Former world champion Katie Zaferes will be launching her 2023 season at WTCS Abu Dhabi in three weeks.
She was originally not on the start list for the race when they first came out. However, she has since taken the place of fellow American Taylor Knibb.
Zaferes will one of a five-strong US women’s team in Abu Dhabi. Also starting will be Kirsten Kasper, Taylor Spivey, Summer Rappaport and Gina Sereno.
The switch between Knibb and Zaferes is a classic case of substitution, which national federations are permitted to make use of prior to the race. In some cases, a higher ranked athlete will be entered for an event to secure the start with the intention of switching them out.
Having been away from the sport during her maternity break, Zaferes’ ranking has slipped to 143rd in the world. As a result, switching her in for Knibb allows her to return to the highest level of the sport without first rebuilding her ranking.
In the future, women that take maternity breaks will be able to make use of protected World Triathlon rankings which should reduce the need for such substitutions.
As the 2019 world champion, Zaferes brings a wealth of experience to the field. As it has been some 18 months since her last international race, she will enter Abu Dhabi as an unknown quantity.
Should she return at her former levels, though, she will doubtless be an important factor.
Meanwhile, the switch means that Knibb will not be starting her season yet. With Flora Duffy also absent, two of the three members of the overall WTCS podium from 2022 will not be starting.
On paper, this seems to clear the path for Georgia Taylor-Brown to seize the initiative in the season. At the same time, it affords Knibb an extra block of training before she enters the fray. Come the end of the season, a delayed start may pay dividends.
