GB Triathlon

[Rafa Maciel 1,712]

The 2024 World Triathlon Championships Series gets underway in Abu Dhabi this weekend - 1 of only 3 WTCS level events before the end of the qualification window.

 

 Men:

1.) Alex Yee

2.) Max Stapley

3.) Samuel Dixon 

 

No Brownlee or Izzard!!! It's almost like we've given up on getting that 3rd individual quota. 

 

 Women:

1.) Beth Potter

2.) Sophie Coldwell

3.) Kate Waugh

4.) Georgia Taylor-Brown

 

Good to see GTB back on the start list - it will be interesting to see what kind of form she is in after such a long layoff. 

 

 

[RussB 189]

The women side is so interesting for GB with return of GTB, the step forward Beth Potter took last year and the progression of young Kate Waugh.

 

The team relay should have a good chance of repeating, alongside strong medal hopes in both men’s and women’s events in Paris.

[mpjmcevoy 379]

7 hours ago, RussB said:

The women side is so interesting for GB with return of GTB, the step forward Beth Potter took last year and the progression of young Kate Waugh.

 

The team relay should have a good chance of repeating, alongside strong medal hopes in both men’s and women’s events in Paris.

My instinct, FWIW, is the final women's team will be Potter, Taylor Brown, Waugh, with Potter and Taylor Brown in the relay. They may not have much of a choice on the men's side, with Johny Brownless looking like he's going through his late Andy Murray period; the lack of new blood is stark. Potter and Taylor Brown remain I think the best gold medal shot, while Yee needs to do something about his week swim which has now hit him at numerous key races. For the relay, the key need in 'Man 1' is a strong swimmer (as Learmonth so memorably was, splitting the race definitively in Tokyo on the first mini-leg) ; if GBR are still in the race when woman 1 takes over, a back end of Taylor Brown, Yee, Potter can take it home. If not, they'll be fighting for podiums.

[RussB 189]

I agree my instinct is similar although I’m interested to see how Kate Waugh does this season. It felt like she really arrived on the scene last year with the Super League title.

[Rafa Maciel 1,712]

BBC confirmed coverage for WTCS  tomorrow:

 

World Triathlon Championship Series LIVE: Beth Potter & Alex Yee among Britons in action - Live - BBC Sport

[Rafa Maciel 1,712]

Max Stapley, Daniel Dixon and Ben Dijkstra will be in actin in Hong Kong this weekend for the World Cup event - sadly I think these guys are all too far down the rankings for this to make much of a difference in terms of GB getting that 3rd quota for the men's team. 

 

Sian Rainsley, Vicky Holland, Olivia Mathias and Sophie Alden make up the women's contingent.

 

 

[Rafa Maciel 1,712]

Sian Rainsley takes top spot on the podium in Hong Kong coming home 9 seconds ahead of USA's Katie Zaferes. 

 

Olivia Mathias took 7th whilst Vicky Holland just missed out on the top 10 with an 11th place finish and Sophie Alden was in 19th.

 

On the men's side, Max Stapley was the best of the British finishers in 6th. Ben Dijkstra and Daniel Dixon had pretty poor day finishing 21st and 47th respectively. 

[RussB 189]

The quality and depth in British women's triathlon is remarkable. Sian barely raced from what I can recall last year and to win here, albeit over the sprint distance, beating Zaferes in particular is very impressive. Obviously remains incredibly tough to get to Paris ahead of GTB, Beth Potter or Kate Waugh.

[mpjmcevoy 379]

1 hour ago, RussB said:

The quality and depth in British women's triathlon is remarkable. Sian barely raced from what I can recall last year and to win here, albeit over the sprint distance, beating Zaferes in particular is very impressive. Obviously remains incredibly tough to get to Paris ahead of GTB, Beth Potter or Kate Waugh.

or Sophie Coldwell or Jessica Fullager

 

Meanwhile an impressive win in the European Triathlon Cup event for Hugo Milner

[Rafa Maciel 1,712]

Good signs that GTB's injury worries are behind her going into the 2024 season as she takes 2nd place in the Triathlon Indoor World Cup behind Germany's Laura Lindemann.