Julie Derron was nothing short of imperious as she won the Chengdu World Cup. Wearing number 1, she had arrived as the pre-race favourite and sought to cap a lengthy training block in China with a win. However, her race was thrown out of kilter before it even got going. Derron did not have a bad swim. Neither, for that matter, did most of the field. Yet practically every athlete was made to look like they were swimming through treacle in contrast to the smooth speed displayed by Therese Feuersinger.…

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It was a race won early and then late. As the men dove into the water at the Chengdu World Cup, several narratives surrounded the field. Would Jonas Schomburg manage to trump his compatriot Lasse Nygaard Priester in the German race to Paris? Would Tayler Reid make right the penalty that had cost him a medal at the Wollongong World Cup a week prior? Would Márk Dévay assert his credentials in an increasingly-tight Hungarian Olympic battle? The answer was yes to the three above questions however no one quite had…

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After the Asian Championships over the Sprint and Olympic distances captured most of the continental triathlon headlines in April, the month ended with an Asia Cup event in Pokhara, Nepal. The Sprint distance event attracted several athletes from the region, particularly from neighbouring India, and gave them a chance to test themselves against an international field. Perhaps most significantly, the racing in Pokhara may have had implications for the start lists at the Paris Olympics, although the full consequences of the action are yet to be seen. Women’s race In…

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After launching the international season with an Americas Cup back in February, racing returned to La Guaira at the weekend. The city hosted another Americas Cup with the South American Championships over the Olympic distance also on the line. Women’s race Ivana Kuriackova won a bronze medal in La Guaira earlier in the year and was back for more. Her Olympic hopes currently hang by a thread as she is locked in a tight battle with Sinem Francisca Tous Servera (who was racing elsewhere) for the European women’s New Flag…

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The South American Championships kicked off yesterday in La Guaira, Venezuela, with the Junior races opening the event. Defending her title from last year, Dominga Elena Jacome Espinoza claimed a massive victory with a winning margin of almost 4 minutes. She produced the fastest swim of the field in 10:47 and only her teammate Sol Ottenhsimer Schreiber (10:48) was able to stick within 30 seconds of her. From there, Jacome did not look back. She ripped a bike split of 31:11; for context, the next quickest split was a 33:38.…

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After tasting World Cup success last weekend, two of the women’s medallists from Wollongong will be looking to make the podium again in Chengdu on Monday. Tilda Månsson is coming off a win in Wollongong, the third of her young career. Similarly, Maria Carolina Velasquez Soto earned silver on the Australian coast and will aim to win consecutive World Cup medals for the first time in her career. Given their performance levels less than a week ago, both should be counted as podium contenders in China. At the same time,…

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The Chengdu World Cup will be a showdown of sorts. Lasse Nygaard Priester will be up against Jonas Schomburg as the race to claim the final place on the German Olympic team enters the home straight. Priester will be wearing number 1 in Chengdu while Schomburg will be wearing number 2 and, based on their form over the past twelve months, they will likely be evenly matched. Priester was a multiple World Cup medallist last season, a haul which included a medal on Chinese soil in Weihai. For his part,…

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One year ago, World Triathlon lifted its ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes. A combination of doping violations and the invasion of Ukraine had seen the two countries suspended from the sport. At last weekend’s Yenisehir European Junior Cup, though, the Russian team made a notable step on its return to the European scene. Racing under the neutral AIN flag, as opposed the typical Russian colours, Russia swept both the men’s and women’s podiums. Women’s race Elizaveta Polianskaia got off to a fast start in the 750m swim. She was…

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Two days after the African Championships, the Asian Championships over the Olympic distance took place in Hatsukaichi, Japan. Sunday’s racing also came two weeks after the Asian Championships over the Sprint distance were held in Dexing. Both Sprint champions took to the start line in Japan, although they were up against the defending Asian champions over the Olympic distance from 2023. Men’s race Takumi Hojo set a fast tempo early on in the water and emerged with the lead in 18:05. A few seconds later, Kenji Nener exited in 18:08.…

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With the championships returning to Hurghada, Egypt, the African titles over the Olympic distance were on the line at the weekend. In warm conditions, with wetsuits not permitted and the air temperature hovering in the mid-twenties (Celsius), a pair of tough races unfolded. Women’s race It was a question of rinse and repeat from the 2023 African Championships. Vicky Van Der Merwe was dominant in the women’s race as she powered to victory by over 9 minutes. A field-leading swim split of 22:11 over the 1500m had earned her a…

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