WORLD TRIATHLON Redemption time for many at the Huatulco World Cup this Sunday

Sunday morning in Huatulco will be time for redemption for many. For the ones that didn’t have a great day out there during the Mixed Relay Olympic Qualifier Event, the ones that couldn’t finish or event he ones that did not have the chance to race at all. But really valuable Olympic rankings points are up for grabs and the 53 men taking the start are all up for it. A hard and choppy 750m swim, 22km on the bike with a serious climb on every lap to finish with a 5km run on the Mexican heat. Buckle up! The Men’s race in Huatulco promises to be one for the ages.

Wearing number 1 on Sunday morning will be Norway’s Vetle Bergsvik Thorn, one of the happiest men in Huatulco this weekend after his Team won the Mixed Relay Qualifier, which gives the Norwegian Team a ticket for the Paris 2024 Olympics next summer. A very solid athlete on the three disciplines, he has also proved that the heat is made for him. He showed on the Mixed Relay that the beach start and big waves are not a challenge for him, and will be ready to push the throttle from the gun.

There are quite a few excellent swimmers lining up this Sunday on the Chahué beach. South Africans Jamie Riddle and Henri Schoeman have lost count of the times they have led out of the water when starting directly from the beach, and they both would be looking forward leaving behind the disapointment of their Team not able to finish the race on Friday, after Riddle crashed on the bike. Both of them are sitting on the Olympic rankings as of today quite confidently, but a great place in Huatulco will indeed help them to secure their Olympic spot. Riddle, though, would have to find a new bike to ride with, since his frame was broken after the crash on Friday.

Also great swimmers are Diego Moya (CHI) and Bence Bicsak (HUN), with the second having learnt from the experience of struggling to get out of the water on the strong currents of the Bay in Huatulco. They are also both currently on the list of qualified athletes for the Games, but in the case of the Hungarian, is key for him to finish the Qualification period ahead of his teammates to guarantee himself a spot on the Olympic team.

Brok Hoel (CAN) is another one that can be easily added to the list of the excellent swimmers, and will be trying to redeem himself of the dissapointment of Team Canada being disqualified on the Mixed Relay Qualifier Event.

But the race is not short on strong riders, that will try to make an impact on the race from the early stages and even, if possible, break away to avoid a running race. Count Casper Stornes (NOR), Alois Knabl (AUT), Kevin McDowell (USA), Tjebbe Kaindl (AUT), Richard Murray (NOR) and Mitch Kolkman (NED), the latest in desperate need of grabbing enough points to become eligible for the Olympics (ranked 140 on the Olympic rankings, currently sitting on 146th place- to secure Team Netherlands spot at the Mixed Relay in Paris.

If finally it all comes to a run race, watch out for Genis Grau (ESP). The young Spaniard won the Huatulco World Cup in 2022 and finished in fourth place in 2023, and is really hard to beat on the run under these conditions.

The World Triathlon Cup Huatulco Men’s race will start at 7.30am local time on Sunday, and you can watch it live on TriathlonLIVE.tv.

Check the start lists HERE. https://triathlon.org/events/start_list/2024_world_triathlon_cup_huatulco/630336?mc_cid=27135dd015&mc_eid=6139649918

WORLD TRIATHLON Norway and the Netherlands seal the deal in Huatulco and qualify a Team for Paris 2024

 

Team Norway -Vetle Bergsvik Thorn, Lotte Miller, Casper Stornes and Solveig Løvseth- executed their race plan to perfection to take the tape at the 2024 Huatulco World Triathlon Mixed Relay Olympic Qualifier, securing their team a spot on the Mixed Relay race at the Olympics this summer. The Netherlands made a remarkable comeback in the last leg to take the second place and the final spot to the Olympic Games for the Mixed Relay. On the bitter side of the story, Team Hungary came home with a creditable third place, but just missed out on qualification.

Nine teams lined up in the Chahué bay beach, in Huatulco, knowing that the best two on the day will get an automatic ticket for their team for the Paris 24 Olympics, as well as two men and two women on the individual races. And that meant a lot for some of the countries toeing the start line today, since they had not qualified a Team -or two men and two women- through the individual rankings. This is the case for Hungary -they have three men and one woman qualified as of today-; Norway -two men and one woman as of today-; South Africa -two men and one woman qualified-; Netherlands -two women and one man qualified-; Canada -one woman, two men qualified-; and Ecuador -only one female qualified-. For other countries, like Mexico, Spain and Austria, they already have two men and two women relatively secured on the start lists in Paris.

With the Olympic qualification in mind, it was Jamie Riddle (RSA) who led the small group of nine athletes out of the water. The young South African, one of the best open water swimmers in the circuit, navigated extremely well the swallow waters at the end of the 300m swim and started the long run to transition in the lead, but with Mitch Kolkman (NED), Vettle Thorn (NOR) and Brock Hoel (CAN) shoulder to shoulder with him. Bence Bicsak (HUN), though, struggled to get out of the water as the strong current pulled him in when he was trying to stand up to start running, losing some seconds that proved to be precious as he lost contact with the lead group.

Riddle, Kolkman, Thorn and Hoel jumped on their bikes and started pushing hard to try to open a break, until at the beginning of the second lap the South African hit a manhole and crashed, putting a sad end to South African hopes to qualify the team for Paris. The other three managed to stay away of trouble and together they went on the run, with Hoel tagging his teammate Sophia Howell in first place, followed closely by Team Norway.

And it was when Howell and Miller were running to the beach when the drama of the Mixed Relays when into full scene. Howell, running in front of everyone, took a wrong turn and entered the water through the swim exit, an involuntary action that will end up costing Team Canada being disqualified for not following the prescribed course, even though they continued in the race and eventually crossed the line in fifth place.

Howell and Millner got on their bikes together, opening a significant gap with Barbara De Koning (NED), that had to ride solo and run solo. Behind her, Karolina Helga Horváth (HUN), Sara Guerrero Manso (ESP) and Julia Hauser (AUT) where in chase mood, getting closer and closer by the minute.

Millner, for whom qualifying the team will mean a ticket to the Games for herself -she is ranked 121 on the Olympic rankings, therefore eligible- gave it all on the bike and run to tagg Casper Stornes on the lead, and the second Norwegian man also delivered, despite doing solo all his leg. He exited the choppy water on the lead, and managed to open a few seconds break with Mathis Beaulieu and almost one minute ahead of Richard Murray (NED), who managed to stay solo on the bike but had to fight hard to keep the third place on the run, with Csongor Lhemann (HUN) and Pelayo Gonzalez Turrez (ESP) approaching quickly, both of them setting the fastest splits of the day.

All the pressure was put on Solveig Lovseth (NOR) for the last leg, knowing that she would have to be by herself for the 300m swim, 6.8km bike and 1.8km run to cross the finish line in first place, guaranteeing Norway a Team at the Paris 2024 Olympics. And she did deliver. The young norwegian put her head down as soon as she was out of the water, showing once again that she is one of the most powerful bikers on the circuit. Behind her, a hopeless Desirae Ridenour (CAN) was trying her best to stay as close to her wheel as she could, but on the second lap of the bike she was chased first by Zsanett Kuttor-Bragmayer (HUN) and then by Rachel Klamer (NED).

Lovseth started the run one minute ahead of Kuttor-Bragmayer, a difference that proved to be too much for the chasers. Never looking back and cheered by her teammates as she passed through transition for the last lap, she crossed the finish line in happy tears to be hugged by her three teammates that made the Olympic dream for team Norway come true. “We really wanted to win, and is even more special to do it today, May 17, which is the Norway’s National Day”, said Lovseth. “We’ve been working for this since the last Olympics. It was a close call, the last shot we had, but we delivered” explained Thorn. “Today we felt in control from the first leg on the bike. I managed to stay out of trouble when Jamie (Riddle) crashed and pushed really hard and we all delivered today, Im really proud of the team”, he said.

Team Norway seems to have found a line-up that has put them in contention when it comes to the relays, having won gold at the European Games Mixed Relay, and a bronze medal in Sunderland Mixed Relay Series last year. “Conditions like this make it even better for us, and we are now so estable all of us, that we can race really well together”, explained Miller. “This was our race to lose today but we nailed it”, she finished.

With a magnificent sprint, Rachel Klamer passed Kuttor-Bragmayer with only 500m to go and was crying when crossing the finish line, also knowing that her second place today will mean that the Dutch Team will be able to race at the Olympics. “It hasn’t sunk in yet”, said Richard Murray on the finish line. But what a team we have. This was a crazy race, we went up and down. We were in 6th place at some point and here we are, we managed to get second due to the amazing team effort”.

“I have to say that when we were 4th or 5th and I was waiting for my leg, I cried. The pressure was so high that I was not sure that what I could do. But thanks to the girls that helped me get back together, and I fought hard until the end. And it paid off!”, said Klamer. The Dutch team, though, will need to have two female and two male eligible for the Games before the end of the Olympic qualification period, on May 27, so it is key for them that Mitch Kolkman, currently ranked 146, gets enough points on the individual race this Sunday to secure the spot for the team. Otherwise, the spot will roll down to the third team on the line today, Hungary.

And Hungary was indeed the face of disappointment today, with Kuttor-Bragmayer crossing the finish line exhausted knowing that the last spot on the podium was not enough to secure the team a start on the Olympics Mixed Relay. “I just didn’t have the extra gear to keep up with the pace on the run, but I gave it all”, explained Zsanett. “We can all be really proud of our performance today”, said Csongor Lehmann. “It was not this time for us but the chance will come for us in the future”, he said.

Maria Casals Mojica had a splendid run -second fastest split of the day- that put Team Spain on a brilliant fourth place, while Lisa Perterer put Team Austria on the fifth place and Team Mexico closed the table on sixth place.

Results: Mixed Relay

1.Team I Norway NOR01:20:08

2.Team I Netherlands NED01:21:04

3.Team I Hungary HUN01:21:16

4.Team I Spain ESP01:21:51

5.Team I Austria AUT01:22:38

WORLD TRIATHLON Olympic qualification points up for grab in Huatulco

 

With less than ten days to close the Olympic qualification period, all eyes are set this weekend on two different spots: Samarkand, in Uzbekistan, and Huatulco, in Mexico. Both cities will host this weekend’s World Triathlon Cups that will award some of the last available Olympic points up for grabs, as the race to get a ticket to Paris24 heats up. Most of the athletes who are competing in the World Triathlon Mixed Relay Olympic Qualification Event in Huatulco this Friday are staying for the World Cup during the weekend. Sprint distance, beach start, heat and humidity… buckle up! The women’s field in Huatulco is stacked with talent and the Olympic hopes are higher than ever.

Huatulco is already a classic stop on the World Triathlon Cup circuit, but on this edition, the venue has changed slightly, to Playa Chaué, 800m away from the town center. The athletes will face a 750m swim with a beach start that will take them to open and choppy Pacific Ocean waters to do one lap counter-clockwise, to then face a long 400m run to transition. The bike course is also challenging, with four laps planned, of 5km each, with a considerable climb on each lap, to then finish with a fast a technical 5km run.

Wearing the number 1 on the beach of Huatulco this Saturday evening will be Rachel Klamer. The Dutch woman was back on the podium of a World Cup last year in Karlovy Vary and seems to be again in great running form, and she is always a very dangerous one when the race is to be decided in the last leg. Huatulco, with a long run out of the swim and a hard bike and run course, looks like a perfect scenario for Klamer to return to the podium.

The beach start and the long run to transition are actually great factors in favour of Zsanett Kuttor-Bragmayer. The young Hungarian’s goal is to qualify the team for the Olympic Games on Friday at the Mixed Relay Qualifier, but has also eyes set on the individual race. She arrived in Huatulco one week ago to get her body ready used to the extreme weather conditions in Mexico, and seems to have adapted really well to the heat and humidity.

Another athlete who knows extremely well what it takes to race under the weather conditions in Mexico is Elizabeth Bravo (ECU). Aiming for her fourth consecutive Olympic Games, the Ecuadorian would be on the start list of Paris if things stand as they are now, but a good result in Huatulco will give her enough points to breathe calmly the last days of the qualification period. In a similar situation are Maria Carolina Velasquez Soto (COL) and Lisa Perterer (AUT). Both of them are currently on the last spots of the rankings, and need desperately a good result in Huatulco, since some of the women who are also fighting for those last spots are racing in Samarkand -an Standard distance race that gives more points than a Sprint distance-.

For Maria Carolina, silver medallist at the 2023 PanAmerican Games, the season started really well with a second place at the Wollongong World Cup but she was not able to finish the race in Chengdu, and is in need for some points that will give her a bit of a rest. She is well used to the conditions in Huatulco, where she has finished in 9th place the two years that she lined up here before. Since Colombia dropped last minute the team for the Mixed Relay race, she will be a bit more rested than Perterer, who has to double up on Friday to try to secure her country two spots on the Paris 24 Olympics, and then on Saturday on the individual race.

Gina Sereno and Erika Ackerlund will be leading the USA team, joined this time by 2017 U23 World Champion Tamara Gorman, who is returning to the circuit after multiple injuries that kept her out of the blue carpet. The three of them are fast runners and are used to the extreme weather conditions of Mexico. Another fast runner that will enjoy the long run out of the beach will be indeed Alberte Kjær Pedersen (DEN), ready to shine on a course that seems to fit her really well, and another athlete that will have the benefit of toeing the start line fresh.

The hard bike course seems to fit extremely well the likes of Solveig Lovseth (NOR), one of the strongest bikers on the circuit, and who is looking to consolidate her Olympic rankings as well, and so are Romina Biagoili (ARG) and Vicky Van Der Merwe (RSA), who have secured their presence at the Paris 2024 Olympics via the new flag classification.

The Women’s race in Huatulco will unfold at 17.30h local time in Mexico on Saturday, and you can watch it live on TriathlonLIVE.tv.

Check the full start lists here https://triathlon.org/events/start_list/2024_world_triathlon_cup_huatulco/630337?mc_cid=bdfd26744c&mc_eid=6139649918

WORLD TRIATHLON Huatulco to award two Mixed Relay Teams a golden ticket to Paris24 Olympics

 

With the Olympic qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games just about to close on May 27, Mexico becomes the centre of the drama that surrounds the road to Paris, as the 2024 World Triathlon Mixed Relay Olympic Qualification Event Huatulco is set to decide two more Mixed Relay teams on the Paris 2024 start line.  A super-sprint course of 300m swim, 7.2km bike and 1.8km run on hot and humid conditions will be a true test for the athletes on Friday, with the individual races of the World Cup taking place on Saturday and Sunday.

With host country France, Great Britain, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, USA, Switzerland, Italy and Portugal already qualified through the Mixed Relay rankings, each of the nine teams lining up in Mexico will know that, in the unpredictable world of the super-sprint relay, a top-two finish and that Olympic qualification of two men and two women is surely within reach.

The race in Huatulco is key for most of the teams toeing the start line, since securing a top two spot will mean qualifying for the Olympic Games athletes who have not earned the spot by themselves on the individual Olympic qualification. This is the case for Hungary - they have three men and one woman qualified as of today-; Norway -two men and one woman as of today-; South Africa -two men and one woman qualified-; Netherlands -two women and one man qualified-; Canada -one woman, two men qualified-; and Ecuador with only one female qualified. For other countries, like Mexico, Spain and Austria, they already have two men and two women relatively secure on the start lists in Paris so it is likely that they will have a team lining up in Paris next summer regardless of their placing in Huatulco.

This luxury of having two men and two women “safe” in the rankings for Paris has led to some teams declining to race in the Mixed Relay Olympic Qualification Event, such as Brazil and Belgium.

 

Hungary on the hunt

Considering that a victory in Huatulco will mean four tickets secured for Paris, Hungary is lining up the A team to try to secure the last spot that they need. Csongor Lehmann and Bence Bicsak flew directly from Yokohama to Mexico, while Zsanett Kuttor-Bragmayer decided to skip Yokohama to save some fresh legs for the Mexican heat. They will be joined by one of the rising stars of the country, Karolina Helga Horváth, who despite being only 22 years old, she help the Hungarian team to get the 5th place at the Junior/U23 Mixed Relay World Championships last year.

Team Norway knows that the only chance that their second female athlete, Lotte Miller, can make it to the start line in Paris is by finishing top-two this Friday in Huatulco. Miller, who has been through a series of injuries in the last two years, has dropped significantly on the rankings, but she proved only a few months ago that she is a reliable asset when it comes to a relay, as she helped the Norwegian Team to claim the gold medal at the 2023 European Games in Krakow. Norway will repeat the team that shined under the rain in Krakow: Vetle Bergsvik Thorn, Solveig Løvseth, Casper Stornes and Lotte Miller, and they seem to be on great form. The long run out of the water and the uphill on the bike course can be an asset for them, known all for their bike power and skills.

 

South Africa strength in numbers

South Africa is also bringing their best athletes to Mexico, hoping to secure one of the first two places that will give a second female a ticket to the Olympics, as well as the opportunity for the South African team to redeem themselves of the bad luck that they had in Tokyo 2020, on the debut of the Mixed Relay at the Olympics, when Team South Africa was not able to take the start after Henri Schoeman crashed during the individual race and was unable to race. The Rio 2016 bronze medallist Henri Schoeman will be leading the team in Huatulco, along with the young rising star, Jamie Riddle, who showed with his silver medal at the Wollongong World Cup that he is in great shape. On the women’s side, South Africa is bringing their top three ranked females -Vicky Van Der Merwe, Bridget Theunissen and Amber Schlebusch- and will decide which two are doing the relay 24 hours before the start.  Both Schoeman and Riddle are excellent swimmers and experts on beach starts like the one in Huatulco, and have proven to be really powerful under heat and humid conditions like the ones expected during the weekend.

The Dutch Team also needs desperately a top-two position at the end of the race, to secure the second spot for the men, and Richard Murray, Rachel Klamer, Barbara de Koning and Mitch Kolkman are ready to give it a try. They all seem to like the weather conditions in Mexico, and are always a team that rises to the occasion when it matters.

Canada has brought Brock Hoel, Sophia Howell, Mathis Beaulieu and Desirae Ridenour to try to fight for the second female spot for their team. All of them great swimmers, it will be hard to follow them in the water, especially with these choppy and shallow waters on the Pacific Ocean.

Genis Grau, Sara Guerrero Manso, Pelayo Gonzalez Turrez and Maria Casals Mojica will be lining up for Team Spain. Despite being a young team with not a lot of experience, all of them have experience in sprint and super-sprint courses and get along really well with these weather conditions. Especially Grau, who is one of the favourites for the individual race on Sunday after finishing on the podium here in Huatulco in the previous two world cups.

Despite hosting the Mixed Relay Qualification Event, Mexico knows that they have secured two men and two women through the individual rankings, and therefore have decided to bring to this race a young team to give them more experience on the international field. Yael Vladimir González Melendez, Mercedes Romero Orozco, Nicolas Probert Vargas and Luisa Daniela Baca Vargas will be representing their country this Friday, with nothing to lose and much to learn.

Team Ecuador will be lining up Juan Jose Andrade Figueroa, three-times Olympian Elizabeth Bravo, Gabriel Terán Carvajal and Paula Jara, while representing Team Austria will be Tjebbe Kaindl, Julia Hauser, Alois Knabl and Lisa Perterer. For the Austrian team, they have currently two men and two women on the provisional start list for Paris, but they are all sitting in the last places of the qualified athletes, so they need to secure good performances either on the Mixed Relay or on the individual races during the weekend, to secure their spots.

The Mixed Relay Olympic Qualifier Event will start on Friday, May 17, at 7.15am local time in Mexico, and you can watch the race LIVE on TriathlonLIVE.tv.

The final team compositions will not be confirmed until two hours before the race - check the start lists here.

https://triathlon.org/events/start_lists/2024_world_triathlon_mixed_relay_olympic_qualification_event_huatulco?mc_cid=f69637378f&mc_eid=6139649918

World Aquatics opens first-ever pool at record altitude in Bhutan

 

World Aquatics, in collaboration with the Bhutan Aquatics Federation, is proud to announce the grand opening of a groundbreaking Pools for All facility in Thimphu, Bhutan. This historic milestone marks the inauguration of the first-ever competition swimming pool in the Kingdom of Bhutan, made possible through a partnership to promote aquatic sports throughout the region.

The Pools for All Programme is a World Aquatics development initiative launched in 2019 with the aim to ensure that all World Aquatics National Member Federations have access to the best possible aquatics facilities to promote aquatic sports.

Constructed under the careful supervision and financing of World Aquatics, the new pool in Bhutan is situated at an impressive altitude of 8200 feet (2400 meters), making it the highest swimming pool in the world. This elevation adds a unique and exciting dimension to the facility, which swimmers of all levels can experience.

"The opening of this Pools for All pool in Bhutan represents a significant milestone in our mission to promote aquatics sports globally," said Husain Al-Musallam, the President of World Aquatics. "We are immensely proud to have collaborated with the Bhutan Aquatics Federation to bring this project to fruition. Together, we can create opportunities for and inspire athletes and aquatics enthusiasts across Bhutan.”

Bhutanese swimmers Kinley Lhendup and Sangay Tenzin, who both train at the World Aquatics Training Centre in Phuket, Thailand, reflected on the significance of the pool opening for aquatics participation across their country.

"Growing up as swimmers dreaming of competing on the world stage without a pool to learn or train in has presented challenges to overcome. Today, Bhutan dives into a new era of aquatics. I couldn't be more excited about what this facility in Thimphu means not only for Sangay and me personally but especially for the future of aquatic sports in our country," said Lhendup, a World Aquatics Scholarship Programme athlete and three-time World Aquatics Championships competitor.

"As we inaugurate Bhutan's first pool today, I am incredibly proud," shared Tokyo 2020 Olympian and Olympic Solidarity scholarship holder Tenzin, who most recently competed internationally at the World Aquatics Championships this year in Doha, Qatar. "Remember: even the slightest ripple can create waves of change.

“Today marks a victory for all lovers of aquatic sport."

The opening ceremony was attended by dignitaries and officials from World Aquatics, the Bhutan Olympic Committee, local and regional officials, Bhutanese national federation presidents from four Olympic sports, and the Bhutan Department of Tourism.

HRH Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck, President of the Bhutan Olympic Committee, commended the opening of the country’s first aquatics facility, saying the venue “symbolised the beginning of a new era for aquatics in Bhutan.”

His Royal Highness expressed his confidence that the swimming pool will emerge as a focal point for aspiring swimmers, seasoned athletes, and recreational enthusiasts alike. He emphasized this facility's critical role in fostering participation in aquatics, a cornerstone for nurturing elite athletic performance.

"We are delighted to witness the opening of this facility," remarked Sonam Karma Tshering, President of the Bhutan Aquatics Federation. "The Pools For All facility not only opens doors for competitive swimming but also serves as a fantastic facility for our youth to develop their love for and talent in aquatics sports. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to World Aquatics for their unwavering support and partnership."

Through the World Aquatics development programme, young athletes now more than ever have the opportunity to participate in competitive swimming. Together with the Bhutan Aquatics Federation, World Aquatics continues to realise this and looks forward to facilitating a future filled with opportunity, success and a love of swimming for all.

About World Aquatics

Driven by the vision of a world united by water for health, life and sport, World Aquatics is the international governing body for aquatic sports. Founded in 1908, World Aquatics is an independent organisation of 210 National Federations and five Continental Organisations.

World Aquatics oversees six aquatic sports – swimming, water polo, diving, artistic swimming, open water swimming, high diving – and is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the leading global authority of these sports.

 

About Bhutan Aquatics Federation

The Bhutan Aquatics Federation is the governing body for aquatics sports in the Kingdom of Bhutan. The federation strives to provide accessible opportunities for athletes to excel and represent Bhutan on the global stage.

Samarkand hosts final weekend of World Triathlon Cup action in the Olympic Qualification period

 

One weekend, two World Cups, two continents, one huge goal: Paris 2024 Qualification. As we reach the pointy end of the chases for places on the 30 July Olympic start line, Samarkand, Uzbekistan, gets ready to host an Olympic-distance thriller that could decide the 2024 Games destiny of several athletes.

It’s a two-lap, 1500m swim with no out-and-back-in at halfway, before an attritional 40km ride with rolling climbs, a dead turn and two s-bends on each of the 6 laps, before four flat, tight 2.5km run laps to the tape.

For some of the athletes from Germany, Italy, Japan, USA and Hungary, a strong result here could be the final determinant of a place on the team for Paris. For others, including members of Team World Triathlon, the points won here could also help secure qualification once the numbers are crunched post-WTCS Cagliari.

Put simply, now is the moment to pull out the performances of a lifetime, and you can watch it all unfold on TriathlonLive.tv from 10.30am local time on Saturday 18 March.

 

WOMEN'S PREVIEW:

Xinyu Lin wears the one

After the disappointment of a DNF in Chengdu, China’s medal hope Xinyu Lin wears the number one with renewed determination to become her country’s first ever World Cup champion this weekend. An Asian Games and Asian Continental runner-up, Xinyu was also the Asia Cup silver medallist here in 2022 behind Sinem Francisca Tous Servera, who also goes out for Turkey.

Both women look on course for their first Olympic Games on 31 July, Tous with two potential qualifying options; either through her individual ranking or the Europe New Flag. If the latter, it could have a huge impact on the Olympic fortunes of the Slovakian trio of Ivana Kuriackova, Zuzana Michalickova and Romana Gajdosova, with the three in close contention for that possible New Flag slot, though Michalickova will hope to put it beyond any doubt and score individual qualification herself with a strong race.

Races for places continues among Team World Triathlon

The young Slovak stands 10 places behind Erica Hawley, Bermuda’s latest talent and the last name currently in the automatic qualification slots. All four have been central figures of Team World Triathlon in recent years, the development squad dedicated to helping athletes from smaller National Federations with fewer resources to realise their Olympic potential. Czech duo Petra Kurikova and Tereza Zimovjanova join the three Slovakians on the team for Samarkand.

Bronze medallist in Chengdu and in a brilliant run of form is Poland’s Roksana Slupek. The 24-year-old has already surpassed her 6-race first qualification period points total in just three outings, and followed that first World Cup medal with Asia Cup gold in Taizhou last weekend. In form and one to watch, she was shoulder-to-shoulder with Tilda Mansson for much of that 10km in China, proving she has the speed to challenge for the medals at this level. The rising Swedish star scooped yet another World Cup podium and starts here hungry for redemption after a mechanical took her out of WTCS Yokohama before her race got going.

Nothing flat about Holland’s return

The British team can count on a former World Champion in Vicky Holland, who follows up what proved an excellent return to Series racing with 18th in Yokohama. She will be alongside Hong Kong World Cup Champion Sian Rainsley and rising star Jessica Fullagar.

Ilaria Zane will want to tighten her grip on a possible place in Paris for Team Italy, while Germany’s Lena Meissner, a bronze-winning revelation at the 2022 Championship Finals Abu Dhabi, arrives on a mission to rediscover that magic once more.

If Therese Feuersigner can set the swim alight just as she did in Chengdu, the Austrian could blow the race wide open, Australia’s Emma Jeffcoat likely to be right there with her in the water as she continues her World Cup comeback.

 

MEN'S PREVIEW

Schomburg and Priester, one and two

The race number one is Germany’s Jonas Schomburg. The 30-year-old followed career-best silver in Chengdu at the end of April with 19th in Yokohama to anchor himself at 17th in the Olympic rankings with two races to go, 16 spots ahead of nearest rival Lasse Nygaard Priester.

Priester has four World Cup podiums to his name, including a Karlovy Vary win in 2021, but has lost ground on Schomburg in the first races of this year. After a poor swim in China, Priester actually had one of his best in Yokohama, exiting just 17 seconds behind Schomburg, but it is the race number one who is sure to be piling on the pressure from the outset, knowing that another podium here would surely see him safely to Paris.

Hungarians’ seek to divide and conquer

The Hungarians in action this weekend hoping for top 30 finishes to guarantee their full Olympic delegation of three men are Mark Devay and Gabor Faldum in Samarkand, Bence Bicsak in Huatulco. Only a maximum of two can join Csongor Lehmann in Paris, and just five places separate the contenders.

If true to form in Uzbekistan, Devay will no doubt be one of the first out of the water, Faldum one of the fastest over the run. For now, what that ultimately reveals in the results is anyone’s guess, but the raw hunger of both to podium should be in no doubt.

For Japan’s top-ranked Makoto Odakura and Aoba Yasumatsu, the race is on to deliver the decisive display that could see either man join Kenji Nener in Paris. Seth Rider will also be eager to put himself right in the shop window to join Morgan Pearson for a first Games, or even scoop a first World Cup win that would suddenly put the USA in the reckoning for a third men’s spot.

Swiss looking to boss the bike

Bike powerhouses Simon Westermann and Sylvain Fridelance – 65th and 69th in the rankings – will want to put themselves in the frame for Team Switzerland. France’s Paul Georgenthum and former U23 World Champion Conor Bentley (GBR) should have designs on a big performance on Saturday, Emil Holm’s unfortunate collision in Yokohama and strong showing in Chengdu could see him primed for a big push.

Tyler Smith is the sole male member of Team World Triathlon in Samarkand, the Bermudian looking to secure the big finish that would pay off the hard work on the bike in recent outings, and along with the fearless young Greek Panagiotis Bitados and Morocco’s Badr Siwane will be ones to watch on Saturday.

Historic Kayak Cross individual European Champion titles for Alena Marx and Vit Prindis

 

The organisers of the 2024 ECA I Feel Slovenia Canoe Slalom European Championships in Ljubljana - Tacen had to take a difficult decision to revise the competition programme of the championships. The hydrological forecast predicts high water level of the Sava River in the next days, so Wednesday already brought the first competition day - Kayak Cross individual race, initially scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Alena Marx (SUI) and Vit Prindis (CZE) took the historic European Champion titles in the opening event.

The first time in history of the Canoe Slalom European Championships the competitors fought for the European Champion title in the kayak cross individual event. The protagonists of the day were Swiss kayaker Alena Marx and Czech paddler Vit Prindis who took the wins in their respective events.

The 23-year-old Alena Marx could not believe she just won a senior European Champion title on the opening day of the 2024 ECA I Feel Slovenia Canoe Slalom European Championships in Ljubljana - Tacen. "I did not expect it. I just hoped to make a good run. I never thought it can be so good. I am really happy," said Marx and added, "I hoped to do the upstreams well. I trained this a lot. Sometimes they work, sometimes they do not. Today they worked perfectly."

Marx finished the race 0.22 seconds ahead of Klaudia Zwolinska (POL), while Camille Prigent (FRA) won bronze medal.

In men's kayak cross individual event, experienced Czech kayaker Vit Prindis took the win ahead of Jonny Dickson (GBR) and Martin Dougoud (SUI). Dickson was 0.95 seconds behind and Dougoud 1.66 seconds.

Prindis, who was already the 2021 Kayak Cross European Champion, was very happy with the outcome of the first competition day: "It is quite funny. We were speaking about it. I won the first Europeans in Ivrea, and in Czech Republic we also have the first World Champion, and we were talking it would be nice to keep it in Czech Republic. It happened. I am really happy with my performance and my run. I was trying to have smooth lines and paddle as hard as I can. It worked well on this tricky water."