In a similar fashion to the men’s field, there are plenty of contenders that could win the women’s WTCS title this year. Any of half a dozen women hold legitimate ambitions to claim the title and the margins that will ultimately separate them will likely be fine.
However, one area in which the women’s field diverges from the men’s is the presence of a clear favourite.
Beth Potter was not mentioned in our survey of the women’s favourites last year, which proved to be a gross oversight. On the one hand, Potter had not yet won a WTCS race and there were other candidates that were coming off an exceptional 2022 season. Still, her form throughout 2023 marked her out as the leading light in the women’s field.
Four wins across the WTCS, in Abu Dhabi, Montreal, Paris and Pontevedra, confirmed Potter’s arrival at the highest echelon of the sport. Should she maintain her extraordinary levels, she will be hard to look past.
The example of Potter last year equally goes to show that a new dominant force could emerge this year. At the same time, there are a few established stars that could knock Potter from the top spot.
Cassandre Beaugrand finished 2nd overall in the 2023 season. Like Potter, she has four WTCS career wins, of which two came last year, and is among the fastest runners in the sport. Having shown a clear upward trajectory last year (Beaugrand earned her first WTCS medals over the Olympic distance, for example), she will likely continue to progress in 2024.
Beaugrand was also one of the few women to beat Potter, a feat she achieved on her way to victory in Hamburg. As such, she may be less daunted than most be Potter’s growing reputation.
After a slightly trickier 2023, Georgia Taylor-Brown will look to recapture her best form. The British athlete has four WTCS wins since Tokyo (with additional wins coming prior to the Olympics). One of those wins came last year in Cagliari where she beat both Potter and Beaugrand with a perfectly executed display. She also finished 2nd overall in the WTCS in 2022 and has recent experience of fighting for the world title.
If everything clicks back into place for Taylor-Brown this year, she has the class to out-duel both Potter and Beaugrand on a regular basis.
To continue the back-and-forth between British and French contenders, we then come to Emma Lombardi. More than anyone, Lombardi could be this year’s Potter: the athlete that rises to claim a first win and then builds towards the world title.
The young French athlete finished 3rd overall in the Series in 2023; in doing so, she became the youngest woman ever to make the overall podium. Given her age, she could have the most headspace to still improve, which itself is a frightening prospect. Lombardi has all of the swimming and running speed she needs to win races and it seems only a matter of time before she takes the next step in her career.
With three WTCS silver medals to her name, she could be primed for a breakthrough in the coming months. Whether that will be enough to carry her to the world title, though, remains to be seen.
The women’s field also contains further established stars that could compete for the title. Sophie Coldwell won WTCS Yokohama last year and, at her best, is as dangerous as any of her rivals. Similarly, Taylor Knibb has two WTCS wins to her name and finished 3rd overall in 2022. Although the American raced sparingly in the Series last year, if she shows up she could disrupt her rivals’ best laid plans.
And then there is Flora Duffy. The world champion from 2021 and 2022 is the great unknown. Injury has prevented her from racing since November 2022 and she is not due to start at the season opener in Abu Dhabi. Furthermore, Duffy is currently ranked 90th in the world and so is unlikely to start at any races in the near future. At her best, Duffy could win another world title. However, there is a chance that she does not race again in the Series.
All told, then, the women’s Series has a clear favourite in the form of Potter after her supreme 2023 season. Considering the talent arrayed against her, though, defending her title will be a major challenge.
