After winning the Valencia World Cup in 2022, Lisa Tertsch is back to defend her gold medal. Although last year’s event was held over the Sprint distance, the Olympic distance format this time should hold no troubles for the German.
Tertsch has enjoyed a great run of success at World Cups over the past few years and has a glut of medals to her name. Earlier this year she claimed a silver medal at the European Championships and a hat-trick of wins in the Bundesliga. Most recently, she finished 9th at the Paris Test Event so will well-equipped to take on whatever the field throws at her.
The closest challengers to Tertsch will arguably be her compatriots.
Annika Koch arrives in Valencia in incredible form. In July she claimed a maiden WTCS medal in Sunderland and then followed it up with a win at the Yeongdo World Cup. Germany’s incredible depth meant that she was prevented from racing at the Paris Test Event. That, however, simply could mean that she arrives in Valencia sharper than those coming from Paris.
Of those that raced in Paris, Nina Eim will have to be watched closely. The German athlete finished 6th and in doing so booked her place on the 2024 Olympic team.
In 2023, Eim has been one of the fastest runners in the WTCS this year, especially over the Olympic distance. Having run down Tertsch in Paris, she will be confident of besting her again in Valencia.
One thing to note, though, is that Eim has one World Cup medal to her name: a silver in Cagliari in 2019. She will likely win several more over the coming years but at this point Tertsch’s World Cup hit rate and Koch’s recent form may nudge them ahead. Still, Eim will be brimming with confidence after Paris.
To look beyond the German team, Mathilde Gautier should feature prominently. A classy swimmer and superb on the bike, Gautier showcased her strength over the Olympic distance with her win at the World Military Championships.
Moreover, she recently became the European Super Sprint champion and displayed some blistering speed across all three disciplines. It would be unwise to count the World Cup medallist out.
Similarly her teammate, Sandra Dodet, could be a factor. Dodet has not quite hit her 2022 form this year having not been able to race as often as she would have hoped. As a serial World Cup winner she will be in mix.
Then there is Jolien Vermeylen. At what point will her bonkers race schedule catch up with her? It seems like she has attended every major race of the summer and has come away with plenty of medals and personal best finishes. She will be at the front of the pack as one of the best swimmers in the field (perhaps even the best) and her running has gone from strength to strength.
At some point, logic would dictate that she must get tired. However, that day seems like it might not come until 2026 and Vermeylen could end up on the podium in Valencia.
Tilda Månsson is a tricky athlete to gauge. She won the Tiszaujvaros World Cup, beating Vermeylen late on in the run. That gave her a second World Cup gold after her success in Bergen in 2022. Both victories came over the Sprint distance which seems to suit her at this stage so her next challenge will be to replicate her performances over the Olympic distance. With Gautier and Vermeylen in the water, she could be vulnerable in the first discipline.
Månsson will piece it together at some point but it must not be forgotten that she is still a Junior. Time is on her side and there is no need to expect too much too soon.
Noelia Juan will fly the flag for the Spanish team after winning a silver medal in Tiszaujvaros. Last year she took 8th place in Valencia and it seems like she has progressed over the course of this season.
Maria Carolina Velasquez Soto is another World Cup medallist that will fancy her chances. Alongside her fantastic form in Latin America – she won multiple Americas Cups and claimed the title at Central American and Caribbean Games – she finished 10th on her WTCS debut in Montreal.
Velasquez cycles brilliantly and can drop a fast run split afterwards, making Valencia an ideal course for her.
The Italian duo of Costanza Arpinelli and Angelica Prestia should be in contention while Tamara Gorman will be making first race back after suffering a broken sacrum. A medal might not be on the cards for the American after such a major injury, but any finish will represent a success in and of itself.
TriStats Predictions
- Lisa Tertsch
- Annika Koch
- Maria Carolina Velasquez Soto
- Mathilde Gautier
- Nina Eim
Koch is not racing… Gorman is also off the list…