In less than a week’s time, the opening race of the WTCS season will take place in Abu Dhabi. Both the men’s and women’s fields have at least half a dozen legitimate world title contenders and the medals at the first round could go in any number of directions. Moreover, with the Olympics looming on the horizon there will be plenty of narratives to track throughout the triathlon season.
However, as easy as it would be to take sport in isolation, there is a wider reality beyond the racing to consider.
That the WTCS season opens in Abu Dhabi brings this reality into the foreground. At this point in time, the world faces as much geopolitical instability as it has in decades. The Middle East is at that heart of that instability. The Hamas attacks on 7th October 2023 appear to have lit the powder keg and unleashed a chain of events that could yet bring about a wider regional war.
The subsequent chain of events has been well-documented, from Israel’s retaliation in Gaza, the reaction from the Houthi movement in Yemen, and the subsequent American and British air strikes on Yemen. Further American strikes have followed in Syria and Iraq following the actions of various non-state actors.
Calls for a ceasefire in Gaza have not yet been heeded and the loss of life continues apace.
In geopolitical terms, there is a seemingly endless supply of information to unpack. However, the commentary here will remain confined (for better or for worse) to the sporting arena.
Let’s start with the basics. The United Arab Emirates, where WTCS Abu Dhabi will take place, is currently unaffected. As such, the safety of athletes should not be at risk. The recent World Aquatics Championships passed without any major issues in Qatar and so there should be no reason for concern. Nevertheless, the fact remains that the athletes will be entering a region of extreme instability.
The broader question to be asked here is simple. For how long can the sporting community continue as if nothing is amiss?
This is not simply a geopolitical question. The same can be posited in the face of the growing ecological collapse. Whether in decades or beyond, when the world is on fire at what point does sport take the back seat? There is no simple answer.
Sport can sometimes inhabit a curious space in which it is everything and nothing, vital and ephemeral, all at once. At times it is conceived of as a radical force for change and an agent of good. Often, though, it is regarded merely as entertainment.
Athletes themselves fall into the same trap. Over the years, athlete activism in a variety of sports has been a tenet of social and political action. We regularly hear how athletes inspire people but at times there is doubt as to what they are actually inspiring. For every athlete that stands for what they believe in, there is another that is content to be the pawn on a greater chessboard. Yet athletes only have one career; it is hard to begrudge them not using their status in ways any different to the standard person.
Still, the issue persists. Do we really think of athletes as simple employees of their sport? Or, given the platforms afforded to them, do they have a responsibility to stand for something greater? Once again, there is no simple answer when considering the balance between an athlete simply clocking in and clocking out like anyone else or actually standing upon the plinth that has been built for them.
When it comes to geopolitics, it is unfair to expect most athletes across sports to be informed, affected or interested enough in the matter to express any opinion. The same is true for the wider sporting architecture. No one wants to address the elephant in the room so long as it does not tread on them.
For many elite triathletes, though, the reality of global politics may soon enter their worlds in ways they did not imagine.
Since the turn of the year, European governments have issued warnings of the chance of war with Russia. Calls to bolster armies and set countries on a pre-war footing are no longer confined to the political fringe. They are actively being discussed. Only this week, President Macron of France suggested European soldiers could be deployed to Ukraine to fight Russia. This is particularly noteworthy as several athletes are connected to their national militaries or police services.
Pierre Le Corre, the winner of WTCS Sunderland, and Mathilde Gautier, the reigning European champion over the Super Sprint distance, are both officially members of the French army and each claimed gold at the World Military Championships last year.
Many of the German WTCS squad are connected to their country’s military and the same is true for other athletes, such as the Poland contingent.
A new page may thus be turning in the European story in which further national forces are mobilised. For years it has often looked far-fetched that an elite athlete would actually serve in a live conflict, yet with the European and Middle Eastern spheres rapidly evolving, the coin may flip. Rather than donning racing costumes, some athletes in the near future may be called to reach for their military uniform.
Fear-mongering is never wise but neither is obliviousness the best path to take. We can cheer and rave over the coming performances at WTCS Abu Dhabi and in other sports beyond, but we cannot ignore what is happening in the world. Instead, we have to ask ourselves the ends to which elite sport can serve and for how long it can persist unscathed.
Ultimately, the opportunities afforded to elite athletes are privileges and it would be remiss to ignore the changing realities that may take away such privileges.
When it comes to triathlon, where the sport may go next and what the athletes may do are as susceptible to geopolitics as any other walk of life. No one is suggesting the sport is under existential threat right now, but when bombs are falling and missiles are flying in the geographic neighbourhood of the Series opener, reality has to be acknowledged. And therein lies a simple truth.
All is not well.
