming away with the win in the women’s race was Maja Jeanne Brinkmann. Born in 2007, Brinkmann was the youngest athlete in the field. Some of her rivals were up to three years older than her and some, such as Nora Nouri of Morocco, had experience of racing in the French Grand Prix to call upon. However, Brinkmann proved unfazed…

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The Splits Breakdown of the Chengdu World Cup 2023

Benjamin Eastman

Swim The women’s race at the Chengdu World Cup was all about Bianca Seregni. The Italian athlete led from the opening exchanges and built a substantial lead over the 1500m swim. She emerged in a time of 19:24 to put clear daylight between her and her rivals. The next best swimmer was Yifan Yang. A recent bronze medallist at the Asian Games, Yang clocked 19:47 in the water. Her teammate, Xinyu Lin, then followed in 19:56. Eva Goodisson was the final woman under 20 minutes as she produced a time…

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Van Der Merwe Doubles Up On African Titles While Riddle Wins

Benjamin Eastman

The final Olympic distance Continental Championship of 2023 took place in Hurghada, Egypt, yesterday as the African title was contested. Having won the Sprint distance titles in Blue Bay in September, Vicky Van Der Merwe and Jawad Abdelmoula arrived as the favourites. Yet in small fields, the races were ripe for an upset. Women’s race Only seven women lined up to contest the race and the swim soon reduced the contenders to three. Van Der Merwe got away to a good start but it was her compatriot Shanae Williams that…

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Another World Cup Gold Medal In China For Bianca Seregni

Benjamin Eastman

Lightning did indeed strike twice. At the Weihai World Cup in August, Bianca Seregni had stormed to a maiden World Cup win. She had dominated the swim, carving out a big lead over the field, and then run away to victory with the quickest split of the day. To go with it, her teammate Ilaria Zane had hauled herself onto the podium with a bold late surge on the run. In many ways, the first of the two Chinese World Cup races of 2023 would have been hard to top.…

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Tim Hellwig Strides Clear To Win Chengdu World Cup

Benjamin Eastman

Olympic qualification. Another WTCS medal. A spot in the overall top-8 of the WTCS. Tim Hellwig had checked all three boxes with his recent form. Having won back to back African Cup races earlier in the season, as well as having been part of the triumphant German team in the Mixed Team Relays in Hamburg and Paris, it had been a near-perfect year for the German athlete. As he lined up to start the Chengdu World Cup with the number 1 tattooed on his arm, all that was really left…

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A Novel Way Of Reconceptualising Scoring In The WTCS

Benjamin Eastman

Earlier in the week, Ironman unveiled their new series structure for 2024. Drawing from the PTO and the WTCS, they have sought to add greater integration to their product by creating a common thread through the events on offer. Now, while the prospect of watching a long distance triathlon sounds like an excellent opportunity for a nap, the new Ironman system may have a hidden component that could prove very interesting. Indeed, it could even be borrowed by the WTCS. This feature is the rule that points will be determined…

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Who Will Be The 2023 African Junior Champions?

Benjamin Eastman

Alongside the African Championships over the Olympic distance, the African Junior Championships will take place in Hurghada, Egypt. Nine women are slated to contest the Junior event while fifteen men (of which eleven are African) will be racing. In the men’s field, Sayed Sherif of Egypt is the top ranked African athlete. After finishing 4th at the Egyptian Championships in 2022, he will likely have the best chance of the weekend of bringing home a gold medal for the Egyptian team. However, he faces a stern challenge in overcoming a…

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First Look at the Viña del Mar World Cup 2023 Start Lists

Benjamin Eastman

The final World Cup of the year is set to take place in Viña del Mar, Chile, next month. The stop made its debut on the circuit in 2022 and proved a rousing success. The Sprint distance event offers something for everyone with a sea swim, a bumpy bike course and a fast run to wrap things up. After the cancellation of the Montevideo World Cup, it will stand as the only World Cup in November and will represent a final choice to log all-important points for the world and Olympic…

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African Olympic Distance Crowns Up For Grabs In Egypt

Benjamin Eastman

The final Continental Championships of 2023 are due to take place this weekend. The African Olympic distance titles will be on the line in Hurghada, Egypt. After winning the African Sprint Championships in September, Jawad Abdelmoula and Vicky Van Der Merwe will be among the favourites in the men’s and women’s races, respectively. A WTCS medallist from 2022, the ease with which Abdelmoula won the Sprint title will send a clear warning to his rivals in Hurghada. Moreover, he is the defending Olympic distance champion from 2022. Meanwhile, Van Der…

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World Champions Back For More At Alhandra World Para Cup

Benjamin Eastman

Only a couple of weeks removed from the World Para-Triathlon Championships in Pontevedra, several of the best Para-Triathletes in the world were back on the blue carpet at the World Para Cup in Alhandra. Having claimed a fourth world title in the PTS2 category a fortnight prior, Jules Ribstein of France cruised to another win. His compatriot, Stephane Bahier, provided an early challenge. Over the course of the race, though, Ribstein built a lead of over 2 minutes an won with ease. Bahier took the silver medal while Gianluca Valori…

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Hidalgo and Messias Geared Up For Brasilia World Cup Clash

Benjamin Eastman

The men’s race at the Brasilia World Cup will see a major clash between two of Brazil’s best triathletes. In one corner, Manoel Messias will line up, seeking to add another World Cup win to his ledger. He won the Valencia World Cup in 2022 with a stylish late attack on the bike and since then has become a triple WTCS medallist. In 2023, he won medals at both WTCS Abu Dhabi and WTCS Montreal. Although both were over the Sprint distance, his Olympic distance credentials should not be doubted.…

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Americas Champion Lining Up World Cup Win In Brasilia

Benjamin Eastman

Whereas just under thirty-five women will be racing at the World Cup in Chengdu this weekend, the Brasilia World Cup has attracted a couple more athletes. Together, the two events could form a near-pefect start list. Wearing number 1 in Brasilia will be Miriam Casillas Garcia. By most standards, the Spanish athlete has enjoyed a strong season. She has routinely placed inside the top-20 at WTCS races in 2023 and finished 5th at the European Championships in Madrid. On the other hand, Casillas was fantastic throughout 2022, earning several top-8…

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