Last week, we asked which of the women’s 2021 Olympic podium and the women’s 2023 overall WTCS podium you think will fare better in 2024.
A trio of world champions made up the 2021 podium: Flora Duffy (2016, 2017, 2021, 2022), Georgia Taylor-Brown (2020) and Katie Zaferes (2019). Meanwhile, the 2023 podium contained a first-time world champion in Beth Potter. Moreover, it contained two athletes that had made the overall Series podium for the first time: Cassandre Beaugrand and Emma Lombardi.
Only 36% (rounded to the nearest integer) favoured the 2021 podium to collectively come out on top in 2024. Meanwhile, 64% of the votes went to the 2023 podium.
There are plenty of reasons to back the latter. All have the most recent WTCS medals and the most recent success at the world level. Potter won won WTCS races last season, while Beaugrand won two. The youngest of the trio, Lombardi, earned two WTCS silver medals in only her second year in the Series.
Meanwhile, Taylor-Brown was the only 2023 medallist of the 2021 podium. She won WTCS Cagliari last May. Duffy missed the entire season through injury while Zaferes worked her way back to the Series after a maternity absence. A 5th place at WTCS Montreal showed signs that Zaferes was rediscovering her best form and she will no doubt be in the mix for medals this year.
Based on the past year, then, it is understandable that the 2023 podium would be plumped for by many.
Equally, with world titles and Olympic medals under the names of the 2021 podium, it would be no surprise to see them turn the tables on the 2023 cohort this year.
