Great Britain amongst sixteen countries looking to snag first triathlon quotas

Image: World Triathlon

The first direct non-host quotas of the Paris 2024 qualification cycle are set to be allocated later today (Sunday 26 June 2022) in Montreal, Canada as the 2022 World Triathlon Mixed Relay Championships take place. The triathlon has three events: a men's event, a women's event, and a mixed relay event. All NOCs that enter at least two men and at least two women will automatically be entered into the mixed relay. However, nine NOCs will qualify directly for the mixed relay, as qualifying through these events will earn enough quotas two men and two women.

The first place went automatically to hosts France, but the next will be earned at today's championships. There are seventeen countries entering, with the winner qualifying two men and two women. If France win, then the places will be allocated to the runner-up instead. In mixed relay triathlon, all teams start with a male athlete, and alternate, finishing with a female athlete (an order known as MFMF).

Olympic champions Great Britain will be eyeing a win after finishing second in the last event in Leeds. The two members of their Tokyo 2020 team present, Alex Yee and Georgia Taylor-Brown both won the individual elite events, while Sophie Coldwell came 7th. Samuel Dickinson is on ranking clearly the weakest member of the team, finishing 56th in the event (out of 57 finishers). However, it is still a very strong team. Germany, who won in Leeds, do not have a team this time.

They won't be troubling the Olympic quota places having already qualified as hosts but Olympic bronze medallists France who achieved the same medal in Leeds are also a strong team. Pierre Le Corre who came 7th in the individual event will lead off, followed by U23 world champion Emma Lombardi, Vincent Luis (who came 6th in the individual event) and individual silver medallist Cassandre Beaugrand. The Olympic silver medallist Americans will hope to improve from a pretty disastrous ninth in Leeds with a strong women's side. Seth Rider could only manage 40th in the individual event with Kevin Mcdowell not entering, but Taylor Spivey and Summer Rappaport managed sixth and fifth respectively in the women's event.

The course consists of a 300m swim, followed by two laps of a 3.3km cycle, and then two laps of a 950m run. This will be done by each athlete, for a total of 1.2km swimming, 26.4km cycling, and 7.8km running for each team.

The full list of countries, their athletes and their 2022 World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) ranking is as follows:
Australia: Jacob Birtwhistle (32), Jaz Hedgeland (35), Brandon Copeland (17), Natalie Van Coevorden (13)

Belgium: Jelle Geens (5), Valerie Barthelemy (45), Marten Van Riel (11), Hanne De Vet (86)

Brazil: Miguel Hidalgo (13), Djenyfer Arnold (23), Manoel Messias (36), Vittoria Lopes (60)

Canada: Tyler Mislawchuk (29), Emy Legault (29), Charles Paquet (24), Dominika Jamnicky (70)

Denmark: Emil Holm (37), Alberte Kjær Pedersen (15), Oscar Gladney Rundqvist (unranked), Anne Holm (96)

France: Pierre Le Corre (3), Emma Lombardi (26), Vincent Luis (6), Cassandre Beaugrand (3)

Great Britain: Alex Yee (9), Sophie Coldwell (6), Samuel Dickinson (63), Georgia Taylor-Brown (1)

Italy: Nicolò Strada (unranked), Bianca Seregni (unranked), Gianluca Pozzatti (49), Carlotta Missaglia (80)

Japan: Takumi Hojo (16), Yuka Sato (68), Kenji Nemer (14), Hikaru Fukuoka (unranked)

Mexico: Irving Perez (101), Lizeth Rueda Santos (67), Rodrigo Gonzalez (89), Anahi Alvarez Corral (88)

Netherlands: Richard Murray (22), Rachel Klamer (17), Mitch Kolkman (92), Barbara De Koning (62)

New Zealand: Hayden Wilde (2), Ainsley Thorpe (40), Tayler Reid (48), Nicole Van Der Kaay (24)

Norway: Vetle Bergsvik Thorn (27), Lotte Miller (40), Sebastian Wernersen (unranked), Solveig Løvseth (54)

Portugal: Ricardo Batista (26), Melanie Santos (34), Joao Silva (20), Maria Tomé (56)

Spain: Antonio Serrat Seoane (4), Anna Godoy Contreras (92), Roberto Sanchez Mantecon (19), Sara Perez Sala (64)

Switzerland: Sylvain Fridelance (18), Cathia Schär (50), Sasha Caterina (102), Nora Gmür (81)

United States: Seth Rider (52), Taylor Spivey (4), Kevin Mcdowell (45), Summer Rappaport (7)

Late substitutions, withdrawals or entries can't be ruled out. The action gets underway at about 16:45 local time (UTC -4). Check here for broadcasting rights.

Patrick Green

Writer, Totallympics News