A wide-eyed and ambitious schoolboy when it was announced that London would host the 2012 Olympic Games, a 24-year-old man when he took the tape and the first of his two Olympic titles, Britain’s Alistair Brownlee has today announced his retirement from the sport at the age of 36.

The only athlete on the planet to have been crowned Junior World Champion, U23 World Champion, European Champion, World Champion and Olympic Champion, his incredible collection of honours marks him out as the greatest the sport has ever seen.

His two world titles in 2009 and 2011 and battles with not just Javier Gomez Noya but his own brother, Jonathan, will be remembered as part of a golden era in triathlon. That he went on to win a home Olympic gold and defend that title in Rio four years later propelled him to hero status in the UK and beyond, and was the catalyst behind the much-loved Series race in his home city of Leeds from 2016-2022.

His legacy for the sport is indelible, and will continue through the Brownlee Foundation, an altogether different outlet for the brothers’ devotion to the sport that has seen over 50,000 children introduced to the magic of swim-bike-run.

Alistair was also appointed to the IOC Athletes’ Commission in 2022, where he will continue to represent the interests of the world’s sportsmen and women on the biggest stage of them all.

Speaking to PTO after his final race at the T100 Dubai, where he won the bronze, Alistair Brownlee said; “It’s a combination of…I have been doing it for a long time and there’s so many other things in sport I want to be able to do. I want to be able to do all kinds of endurance challenges. I want to stay fit and healthy and be part of sport, hopefully into my old age. And I’m definitely aware, you know, putting the miles on the clock and wearing things down. So I want to retire fit and healthy and not be forced to retire by injury and illness or whatever.”

Alistair won 22 World Series golds across his career, more than any other athlete, and added the Commonwealth Games title to his honours in Glasgow in 2014. Golds at WTS Leeds in 2016 and 2017 will no doubt also go down among his greatest memories.

“Alistair’s contribution to the world of triathlon over more than two decades is immeasurable,” said World Triathlon President Antonio F. Arimany, “and he is a true legend who will inspire generations to come. Because when you work so hard and with such determination to reach the pinnacle of sporting achievement, it inspires millions more to see if they can do the same. His presence on triathlon’s biggest start lines will be greatly missed, but his legacy will live on for as long as the sport itself. He is a true icon of our sport and he will inspire generations to come of young triathletes from all around the world. On behalf of the World Triathlon family, I want to thank Alistair for the memories and entertainment and to wish him luck as he continues to represent our sport on the other side of the blue carpet and at the IOC as a member of the Athletes’ Commission.”

Earlier this week, we dove into the top stats of the leading performers in the 2024 men’s WTCS. Today, it is the turn of the women. The goal of this article is to survey the average performances of the best athletes in the women’s Series by looking at how they ranked in each discipline across the various WTCS stops and Paris Olympic Games. From that perspective, we can develop a picture of where the overall podium stood apart from the rest of the top-10 and, in turn, where the top-10 elevated themselves over the rest of the field.

In the above graph, the x-axis denotes each discipline within the race while the numbers on the y-axis refer to the average position each athlete achieved in each discipline throughout the season.

The champion

Olympic and world champion Cassandre Beaugrand really provided a textbook demonstration of how to excel at triathlon this year. Indeed, her average split positions show that she was close to faultless – minor navigation issues in Torremolinos aside – throughout the season.

In the swim, she earned an average position of 9.5, ensuring that she was always in the mix at the front. She combined her fast start with flawless transitions; across all of her T1s in 2024, she averaged a position of 1. She was therefore the best transitioner in the women’s Series. The same was true of Beaugrand’s T2; again she logged an average position of 1. In between, her average bike position was 14.8. This is slightly lower but is also a consequence of her standard fast starts. Short of breaking away at every race, there was minimal scope for her to have a higher bike split. To round things off, she had an average run position of 1.2 and was beaten only once all year to the fastest split: by Lisa Tertsch in Cagliari. 

Across the board, then, it is hard to say where Beaugrand could have improved while staying within the bounds of reason. Perhaps the most interesting aspect is her absolute mastery of transitions. While her swim and run have long since been clear strengths, her repeatedly excellent changeovers highlights how she nailed every aspect of her racing this year.

The overall podium

Beth Potter and Emma Lombardi took 2nd and 3rd overall in the women’s Series and what stands out is how their average performances were almost identical. In the water, Potter averaged a position of 9.2; Lombardi’s average stood at 9.4. In T1, Potter took an average of 2.4 while Lombardi’s was 3.8. The two women had the exact same average on the bike with positions of 13.2. Then in T2, Potter was on top again with an average of 2.6 to Lombardi’s 3.8. The run was actually the greatest point of difference between the two women with Potter averaging 2.8 to Lombardi’s 4.8.

Seeing as Lombardi did not beat Potter in any average this season, her finishing behind the 2023 world champion in races and in the overall standings makes sense. When comparing Potter and Lombardi to Beaugrand, it is clear that transitions and the run were the key separators between the athletes. Interestingly, as seen with the men, the three best women in the WTCS were also the three best athletes on average in T1 and T2. This reinforces the idea floated in the men’s article that mastery of transition and the small details stood as a good indicator for overall performance.

The near miss

Lisa Tertsch had the best season of her career so far as she came close to breaking onto the overall podium. She won medals in Cagliari and Hamburg while claiming a maiden Series win in Weihai. Ultimately, though, Tertsch fell just short. Her average positions provide some insight into why this was the case.

To start with her strength, Tertsch’s average run position of 2.5 was the best in the Series after Beaugrand. As already noted, she was the only woman to out-split Beaugrand this season. Her transitions were also among the best in the Series, with an average of 5.8 in both T1 and T2.

However, the swim (average of 16.5) and bike (average of 22.2) proved to be the difference for Tertsch. One thing that should be noted is that her average bike position includes when she was caught up in a crash at the Olympic Games. Nevertheless, the combination of Tertsch’s swim and bike averages left her at risk of missing the front pack, as happened in Yokohama and, even more significantly, in Torremolinos. The difference was not drastic, but it proved enough to determine making the overall podium or not.

The rest of the top-10

Flora Duffy (9th overall) was the top swimmer of the top-10 with an average position of 3.7. Duffy also had average positions of 6 and 6.3 in T1 and T2, respectively, serving a reminder of her skills.

Kate Waugh (8th overall) had an average position of 9 on the bike, making her the only woman in top-10 to average under 10 in the discipline. On the one hand, this is a sign of Waugh’s strength on two wheels. On the other, the fact that none of the rest of the top-10 had similarly strong bike splits indicates that the bike was not quite as important when it came to ranking highly. Rather, the relative lack of high-ranking bike averages appears to be a consequence of the high swim and T1 performances of the leading women.

Turning to the run, Vicky Holland (10th overall) and Leonie Periault (7th overall) were the best runners after the overall podium. Holland averaged a position of 5.5 while Periault’s average run position was 6.8. The takeaway here is that the run was an obvious separator of the top-3 from much of the top-10. 

The run also proved to be an important point of difference in terms of making the top-10 and not. Not a single woman in the top-10 overall had an average run position of over 15 (the lowest were Jeanne Lehair with 13.4 and Waugh with 12.7). Without a fast run, then, an athlete could wave their hopes of making the top-10 overall goodbye.

Consistency is key

Meanwhile, consistency was in general a hallmark of the women to make the top-10 overall. Georgia Taylor-Brown (6th overall) was the most consistent in terms of smallest difference between her worst and best average position. She had an average swim position of 14.8 and an average T1 of 8.8, giving her a difference of 6. Thereafter, her bike average position stood at 12, her T2 at 9 and her run at 10.2.

Jeanne Lehair (5th overall) ran Taylor-Brown close with a difference of 7.3. The Luxembourg athlete’s worst average came in T1 (17.5) and her best in T2 (10.2). With her swim, bike and run nestled between those two values, Lehair was clearly highly consistent in all tenets of the race.

Lehair, Taylor-Brown and Duffy matched the achievement of the overall medallists in having all of their average positions under 20. The only instance of a woman in the overall top-10 having an average above 25 was Periault’s 28.8 in the swim.

Best by discipline

Finally, we come to the best performers in terms of single discipline averages. In the water, Therese Feuersinger had the best average position of 1, albeit from only one Series appearance. Vittoria Lopes was the next best with an average of 2.3 while Duffy completed the top-3 swimmers with her average of 3.7.

On the bike, Maria Tomé was another to record an average position of 1; this came courtesy of her field-leading bike split at the Paris Olympic Games, her sole Series-level appearance of 2024. The now-retired Katie Zaferes was the next best cyclist with an average position of 5.5. Anabel Knoll rounded out the top-3 with an average bike position of 7.

As seen above, Beaugrand and Tertsch were the best runners of the women’s Series, followed by Potter. Looking ahead to 2025, it may just be the run that shapes the women’s Series as the success of the world champion, overall podium and overall top-10 largely follow average run performance. However, the lesson of the 2024 women’s Series has been that consistency across all disciplines is almost as important as a fast run. As such, those looking to break through next year might want to think twice before putting all of their eggs in the running basket.

What separates the best from the rest? With plenty of moving parts, triathlon can be a complicated sport at times and the ingredients of success hard to identify. A fast run may ostensibly seem like the most important factor. After all, as the final discipline the run is often the decisive part of any race. It might surprise you to learn that the three men on the overall podium of the 2024 WTCS were actually the three best exponents of a different part of the race. While they were very good at the run, there was another area in which they were a cut above everyone else.

In this article, we dive into the data from the men’s WTCS, covering the performances from all the stops – in Yokohama, Cagliari, Hamburg, Weihai and Torremolinos – as well as the Paris Olympic Games. What we are looking for are the average performances of each athlete. That is to say their average position, or split ranking, in each discipline across the entire season. So, what separates the best from the rest? Read on to find out where the leading men of 2024 truly excelled.

In the above graph, the x-axis denotes each discipline within the race while the numbers on the y-axis refer to the average position each athlete achieved in each discipline throughout the season.

The number one

The natural place to start is with the newly-crowned Olympic and world champion, Alex Yee. Across the board, Yee was fantastic this season. He averaged a position of 19.2 in the swim, which always kept him within touching distance of the lead pack. Thereafter, he was superb in transition, averaging a position of 1.5 in T1. As it happens, Yee also averaged a position of 1.5 in T2 across his races this year.

In between, he averaged the 8.5th fastest bike split, highlighting how he has become one of the strongest cyclists in the field. To round things off, Yee’s average run position was 1.2. He was only beaten to the fastest run split once, by compatriot Hugo Milner in Torremolinos.

The podium

We can compare Yee’s average performances with the rest of the overall podium. Leo Bergere had an average swim position of 12.4, whereas Hayden Wilde had an average of 23.2. In T1, Bergere’s split ranking was 5.2; Wilde’s was 2.5. As with Yee, their T2 numbers were similar to their first transitions. Bergere had an average of 4.4 while Wilde ended the year with an average of 2.8. On the bike, Bergere’s average position was 12.6. Wilde averaged the 7th fastest bike split. Then, on the run, Bergere averaged a position of 12.4 while Wilde was a notch behind Yee with an average of 2.2.

Already, we can see some notable differences between the three men. Wilde’s averages were broadly similar to Yee’s but he only managed to get the better of his rival on the bike. With a better swim, run and transitions, it is a little clearer how Yee beat Wilde this year. Meanwhile, Bergere presents a different model of athlete. He was remarkably consistent across the board. Taking his swim, bike and run, his average positions were almost identical and his approach shows how a balanced model can mix with the more run-tilted approaches of Yee and Wilde.

One of the most interesting details to note is that Yee, Bergere and Wilde were the best transitioners across the season. On paper at least, T1 and T2 would not appear to carry significant weight in determining the overall standings. Nevertheless, the three best men in 2024 were on average the three best performers in the discipline. Thus, while transition itself might not have necessarily been the point of difference, it was a clear instance of the mastery of the smaller details that elevated the podium over their peers.

The top-10

If we turn to the rest of the overall top-10 we can see further details that help to unpack the differences between the best and the rest. Matthew Hauser (8th overall) and Vincent Luis (7th overall) were the top swim performers of the cohort with average positions of 3.4 and 5, respectively. In general, though, a swimming advantage did not make a huge difference to the top performers.

By contrast, the bike seems to have been a clear point of strength for the overall podium against the rest of the top-10. After the overall medallists, Csongor Lehmann (5th overall) had the best average bike position of the top-10: 14.5. This is already a slight cut below Yee, Bergere and Wilde. Luis and Luke Willian (6th overall) were the only other men in the top-10 with an average bike position under 20, with 16.6 and 17. It therefore seems as though the overall podium were on average slightly better on the bike than the rest of the top-10, which may have contributed to the differences in final position at the end of the year.

The run was then a clear separator of the top-10 from the rest of the field. Pierre Le Corre (4th overall) had one of the best average run positions in the Series with a 4.6. Only one man, Willian, made it into the overall top-10 with an average run position of over 15 (his stood at 17.3). The conclusion, then, is that athletes could carry a slightly weaker swim or bike and still make the top-10, but they generally could not cover up a weaker run.

Consistency vs stronger disciplines

At the same time, Willian had the smallest difference across all disciplines of the men in the top-10. His average swim position of 21.8 was his lowest, while his best average was the 14.5 he achieved in T2. With a difference of 7.3 between his worst and best averages, we can see that Willian’s consistency across the different facets of the sport was one of his main advantages.

Aside from Bergere (who had a gap of 8.2), no one else in the top-10 overall men had a difference between their worst and best averages under 10. As a result, we see two models in the average performances: either an athlete must be extremely consistent across all bases if they are to make the top-10, or they need at least one point of strength, represented with an average position of under 10 in a given discipline.

Finally, Lehmann and Luis managed to keep their averages in all disciplines under 20, matching the feat of Yee and Bergere. Hauser’s average position of 31 on the bike was the only instance of a man inside the top-10 logging an average over 25.

Best by discipline

The lesson of the 2024 WTCS appears to be that consistency and running performance were the separators of the top-10 versus the rest, while the bike and transitions were important markers that showed how the top-3 stood apart from the top-10. To conclude, though, we will now turn to the all-important bragging rights of the season: the men that had the best averages of each discipline.

Starting with the swim, Miguel Tiago Silva took an average position of 1. It should be noted, however, that his average came from a solitary Series appearance where he led the swim in Torremolinos. Alessio Crociani had the next best average with 1.3 while Hauser rounds out the top-3 with his 3.4.

On the bike, Henry Graf had the top average position of 2, with Yanis Seguin close behind with his average of 4. Similarly to Silva, though, these averages only came from one Series appearance. Ricardo Batista had an average bike position of 4.3 and was therefore the best cyclist, in terms of average split position, of the men with more than one appearance.

Yee and Wilde were the best runners of the WTCS which will come as no surprise to anyone. Clearly, the run was hugely important to their success, although as we have seen there were other factors that cannot be overlooked. Milner was the third best runner with an average position of 3.8.

Looking ahead to 2025, then, the above averages offer some insight into where the top performers in the Series were strongest and where those looking to usurp them will have to improve if they are to break through next season.

Marten Van Riel defied the intense heat and then outran the world’s best triathletes to win the inaugural T100 Triathlon World Championship Final and take the first-ever T100 Triathlon World Championship Title in commanding fashion this afternoon in Dubai.

Van Riel chalked up his 3rd T100 win from 4 T100 starts and make history – following victories in San Francisco, Ibiza and now Dubai – earning $301,000 in prize money along the way.

Rico Bogen’s 2nd place finish in Dubai saw him jump 7 places in the T100 Standings up to 3rd overall and earn an extra $90,000, while a huge performance put 2-time Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee on a T100 podium for the first time, earning 5th in the series overall and $60,000.

Kyle Smith, who finished the day in 4th nevertheless ended his year on the T100 podium – the only Wildcard athlete to do so – securing 2nd place and a cheque for $140,000.

Speaking after the race, Van Riel spoke about the tactics employed to become T100 Triathlon World Champion: “I was definitely not in total control, but I could feel that I had a couple of surges in me. Rico is really good at keeping the pace high but when I put my first surge in and we dropped Kyle, I could see that he was already suffering a bit, so I knew that with a couple of kilometres to go I was going to put in a big surge.”

When his victory was met by approval from 2 world champions in attendance, Jan Frodeno and Sam Laidlow, Van Riel quipped, “I finally feel like I’m part of a gang here!”

But the Belgian didn’t play down the difficulty of having a target on his back as the series leader: “It was honestly really tough, especially wearing that number 1, because in my head I knew that a podium place was good enough and if you have that in your head, it’s actually really hard to go for the win. So, I was trying to think not too much of the title and just try to perform as I could on the day.”

Speaking about the importance the T100 Triathlon World Tour has had alongside the Olympics in the 2024 season, Van Riel added: “I think it was very good to have this goal…to do well in the T100 series this year. And to be able to do that has been kind of what has kept me on and not make me doubt too much for the Olympic Games, because I knew my shape was way, way, way, way better than what I showed there. Unfortunately, you have one day to show it.. but it was really good to not have the time to think about it too much and go straight into the T100 series and it’s definitely made for a great season.”

“It’s all the difficult movements that make the beautiful ones even more beautiful. This makes it all worth it. 2022 and 2023 were really hard seasons for me. I think I had 9 months off running – and running is still my insecurity of not being fast enough. But I think that long-distance just suits me better because it doesn’t come down to 100 percent a run as short distance does these days and it’s more that the 3 disciplines are important. So I think that I’m finally playing with my best cards.”

Second place on the day, Rico Bogen reflected on the quelling the voices of naysayers who claimed he couldn’t perform in the heat.

“I’m so proud,” said the German. “So many people said I can’t handle the heat and it really challenged me and I thought, ‘How can I handle it?’… I trained for it and the team with me worked it out and now I can say, ‘Yes, I can do it!’”

“I wanted to prove it to the others, we trained it… we did heat training – I did indoor sessions with long sleeves… Now I proved it to the world. The Mystery Pro said I am the first one and so many comments said ‘f*cking hell, Rico will not win’ and then I’m running until 2km to the finish line with Marten, so it’s so, so great.”

Speaking of the team behind his fabulous performance, Bogen added: “We are a team, we call us the 3 musketeers and so the manager, coach and me are really working strongly together. We built a plan on how to handle the heat, we focused on this day in Dubai, where there are more points, and in the end, it finally worked out.”

“It’s really crazy… I was 10th before the race and I thought maybe I’d be 8th… the main goal was to stay in the top 10 and now I’m 3rd, it’s crazy.”

With upsets, penalties and niggles along the way, Alistair Brownlee’s 3rd place in Dubai seemed a long time in the making with the British star committing totally to the T100 Triathlon World Tour this year.

“I needed some stars to align and thankfully they aligned for me today,” said Brownlee, then reflecting on the moment he was brought down onto the Tarmac during the run, he added: “It was just when I caught him [Smith] as well, it couldn’t have been any worse timing. I was running down the hill there as quickly as I could and I was pushing it around some gravel on the corner. But in terms of the things that could’ve gone wrong that’s a minor one!”

Speaking about the difficulties in remaining at the top of the sport, Brownlee said: “You know very rarely things are going to go perfect and you have to train and prepare and try and deal with the stuff that goes wrong. Most of the time, unfortunately I can’t and I‘m too much near the edge and yeah, I need the stars to align.”

Those stars aligning seemed all the more unlikely due to Brownlee having hardly trained since the Ibiza T100: “In terms of my physical ability I’ve been fitter in some other races this year and I just had to do what I could do today…I try to take a positive attitude into every race and really not take things that go well or badly… just be really level headed. But yeah, the last 2 months have actually been horrific. I’ve hardly done any sessions. I’ve done 1 bike session since Ibiza, 2 run sessions, 1 hard swim session. It’s been so bad.”

“I did a bike session last Sunday and that’s the first decent anything I’ve done on the bike since Ibiza and I thought it’s kind of good I’ve still got it because it’s not been there for about 5 weeks!”

Summing up the first T100 Triathlon World Tour season, he added: “It’s a lot of travel that’s true, it’s spread out over the year and to be honest I haven’t done any other triathlons, I’ve just focused on this. My thinking was… I can’t put all my eggs in a few baskets these days, there are too many uncontrollables. I have to spin the dice, turn up to the races with whatever form I’ve got and see what happens.”

How The Race Unfolded

Under even hotter conditions than those faced in the women’s Dubai T100 Triathlon World Championship Final yesterday, series leader Marten Van Riel began his bid to become the first-ever T100 Triathlon World Champion by hitting the front of the 2km swim in the stunning waters off Dubai’s Sunrise Beach.

Swim-star Aaron Royle was quickly onto the Belgian’s feet along with Youri Keulen, Alistair Brownlee and Rico Bogen, the latter stuffing ice down his suit at the halfway 1000m Aussie exit. While Kyle Smith, 3rd in the T100 standings and another potential champion, was also within the front group, 2nd-place Magnus Ditlev was 33 seconds behind while Sam Long (5th in the standings) was just over 2 minutes in arrears.

Royle moved into the lead on the second lap, the Aussie making landfall first at the head of a 13-strong group with the main contenders with the exception of Ditlev at 1:16 and Sam Long, who was last out of the water at 4:17.

Onto the 80km bike course, Matthis Margirier was first to push on and take pole position at the head of a group including Van Riel, Brownlee, Fred Funk and Bogen with Smith doing his best to hold on to the group.

Behind, Ditlev rode with typical strength, slashing his deficit down to 45 seconds by halfway, moving into the top 10 before the Dane had to swerve into the pits for the mechanics to take care of a slipped seatpost. That lost him just over 1 minute, taking him back to over 2 minutes behind the leaders.

As the front group of 6 made their way towards the bike-to-run transition, Ditlev was best of the rest, 1:35 behind while Funk, Brownlee, Bogen, Margirier, Van Riel and Smith readied themselves for the 18km run. Bogen was first into T2 while Brownlee was forced to backtrack and grab a bike shoe that had fallen as he entered transition to avoid a penalty.

As the run got underway, Bogen was quickly joined by Van Riel and Smith in a replay of the three-way battle that led to such an iconic finish at the San Francisco T100 earlier this year. Behind, Brownlee was trying to keep the trio in his sights but was losing time.

With 10km to go, Van Riel put in a big surge that Kyle Smith couldn’t follow, while Bogen not only matched the Belgian, but gritted his teeth and asserted himself at the front of the race, the pair inseparable. Behind, Brownlee entered the final 6km in 4th place, slowly reeling in Smith with Margirier in 5th.

At 2.2km to the finish, Van Riel dug in with a decisive move to stretch the elastic to Bogen and then break away completely, the Belgian looking resplendent in his pink and yellow kit under the Dubai sun. Meanwhile, Brownlee moved up onto Smith’s shoulder before a slip on gravel saw him hit the Tarmac. Back on his feet, the Brit re-caught the Kiwi before pushing ahead into 3rd.

Up front, Van Riel was clear. The 2-time T100 winner made it 3 wins as he crossed the line in 1st place to write his name into the history books as the first men’s T100 Triathlon World Champion, securing $210,000 in additional series prize money.

Bogen held tough for 2nd, moving the young German up a whopping 7 places in the T100 Standings into 3rd and a $90,000 cheque.

Fulfilling the dreams of many a die-hard triathlon fan, Alistair Brownlee took his first T100 Triathlon podium on this biggest stage and in doing so, moved himself up 6 places in the T100 Standings to 5th and earned an additional $60,000.

Kyle Smith crossed the line in 4th, enough for the Kiwi to bump himself up one spot in the T100 Standings and take 2nd overall for a $140,000 bonus.

Margirier rounded out the top 5, to finish the series in 7th for $50,000 and secure a T100 contract offer for 2025. Meanwhile Ditlev, 8th on the day despite his mechanical woes, ended the series in 4th place, worth an extra $75,000.

Check the full results HERE

T100 Triathlon World Tour series prize money breakdown

With the first-ever men’s T100 Triathlon World Champion now crowned, Marten Van Riel secures $210,000 from the $2m prize pot. Along with his 3 victories along the way to that historic World Champion title, the Belgian star takes away $301,000 in prize money from the series, plus his contractual payments.

The breakdown of the $2m prize money for the final T100 Triathlon World Tour standings is as follows:

1st – $210,000
2nd – $140,000
3rd – $90,000
4th – $75,000
5th – $60,000
6th – $55,000
7th – $50,000
8th – $45,000
9th – $40,000
10th – $35,000
11th – $30,000
12th – $26,000
13th – $24,000
14th – $22,000
15th – $20,000
16th – $18,000
17th – $15,000
18th – $15,000
19th – $15,000
20th – $15,000

Who’s Secured Contracts for 2025?

As well as the first T100 crown, there were also vital T100 contracts on offer in Dubai today, with the top 10 men all guaranteed an offer to stamp their ticket for the 2025 T100 Triathlon World Tour series which has already announced seven of its destinations.

They include: Marten Van Riel, Kyle Smith, Rico Bogen, Magnus Ditlev, Alistair Brownlee, Sam Long, Mathis Margirier, Pieter Heemeryck, Youri Keulen and Frederic Funk.

Outside the top 10 from this year’s T100 standings, the next 6 contracted athletes for 2025 will be decided through analysis of PTO World Rankings and those who’ve shone with standout performances in the 2024 season. The final 4 contracts will go to Hotshot athletes – those with the x-factor to shake up the racing regardless of their PTO World Ranking position or recent long-distance triathlon performances. That could be a former all-star coming back from injury or an Olympian making the move to long-distance racing.

Alongside the T100 professional races over the weekend, there were nearly 10,000 amateur participants signed up to take part across an equivalent 100km triathlon (2km swim, 80km bike, 18km run), a Sprint triathlon (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) and a 5km Music run. The Music Run was making its debut in Dubai and is a 5km un-timed, energy filled fun-run that finishes with a party. Perfect for participants of all ages and abilities to fullil their Dubai Fitness Challenge of doing 30 minutes exercise for 30 days during November.

Taylor Knibb delivered a flawless swim, bike and run performance to win the inaugural T100 Triathlon World Championship Final and take the first-ever T100 Triathlon World Championship Title in dominant fashion, despite the sweltering heat in Dubai today.

Knibb has notched up four wins from four T100 starts in the inaugural T100 Triathlon World Tour and stamp her name in the record books, following victories in San Francisco, Ibiza, Lake Las Vegas and now Dubai, earning $310,000 in prize money along the way.

The American star wasn’t firing on all cylinders pre-race, but a monumental effort saw her stride to victory in Dubai. “I woke up and messaged my coach that I just feel rough, and I’m like, ‘Oh, this is going to be a bad day,’” said Knibb.

“So, I was kind of shocked! It only came together in the last 3km when everyone else fell apart, but it was very step-by-step. That was brutal out there, so have fun men!” she added to the male competitors racing tomorrow.

Speaking about her support across the T100 series, Knibb said: “I think my dad was more nervous today than me… I was like, ‘Oh wow, you’re really nervous, like it’s kind of spreading…’ But I have a fantastic team of individuals and then I have a lot of sponsors and so it’s just a huge team effort and I’m very grateful for everyone who supports me and believes in me.”

Ashleigh Gentle went all-in for the win and pushed herself deep into the red, ending the day 2nd in the T100 Standings with her 3rd place in Dubai, earning $140,000.

“It’s still pretty fresh, but I went for the win and it was so painful!” said Gentle. “I gave it everything and got 3rd in the end but I’m proud of my effort… It is pretty brutal… when I wasn’t feeling too good and Derron just flew past me on the run, it was super soul-crushing, but I did what I could.”

“All the athletes that I’ve been racing this year have been motivating me and inspiring me in training. I feel like I’ve been applying myself more, better than I ever have, because the level of the women’s field is just getting better and better and just trying to keep up is pretty difficult.”

“Taylor has just been dominating and when you’re racing an athlete like that, it is sometimes really difficult to truly believe that you can beat them. But I had this little fire in my belly… I have no reason to believe that I can beat her, but I’m on the start line and that means I have got a chance, so I just had to believe that and I don’t know how I did…. I didn’t beat her but feel like I was a step closer today and did everything I could to try and get there.”

Julie Derron, who joined the T100 Triathlon World Tour in Ibiza came 2nd in Dubai to claim 3rd overall in the series with just 3 race results. The Olympic silver medallist earned $90,000 for her efforts.

“I’m super pleased with my swim today,” said Derron. “I had a perfect start getting onto Flora’s feet and I thought, ‘That’s incredible, I just need to stay here!’”

“On the bike, I rode with Ashleigh. I think the technical nature of the course really suited me. Then on the run, I seem to have lost my run legs a little bit since Ibiza. But I saw Ashleigh coming back to me on the last lap and thought, ‘Even if it’s second, I have to get another second place!’”

“I’m super pleased… this whole season, being part of it, coming in on the podium, it’s just been incredible, so much fun and, yeah, it makes me really happy to finish off like this!”

Kat Matthews’ 5th place finish meant 4th in the T100 standings and an extra $75,000 while Flora Duffy, 4th on the day, took the 5th spot in the standings, ensuring the offer of a T100 contract for 2025 by finishing in that all-important top-10.

“Taylor has been phenomenal this year and thoroughly deserves today’s race victory and T100 series triumph,” said PTO CEO Sam Renouf. “It has always been our ambition to get the best athletes racing each other more consistently across the season and I think, as a result, fans have been treated to some spectacular racing. We also wanted to crown our first T100 Triathlon World Champions in a spectacular race at an iconic location and just looking at Taylor, Ashleigh and Julie coming across the line with the Dubai skyline in the background, I think we achieved that.”

How The Race Unfolded

In steamy waters off Dubai’s Sunrise Beach, the 2km swim set the stage for a classic final act to the inaugural T100 Triathlon World Tour. While series leader Taylor Knibb was present and correct near the head of affairs in the water, Ashleigh Gentle and Julie Derron also held firm in the top 7 to dent Knibb’s chance of an easy escape on two wheels.

After losing a few spots in the swim-to-bike transition, Knibb got to work hunting down the early leaders to take pole position. With a technical course and soaring temperatures, we didn’t see the typical dominance from the American on the bike. With Gentle and Derron working together and chasing hard behind, by 65km into the 80km course, Knibb’s lead was just 1:37. Meanwhile, Imogen Simmonds managed to stay in 4th place with Gentle and Derron despite a 30-second littering penalty.

Towards the end of the bike, the momentum edged into Knibb’s favour as she put the hammer down to take more time out of the chasers, coming into T2 with a lead of 2:46 to Gentle, Derron and Simmonds – a figure that was Knibb’s slimmest advantage at a T100 Triathlon race this year. Meanwhile, Lucy Byram was 5th off the bike along with Miami T100 Triathlon winner, India Lee – both over 4 minutes behind.

Derron flew through transition – opting to forego socks and steal a march on Gentle, but the Aussie star overtook less than 1.5km into the 18km run with a decisive surge. By 6km, Gentle had brought her deficit time down to 1:35 and down to just over 1 minute by half way, the Australian looking on track to take the lead before the finish.

Behind the bid for victory, Imogen Simmonds held strong in 4th place behind Derron, pushing above 90% maximum heart rate to try and keep herself in series podium contention. But perhaps the effort was too much for the Swiss athlete as Flora Duffy’s swift running pace, bested only by Gentle’s, saw the 2020 Olympic Champion move up the order from 10th place off the bike and past Simmonds as the race wore on. Kat Matthews and Lucy Byram were also both running strongly in the second half of the run. They too, overtook Simmonds to sit in 5th and 6th place.

Back at the front, just as Gentle got her first glimpse of Knibb at around 5km to go, the Aussie’s relentless pursuit seemed to stall, the gap holding around 50 seconds before starting to edge back out to 1 minute and beyond. Before long, Gentle was reduced to a walk, holding her stomach and doggedly trying to run on, her usually perfect form and pace crumbling.

That ensured a clear runway for Taylor Knibb to close out the run and take victory in the Dubai T100 Triathlon World Championship Final and claim the first-ever T100 Triathlon World Championship title, earning an extra $210,000 for the series win.

With Gentle struggling, Julie Derron surged past to take another 2nd place finish to Knibb – her 3rd this year – and move up to 3rd in the T100 Standings, netting an extra $90,000.

Gentle’s courageous 3rd place finish secured 2nd in the T100 Standings and $140,000.

Duffy’s 4th place earned her 5th in the T100 Standings and an extra $60,000 while Kat Matthews rounded out the top-5 for 4th in the T100 Standings, earning her $75,000.

Full results HERE

T100 Triathlon World Tour series prize money breakdown

With the first-ever T100 Triathlon World Champion now crowned, Taylor Knibb secures $210,000 from the $2m prize pot. Along with her four victories along the way to that historic World Champion title, the American star takes away $310,000 in prize money from the series, plus her contractual payments.

The breakdown of the $2m prize money for the final T100 Triathlon World Tour standings is as follows:

1st – $210,000
2nd – $140,000
3rd – $90,000
4th – $75,000
5th – $60,000
6th – $55,000
7th – $50,000
8th – $45,000
9th – $40,000
10th – $35,000
11th – $30,000
12th – $26,000
13th – $24,000
14th – $22,000
15th – $20,000
16th – $18,000
17th – $15,000
18th – $15,000
19th – $15,000
20th – $15,000

Who’s Secured Contracts for 2025?

As well as the first T100 crown, there were also vital T100 contracts on offer in Dubai today, with the top 10 women all guaranteed an offer to stamp their ticket for the 2025 T100 Triathlon World Tour series which has already announced seven of its destinations.

Along with Taylor Knibb, Ashleigh Gentle, Julie Derron, Kat Matthews, Flora Duffy, Lucy Byram, Laura Philipp, India Lee, Imogen Simmonds and Paula Findlay all finished in the top 10 overall.

Outside the top 10 from this year’s T100 standings, the next 6 contracted athletes for 2025 will be decided through analysis of PTO World Rankings and those who’ve shone with standout performances in the 2024 season. The final 4 contracts will go to Hotshot athletes – those with the x-factor to shake up the racing regardless of their PTO World Ranking position or recent long-distance triathlon performances. That could be a former all-star coming back from injury or an Olympian making the move to long-distance racing.

The World Triathlon Championship Series may have been wrapped up almost a month ago, but the subsequent World Cups in Tongyeong, Miyazaki and Brasilia helped to define the final World Triathlon Rankings at the end of a packed year on the blue carpet.

The annual WTCS Rankings determine the season’s World Champions, but the World Rankings are used to determine athletes’ selection for racing. Points are earned from the maximum 1250 available for the winner of the Championship Finals down to 50 for the national championships (and points decreasing by 7.5% per position), and full criteria can be found here.

With the rankings covering the best six results from 2023 and 2024, it is little surprise to see the table more or less mirroring that of the World Triathlon Championship Series at the top, but there are some important differences for those with fewer WTCS opportunities to date as they head into 2025.

Jorgensen the top American woman

On the women’s side, Beth Potter’s remarkable consistency for the past two years means the 2023 World Champion stands on top of the World Rankings despite finishing with the overall Series silver this year behind Olympic and World Champion Cassandre Beaugrand.

Another major difference is Gwen Jorgensen’s place in the top 10. That makes her the top-ranked American woman at the end of the year courtesy of five World Cup wins and 6th place in Weihai, and ensures her WTCS presence at the start of 2025.

The rankings also show Olympic relay gold medallist Laura Lindemann as only the sixth-highest German after Tanja Neubert’s 4th place in Weihai catapulted her up the table. At 22-years-old, Xinyu Lin (CHN) and Zuzana Michalickova (SVK) are the two youngest women in the top 50, and in terms of national federation representation, a remarkable 8 Germans, 8 Americans and 7 Brits comprise almost half of the top 50.

French men flex

France is the nation with most athletes in the men’s World Rankings top 50, where it is Alex Yee, Hayden Wilde and Leo Bergere’s dominance of the podium places in the biggest races of the past two years that sees the World Rankings and WTCS top three match.

Elsewhere though, Yanis Seguin’s impressive end to 2024 sees him become the fifth highest-ranked Frenchman, just two spots behind Dorian Coninx, teammate Maxime Hueber-Moosbrugger climbing 10 places after winning in Miyazaki to become the sixth of seven tricolors in the top 50.

Alberto Gonzalez Garcia firmly established himself as Spain’s number one across 2024, while the U23 Word Champion David Cantero del Campo is now the third-highest Spanish male after his fine end to the season. Cantero will be hungry to prove himself at the Series level in 2025.

Morgan Pearson remains the highest of the three American males in the top 50 but, at 15th, he sits just three spots ahead of newcomer John Reed, the US young gun looking forward to a big year of WTCS racing ahead.

At just 22 years-old, Henry Graf is now the third highest German male, Vetle Bergsvik Thorn has become the top-ranked Norwegian, and Brazil’s Miguel Hidalgo is the sole South American inside the men’s top 50.

It was the last World Triathlon Cup of the 2024 season and it finished with a bang. The men’s race at the Brasilia World Cup was a brilliant display of running legs, especially for Brazil’s Manoel Messias, who took victory on home soil with an impressive run. Behind him, Australia’s Callum McClusky rounded his season with yet another World Cup podium in second, while Spain’s Sergio Baxter Cabrera proved that he has overcome the injuries that kept him out of the blue carpet for months to finish in third place.

Forty-six men lined up at the start, ready to tackle the final World Cup of the 2024 season, beginning with a 750m swim in the warm, calm lake waters of Brasilia. Diego Moya (CHI) led the field out of the water, but with no significant gap, as a long line of athletes exited closely behind him, keeping the race wide open.

Out of the water and onto the bikes, Sergio Baxter of Spain launched an early attempt to break away, pulling along Moya, Callum McClusky (AUS), John Reed (USA), Miguel Hidalgo (BRA), and Igor Bellido (ESP). However, the effort was quickly countered, with Portugal’s Joao Nuno Batista and Messias working together to close down the attack and pull the field back together.

After several attempts to create a gap, including solo surges from Hidalgo and Bellido, the lead group arrived at the second transition as a single pack. As they hit the run, Messias wasted no time, bursting out of transition and immediately opening a gap on the field, not even glancing back as he charged up the bridge for the first time. Behind him, a chase group formed with Hidalgo, McClusky, Baxter, and Andree Buc (CHI) working to bridge the gap, but Messias looked unbeatable.

By the halfway point, Messias had built a comfortable lead, running with the confidence of an athlete who knew victory was his. He crossed the finish line to grab the tape with tears in his eyes, celebrating his first win of 2024 in front of a home crowd—a bittersweet triumph after a challenging season that included a 45th-place finish at the Paris Olympics and multiple DNFs in WTCS races. “This has not been my best year and I am extremely happy to close it with a win here, at home”, said Messias. “I felt really good today during the run and went for it”, he explained.

Behind him, a fierce battle unfolded for the remaining podium spots. McClusky made a decisive move with 500 meters to go, securing second place. After his victory in the first world cup of the year in Napier, and his silver in Valencia, the Aussie was eager for more today. “My world cups this year have been really solid, but it is bit disappointing not being able to perform at WTCS level, so I guess that will come next year. I tried to go with Messias but he was way too fast today. I knew that I have a good sprint finish so I just waited to the end”, he said.

Baxter followed closely, digging deep in the final stretch to clinch third place, replicating his podium finish from the Valencia World Cup two months earlier. “It feels like this year is all about third places, but I am super happy with my performance today, especially after this long season. Messias was no another level today, so when it was just us fighting for the podium, I thought one was gonna leave without a medal and I didn’t want to be that one so left it all on the line. Which was surprising cause I didn’t feel well at all on the run and I’ve had stomach problems all week, but really happy with my performance. I wanna thank my family, girlfriend and all my team for their support all year long.

Hidalgo, despite a strong effort, finished fourth, with Buc in fifth and Reed completing the top six.

Messias’s victory was a fitting end to the 2024 World Triathlon season, showing resilience and pride on home soil, while McClusky and Baxter rounded out the podium in a closely contested finale.

Mexico’s Rosa Maria Tapia Vidal proved this Saturday morning in Brasilia that she has found back her running speed. With a brilliant comeback, she closed a half-a-minute deficit on the bike to win dominantly the World Triathlon Cup Brasilia. Silver was for Sandra Dodet (FRA), while the bronze medal was for USA’s Tamara Gorman, the first time on a World Cup podium for her since 2019.

The Brasilia World Cup saw a thrilling race in the Brazilian capital, where 25 elite women athletes lined up under the famous Juscelino Kubitschek bridge with the sky holding the raindrops throughout the whole race. From the very start, local favourite Vittoria Lopes and USA’s Summer Rappaport took control of the race, as predicted, and proved once again that they are two of the strongest swimmers on the World Triathlon circuit, and they managed to create a 20-second gap out of the 750m swim.

By the time the chasers hit the shore, both were already charging toward their bikes, leaving the main chase group, which included key contenders like Sandra Dodet, Rosa Maria Tapia Vidal, Maria Carolina Velasquez Soto (COL), and Verena Steinhauser (ITA), scrambling to catch up.

As Lopes and Rappaport worked together on the 20km bike course, they stretched their lead to almost 40 seconds midway through. The chasers, hindered by strong winds on the bridge, struggled initially but eventually found some cohesion, and by the time the leaders transitioned into the run, they had trimmed the lead down to just 13 seconds.

Tapia Vidal was quick out of transition, capitalizing on her strength in the run. She immediately set her sights on the two leaders, knowing Lopes would struggle on the run. With Dodet close behind, the two surged forward, passing Lopes and closing in on Rappaport.

On the small climb to the bridge, Tapia Vidal made her decisive move, passing Rappaport and pulling away from Dodet, who couldn’t match her pace.

Behind them, Tamara Gorman displayed impressive strength in the second half of the run, climbing from the back of the pack to overtake Rappaport and secure third place with a negative split.

Ultimately, Rosa Maria Tapia Vidal clinched the victory, her second consecutive win after the Viña del Mar Americas Premium Cup, capping a stellar end to her season. “I am very happy. It had been a long time since I was wearing the number 1 and then I managed to deliver, and today I did. This season has been really long and hard at the end, but I am glad that at the end it was a good result”, she said. “There were many girls helping on the chase group of the bike, but I visualized this scenario the night before and just went for it. When I saw Summer closer and closer, it was hard to get her but I tried to be conservative a bit at the beginning and go full gas at the end”, she explained.

Dodet crossed the line in second, a satisfying result after an injury-laden season. “It has been a while since I was on the podium so today feels great. It was a very hard race today but I am happy with the results, and congrats to the girls out there”, she said.

Gorman’s bronze marked her first World Cup podium since Banyoles 2019, a well-earned reward after years of battling injuries. “This has been a tough race. I could not even think that I would finish on the podium when we started the run, I was just thinking to do my job, stay relax and do everything that you can. And ended up being in the podium so I feel great. It feels great to be back at this level”, she explained.

Despite Rappaport’s last push to regain a podium spot, she had to settle for fourth, while Steinhauser rounded out the top five. Sofia Rodriguez Moreno (MEX) finished in 6th, a career-best for her, and behind her were Maria Carolina Velasquez Soto, and Vittoria Lopes in 8th and was also the first Brasilian on the finish line.

At the end of an extended trip to Japan, arriving from the near-miss of fourth place in Tongyeong a fortnight ago, Maxime Hueber-Moosbrugger of France pulled out a sprint-distance masterclass to win the Miyazaki World Cup on Saturday morning.

It was the perfect finish to a gruelling season as he dictated the run pace off the bike and pulled clear of nearest challenger Ben Dijkstra, the Brit crossing for silver and a first World Cup podium. Behind him, a Yanis Seguin time penalty opened the door for home favourite Kenji Nener to secure bronze, having hung tough on the Frenchman’s shoulder to round out the podium to the delight of the crowds.

“First gold, first podium for me, i’ve been looking for this since I first started in triathlon and taking the tape was a great day and end to the season,” said an emotional Hueber-Moosbrugger. “I was first pack in the swim and had really good legs after the bike so I went for it. They were struggling to keep with me so I took it to the line. The bike was technical, it’s good to have sharp turns, it hurts the legs but, that’s triathlon. I felt really good these last two weeks in Japan and had a podium on my mind but you just never know, so I’m really happy.”

Hojo and Nener out fast for Japan

In as race number one but short of training after illness, Nener lined up on the far left of the beach start, Seguin and Takumi Hojo to his right and as the horn sounded it was Reese Vannerson taking a tumble on the way in before working his way forward unfazed. 

The swim broke up on the way back to the beach, and it was Hojo, Valentin Morlec and Igor Dupuis with useful daylight behind them out of T1, Vannerson back to within 12s of leaders, Dijkstra just ahead of him.

It was an early chase on the bike for 20 of the field to catch on together, but as they tried to organise there was a big crash that took out Vannerson and Aurelien Jem and left 16 together at the end of lap one, Hojo driving things forward.

Pulls were shared, Jack Willis and Yanis Seguin also driving things on up front, and the gap soon went out to 30 seconds to a chase pack including Blake Harris (CAN) and Jayden Schofield (AUS)

Hueber-Moosbrugger unstoppable

A penalty for Seguin for swimming under the buoy was suddenly up on the officials’ board, meaning a 10-second time penalty to be served on the run, and as he led the group at the bell with Willis and Dijkstra for company, it soon looked like that could be very costly.

Off the bikes and out of T2, it was Australia’s Luke Schofield from Seguin, Dijkstra and Cameron Main, but soon Hueber-Moosbrugger worked his way through and was pushing the pace.

Nener, Dijkstra and Seguin were tucked in on the Frenchman’s shadow at the halfway mark, Hojo, Main and Willis just dropping off the pace as Morlec dug in, leaving four athletes for three medals.

With Seguin choosing to save the penalty for the very end, it was to be a late pep for the exhausted Nener as he found himself in third having refused to let the Frenchman gap him significantly.

Up ahead, Hueber-Moosbrugger had managed to move ahead of Dijkstra and into a clear lead he wouldn’t let slip, the gold and silver respectively their first podiums at the level, an exhausted Nener followed over the line by Seguin and Morlec.

QUOTES:
Ben Dijkstra
“It feels amazing. I’ve been waiting for this for a while. Max was super strong out there and the crash happened right next to me so I hope they’re okay. I saw the number two on the penalty board but didn’t know it was Yanis specifically. Max started swinging it out and I wanted to go with him and latch on. He was just too strong and I went for as long as I could. Down the blue carpet, a silver felt like gold for me. The first season since 2019 I have completed start to finish, and knew I was in good form.”

Kenji Nener
“After getting sick in Neom I didn’t have much expectation but in front of the home crowd and last one (of the season) I wanted to see what I had and I wanted to see it through. Yanis worked hard and sorry he had the penalty. I was so emotional after Neom and didn’t want to end the season that way, so thanks to everyone for their support and congratulations to Ben Dijkstra.”

At the end of an extended trip to Japan, arriving from the near-miss of fourth place in Tongyeong a fortnight ago, Maxime Hueber-Moosbrugger of France pulled out a sprint-distance masterclass to win the Miyazaki World Cup on Saturday morning.

It was the perfect finish to a gruelling season as he dictated the run pace off the bike and pulled clear of nearest challenger Ben Dijkstra, the Brit crossing for silver and a first World Cup podium. Behind him, a Yanis Seguin time penalty opened the door for home favourite Kenji Nener to secure bronze, having hung tough on the Frenchman’s shoulder to round out the podium to the delight of the crowds.

“First gold, first podium for me, i’ve been looking for this since I first started in triathlon and taking the tape was a great day and end to the season,” said an emotional Hueber-Moosbrugger. “I was first pack in the swim and had really good legs after the bike so I went for it. They were struggling to keep with me so I took it to the line. The bike was technical, it’s good to have sharp turns, it hurts the legs but, that’s triathlon. I felt really good these last two weeks in Japan and had a podium on my mind but you just never know, so I’m really happy.”

Hojo and Nener out fast for Japan

In as race number one but short of training after illness, Nener lined up on the far left of the beach start, Seguin and Takumi Hojo to his right and as the horn sounded it was Reese Vannerson taking a tumble on the way in before working his way forward unfazed. 

The swim broke up on the way back to the beach, and it was Hojo, Valentin Morlec and Igor Dupuis with useful daylight behind them out of T1, Vannerson back to within 12s of leaders, Dijkstra just ahead of him.

It was an early chase on the bike for 20 of the field to catch on together, but as they tried to organise there was a big crash that took out Vannerson and Aurelien Jem and left 16 together at the end of lap one, Hojo driving things forward.

Pulls were shared, Jack Willis and Yanis Seguin also driving things on up front, and the gap soon went out to 30 seconds to a chase pack including Blake Harris (CAN) and Jayden Schofield (AUS)

Hueber-Moosbrugger unstoppable

A penalty for Seguin for swimming under the buoy was suddenly up on the officials’ board, meaning a 10-second time penalty to be served on the run, and as he led the group at the bell with Willis and Dijkstra for company, it soon looked like that could be very costly.

Off the bikes and out of T2, it was Australia’s Luke Schofield from Seguin, Dijkstra and Cameron Main, but soon Hueber-Moosbrugger worked his way through and was pushing the pace.

Nener, Dijkstra and Seguin were tucked in on the Frenchman’s shadow at the halfway mark, Hojo, Main and Willis just dropping off the pace as Morlec dug in, leaving four athletes for three medals.

With Seguin choosing to save the penalty for the very end, it was to be a late pep for the exhausted Nener as he found himself in third having refused to let the Frenchman gap him significantly.

Up ahead, Hueber-Moosbrugger had managed to move ahead of Dijkstra and into a clear lead he wouldn’t let slip, the gold and silver respectively their first podiums at the level, an exhausted Nener followed over the line by Seguin and Morlec.

QUOTES:
Ben Dijkstra
“It feels amazing. I’ve been waiting for this for a while. Max was super strong out there and the crash happened right next to me so I hope they’re okay. I saw the number two on the penalty board but didn’t know it was Yanis specifically. Max started swinging it out and I wanted to go with him and latch on. He was just too strong and I went for as long as I could. Down the blue carpet, a silver felt like gold for me. The first season since 2019 I have completed start to finish, and knew I was in good form.”

Kenji Nener
“After getting sick in Neom I didn’t have much expectation but in front of the home crowd and last one (of the season) I wanted to see what I had and I wanted to see it through. Yanis worked hard and sorry he had the penalty. I was so emotional after Neom and didn’t want to end the season that way, so thanks to everyone for their support and congratulations to Ben Dijkstra.”

Off the 20km bike in Miyazaki, the scene looked set for another World Cup run to the sun for USA’s Gwen Jorgensen on Saturday morning, before a tumble threatened to derail all the hard work. Suddenly over 15 seconds back from the leaders, the American dug deep, picked her way through 15 athletes, and finally reeled in Switzerland’s Alissa Konig to score another gutsy gold right at the end of a wild chase to the tape.

Konig had taken the run out hard with Jolien Vermeylen, but the Belgian dropped back before Jorgensen’s final surge, Konig kicking early as the chute approached but running out of steam to cede the lead at the line.

“I feel like I made this race harder than it needed to be,” admitted Jorgensen, “but the theme was just not to give up, and I just kept telling myself to race. I’m not sure what happened in T2, I went into someone as they racked their bike and fell. At one point I thought a podium was enough but then I thought, ‘Gwen, stop. Race, give your best’. Alissa really made me work for it and sprinted early… but I kept in it and gave my all. A lot of things happened today so I’m really proud I never gave up.” 



Vermeylen and Kropko slice through swim

The highest ranked athletes took to the left of the beach start, but it was the likes of Marta Kropko and Beatrice Mallozzi (ITA) further right and turning up the heat early on. Vermeylen then joined Kropko up front as the field bunched up, the Hungarian out and up the beach first, but a big group came into transition together.

Away onto the first of four bike laps, Vermeylen, Konig, Sian Rainsley, Jessica Fullagar looked to drop the hammer, Jorgensen tucked in just off the back and ahead of Emma Jeffcoat and Mallozzi.

There were nine athletes in that front pack at the end of lap one, including Erin McConnell, Erika Ackerlund and Yuko Takahashi, but the chasers had them firmly in their sights, Jeffcoat powering them on, Jorgensen with her.

Vermeylen and McConell then dropped off the back out of the leaders, perhaps foreseeing the merging of the packs that followed half a lap later, a further group of nine including Charlotte Derbyshire (AUS) already out of contention 90s back.

Chaos reigns in transition

GB’s Katie Rodda rolled the dice on lap three but the pack was all back together into transition, McConnell off her bike first but then took a big tumble, before Jorgensen also fell and lost potentially crucial time as Fullagar took to the front.

But while Vermeylen and Konig pressed on, Jorgensen was picking her way forward determinedly. At the bell the gap was still 10 seconds, then the Swiss dropped the Belgian before, at the final turn towards the home straight, it was suddenly Jorgensen right in behind the leader.

As Konig kicked, Jorgensen dug in for one last drive and found the sprint to pass her rival all the way to the tape in a dramatic finale, Vermeylen crossing for the bronze ahead of Sian Rainsley, Takahashi in fifth.

QUOTES
Alissa Konig:
“I feel very honoured to have a sprint with Gwen, I could hear her coming! At the beginning of the bike we tried to gap but never stayed away and then I became aware that I would need my energy on the run. This season is way more than I expected and I worked so hard on myself and it has paid off, I don’t have words for this season so I’m very excited for the next one.”

Jolien Vermeylen:
“The swim was excellent and I thought I was going to have a good day but the bike didn’t go great. I thought I was pushing a lot of power but just not as much as at the front. I was going into T2 and saw someone fall so I was very careful and avoided the problems.”

Off the 20km bike in Miyazaki, the scene looked set for another World Cup run to the sun for USA’s Gwen Jorgensen on Saturday morning, before a tumble threatened to derail all the hard work. Suddenly over 15 seconds back from the leaders, the American dug deep, picked her way through 15 athletes, and finally reeled in Switzerland’s Alissa Konig to score another gutsy gold right at the end of a wild chase to the tape.

Konig had taken the run out hard with Jolien Vermeylen, but the Belgian dropped back before Jorgensen’s final surge, Konig kicking early as the chute approached but running out of steam to cede the lead at the line.

“I feel like I made this race harder than it needed to be,” admitted Jorgensen, “but the theme was just not to give up, and I just kept telling myself to race. I’m not sure what happened in T2, I went into someone as they racked their bike and fell. At one point I thought a podium was enough but then I thought, ‘Gwen, stop. Race, give your best’. Alissa really made me work for it and sprinted early… but I kept in it and gave my all. A lot of things happened today so I’m really proud I never gave up.” 



Vermeylen and Kropko slice through swim

The highest ranked athletes took to the left of the beach start, but it was the likes of Marta Kropko and Beatrice Mallozzi (ITA) further right and turning up the heat early on. Vermeylen then joined Kropko up front as the field bunched up, the Hungarian out and up the beach first, but a big group came into transition together.

Away onto the first of four bike laps, Vermeylen, Konig, Sian Rainsley, Jessica Fullagar looked to drop the hammer, Jorgensen tucked in just off the back and ahead of Emma Jeffcoat and Mallozzi.

There were nine athletes in that front pack at the end of lap one, including Erin McConnell, Erika Ackerlund and Yuko Takahashi, but the chasers had them firmly in their sights, Jeffcoat powering them on, Jorgensen with her.

Vermeylen and McConell then dropped off the back out of the leaders, perhaps foreseeing the merging of the packs that followed half a lap later, a further group of nine including Charlotte Derbyshire (AUS) already out of contention 90s back.

Chaos reigns in transition

GB’s Katie Rodda rolled the dice on lap three but the pack was all back together into transition, McConnell off her bike first but then took a big tumble, before Jorgensen also fell and lost potentially crucial time as Fullagar took to the front.

But while Vermeylen and Konig pressed on, Jorgensen was picking her way forward determinedly. At the bell the gap was still 10 seconds, then the Swiss dropped the Belgian before, at the final turn towards the home straight, it was suddenly Jorgensen right in behind the leader.

As Konig kicked, Jorgensen dug in for one last drive and found the sprint to pass her rival all the way to the tape in a dramatic finale, Vermeylen crossing for the bronze ahead of Sian Rainsley, Takahashi in fifth.

QUOTES
Alissa Konig:
“I feel very honoured to have a sprint with Gwen, I could hear her coming! At the beginning of the bike we tried to gap but never stayed away and then I became aware that I would need my energy on the run. This season is way more than I expected and I worked so hard on myself and it has paid off, I don’t have words for this season so I’m very excited for the next one.”

Jolien Vermeylen:
“The swim was excellent and I thought I was going to have a good day but the bike didn’t go great. I thought I was pushing a lot of power but just not as much as at the front. I was going into T2 and saw someone fall so I was very careful and avoided the problems.”

World Cup racing returns this Saturday to Brazil for the season’s finale, and it is the capital city, Brasilia, the perfect scenario for a superb sprint distance race. The famous 1.2km Juscelino Kubitschek bridge and the Paranoa Lake will be the backdrops of the action, with a start list for the Women’s race full of stars. Get ready for the last weekend of thrilling racing of the World Triathlon World Cup calendar. 

Wearing the #1 will be Mexico’s Rosa Maria Tapia Vidal, coming in fresh from a thrilling sprint finish victory at last week’s Viña del Mar Americas Premium Cup. This win marked a triumphant return to form for Tapia Vidal, who had been searching to regain the fierce closing speed she displayed in 2023. Currently ranked 10th in the world, a strong performance in Brasilia would give her momentum and a solid ranking for the start of next season’s WTCS.

Joining Tapia Vidal at the start line are some of the fastest runners and most consistent performers of the season. Gina Sereno of the USA leads her team with impressive top-7 finishes in every World Cup she’s raced this year, including a podium finish in Karlovy Vary and a career-best 8th place at the WTCS in Weihai. She’ll be accompanied by fellow American Summer Rappaport, who rebounded from a challenging season with a silver in Tongyeong two weeks ago, and Tamara Gorman, a powerful athlete making her World Cup comeback after battling injuries over recent years. Also lining up for the USA’s team will be last week sensation, Eleanor Lawler, who stormed the field to claim silver in Viña del Mar with the fastest running split.

Adding international depth are Verena Steinhauser (Italy) and Sandra Dodet (France), two seasoned veterans with reputations for well-rounded strengths across all three disciplines. Both are eager to cap off the year with podium finishes, leveraging their swim-bike consistency and experience in tight fields to secure standout results. The big hopes for the local crowds are set on Vittoria Lopes (BRA), who will try to set the difference with yet another magnificent swim to try to break the race from the beginning.

Colombia’s Maria Carolina Velasquez Soto, a World Triathlon Team athlete, is another one to watch. After her debut at the Paris Olympics last summer, she brings a mix of podium finishes and mid-pack results from earlier this season. Known for her endurance in grueling races and difficult conditions, Velasquez Soto will aim to finish the year on a high.

Spanish U23 talent Maria Casals Mujica also enters Brasilia in top form, riding the momentum of her recent bronze at Viña del Mar. Her running prowess makes her a serious contender if the race remains tight to the final leg.

Canada’s Dominica Jamnicky and Mercedes Romero Orozco (Mexico) are both athletes to keep an eye on as well. Both have shown flashes of power and speed this season, and they’re each capable of shaking up the podium in Brasil.

The Women’s race will take place on Saturday at 7am, and you can watch it LIVE at Triathlonlive.tv or at the World Triathlon’s Youtube channel. Check the start lists HERE.

This Saturday, the World Triathlon Cup Brasilia will bring the 2024 season to an exciting close. Get ready for the last blue carpet action before the winter break. On the menu, a superb sprint distance race with a combination of rising talents from around the world and well established names of the sport. 43 men are toeing the start line, led by home hero Miguel Hidalgo on what promises to be a fierce competition and a fast-paced battle for the podium.

Brasilia made its debut on the world Cup season last year. For the second edition, the race has been changed to a Sprint distance, with the athletes doing a one-lap 750m swim by the bridge, to then move to the bike snakes round the bridge access to take in two long straights up and over its span four times for the 20km. Out of T2 it’s back onto the bridge for two run laps and 5km in total to the tape, and you can watch full coverage of the men’s race from 9am local time on TriathlonLive.tv .

Leading the men’s field will be local star Miguel Hidalgo, who is determined to finish his season strong in front of his home crowd. The young Brazilian has experienced a rollercoaster year, but he’s shown glimpses of his true potential, especially with a career-first WTCS podium finish in Weihai in September. However, a disappointing 20th place in Torremolinos followed, adding to his motivation to redeem himself and end the season on a high note.

Hidalgo proved last year, winning superbly in Brasilia, that this course fits him extremely well, and is ready to do it all over again.

The lineup also features several emerging talents who have turned heads this season. John Reed from the USA arrives in Brasilia fresh off a 6th-place finish at the 2024 U23 World Championships and a World Cup victory earlier in the season. Reed has been gaining momentum and is eager to make his mark again, hoping to build a strong foundation for 2025. Meanwhile, Australian Callum McClusky, renowned for his finishing speed, is keen to reach another World Cup podium after his strong performance in Valencia. He’s one to watch if the race comes down to a close sprint finish.

Chilean athletes Andree Buc and Diego Moya are equally hungry for success after impressive outings last week. Buc, brimming with confidence following his victory at the Viña del Mar Americas Premium Cup, will look to carry that momentum to Brazil. Moya, coming off a second-place finish, is also eager to make his mark, especially after last year’s DNF in Brasilia.

Excellent swimmers like Liam Donnelly (CAN), Joao Nuno Batista (POR) or Diego Moya will be ready to make an impact on the race from the early stages.

Another local favorite to keep an eye on is Manoel Messias. Despite a challenging season, the Brazilian speedster remains one of the circuit’s top runners, and a course like this could play to his strengths if the pack stays tight into the final leg. And making a long-awaited return is Spain’s Sergio Baxter Cabrera, whose recent injury struggles have kept him away from competition. His comeback adds another layer of intrigue, as Baxter has the experience and skill to shake things up.

With such a dynamic field, the Brasilia World Cup of Triathlon promises an electrifying race where hometown pride, rising stars, and seasoned competitors converge to deliver a memorable season finale. Check the start lists HERE and don’t miss the race on TriathlonLive.tv or the World Triathlon’s Youtube channel.

The final weekend of 2024’s World Cup calendar lands in the south of Japan on Saturday morning, and a familiar favourite in its sprint-distance guise: Miyazaki.

This year’s action gets underway with a beach start to the 750m swim, transitioning into a winding 20km bike over four laps before the two-loop, 5km run to the tape that wraps around the bay.

With 43 men set to line up, including sizeable delegations from the hosts, Korea and France, there’s sure to be fireworks afoot as we close out the year, and you can watch it all unfold on TriathlonLive.tv and YouTube from 11am local time / 3am CET, just hours before the final blue carpet showdown of the season hits Brasilia.

Nener back with unfinished business

Top-ranked and a firm home favourite, Kenji Nener will wear the number one, and what a time it would be to score his as-yet elusive first World Cup win. Japan’s number one, the reigning Asian Games and Continental Champion and 15th-placed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, there can’t be many neutrals out there who would deny the magic that would be his maiden win at this level to cap the year.

Invariably one of the first out of the water and aggressive on the bike, it was on the Hong Kong run that the 31-year-old went all in back in March, only for the flying Spaniard Gonzalez to take the nuclear option and detonate the final 500m.

Nener will be grateful the Spanish threat is diminished this time around. What remains red hot, however, is the French threat, with motor-men Yanis Seguin and Valentin Morlec proving themselves among the quickest in the business in Rome last month, Aurelien Jem and Maxime Hueber-Moosbrugger also with plenty of firepower and capable of ramping up the pointy-end pressure over 5km.

Dijkstra ready to strike?

The last sprint distance here was 2022, when Britain’s Ben Dijkstra produced the third fastest run of the day to haul himself up into 12th place. The injury-hit Brit starts his 8th race of the season this weekend, the most he has been able to compete since 2019, something he will see as a big win as he builds into the LA 2028 cycle. A top ten or even five would be even bigger, and expect teammate Jack Willis to also be pressing for the prizes after a first WTCS top 10 in Weihai.

Takumi Hojo is no stranger to an end-of-season podium after gold and silver in Korea in 2021 and 2023, both over the sprint distance. After the strains of the Tongyeong 10km run proved too much last weekend, could this his time to shine on home soil?

Reese Vannerson took Junior World Championship silver in Torremolinos and the young American talent will be full of a mixture of confidence and desire off the back of that title near-miss. Quick in the water, strong on the bike and rapid on the run, he was only nine seconds off David Cantero del Campo’s golden 5km in Valencia, and will be one to watch now and over the next four years.

The same should be said of Poland’s Maciej Bruzdziak, the bronze-winning breakaway boy along with Dylan McCullough in Tongyeong. Comfortably the performance of his career so far, can he follow it up with more of the same in Japan? Tune in on Saturday to find out.

The full start list can be found here.

After 12 stops starting in New Zealand back in February, the World Triathlon Cup season closes on a major double-header weekend, with the seventh edition of Cup racing heading to Miyazaki on Saturday morning, before the finale in Brasilia.

A sprint-distance challenge awaits the 29 women lining up on the southern tip of Japan, all looking for a big performance to take into the off-season, and including USA legend Gwen Jorgensen, aiming to go one better than her silver here 12 months ago.

It’s a beach start for the 750m Pacific Ocean swim close to the marina, then a snaking run up the beach and towards transition. Onto the bikes, it’s a largely flat 4-lap, 20km ride, three dead turns on each, and a 5km run of two loops back around the bay to the finish.

You can watch all the action live and direct on Saturday 9 November from 9am local time (1am CET) over on TriathlonLive.tv and World Triathlon’s official YouTube channel.

Gwen Jorgensen hungry for more

Wearing the number one is USA’s Gwen Jorgensen, with her quest for success still very much fired up after strong showings at WTCS Weihai and the Championship Finals Torremolinos. With only two races since Hamburg and a subsequent collarbone fracture suffered in training, the Rio 2016 champion will be ready to show her race-power once again in the sprint hit out, only her second over the distance this season.

Anyone thinking that Jorgensen has been quiet across 2024 compared to last season would do well to remember her 2023 World Cup dominance, scoring four wins and seven consecutive podiums in under 12 months. Coming in hot, however, is Belgium’s Jolien Vermeylen, winner of her first World Cup in Tongyeong just 10 days ago, and having been knocking on victory’s door repeatedly the past two years.

Slim bike-break potential on stop-start course

It was a bike breakaway with Sian Rainsley that helped Vermeylen seal the deal in Korea, something we could see the Brit try again on Saturday, especially given her teammate Jessica Fullagar’s formidable bike power. If Yuko Takahashi can also get in that mix, a first home World Cup gold would represent a huge achievement at the end of a tough year for the Asian Champion, who has five top 10s to date here, but no podiums to her name in Miyazaki.

Alissa Konig will be backing herself for a medal return after the Swiss talent’s first taste of a World Cup podium in Rome a month ago, a prize USA’s Erika Ackerlund would love to land for the first time if she can dig in on the run.

Italy’s Beatrice Mallozzi and Hungary’s Marta Kropko are two rising talents currently making their mark at the World Cup level, while GB’s Katie Rodda, Germany’s Lara Thekla Ungewickell and USA’s Micehelle Magnani make their debuts.

For the full start list, click here.

Belgian Olympic star Marten Van Riel is in pole position to win the inaugural T100 Triathlon World Tour, as the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) and World Triathlon confirmed the men’s line up for the first Dubai T100 Triathlon World Championship Final on 16-17 November.

The two-time T100 winner is currently top of the T100 series standings following wins in San Francisco and Ibiza, along with a second place in Lake Las Vegas, and goes into the season finale needing to finish in any top three spot to be crowned the first ever men’s T100 Triathlon World Champion on Sunday 17 November.

But with increased points available for the final – 55 pts for the win versus the normal 35 pts – it really is all to play for given 55 points separate the top 14 athletes. From Denmark’s Magnus Ditlev in second, to France’s Sam Laidlow in fourth, American Sam Long in fifth, British double Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee in eleventh and American Jason West in fourteenth.

Kiwi Kyle Smith, Holland’s Youri Keulen and German Mika Noodt have also qualified for the Dubai T100 Triathlon World Championship Final as wildcard athletes due to their performances so far this season. Sadly Noodt is injured and will not be taking up his place, but Smith and Keulen are very much in the mix for podium places as well.

Whoever triumphs in the T100 series victory will be awarded World Champion status by World Triathlon, as well as also scooping a cool $210,000 for topping the season-long standings.

The full list of contracted men and wildcards in the order they appear in the current T100 standings is here and includes:

Marten Van Riel (BEL)
Magnus Ditlev (DEN)
Kyle Smith (NZL)
Sam Laidlow (FRA)
Sam Long (USA)
Youri Keulen (HOL)
Pieter Heemeryck (BEL)
Mathis Margirier (FRA)
Rico Bogen (GER)
Alistair Brownlee (GBR)
Frederic Funk (GER)
Daniel Baekkegard (DEN)
Jason West (USA)
Aaron Royle (AUS)
Rudy von Berg (USA)
David McNamee (GBR)
Leon Chevalier (FRA)
Clement Mignon (FRA)
Ben Kanute (USA)
Bradley Weiss (RSA)
Max Neumann (AUS)

The T100 Series Champion will win $210,000USD, the runner-up $140,000 USD and third place receives $90,000USD, with Series prize money awarded down to 20th place.

The 100km (2km swim, 80km bike, 18km run) pro course starts with a swim off the scenic Sunrise Beach in Jumeirah, with its breathtaking skyline views and beach-side location. The bike segment will take in Meydan and includes the Royal Bridge and surrounding area. Whilst the run will be around the Meydan Racecourse – the home of the world famous Dubai World Cup.

Staged and organised with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and Dubai Sports Council, the men’s broadcast will begin at 1315 local time on Sunday 17 November, with the athletes starting at 1330 and it will be shown live locally on beIN Sports across the Middle East as well as North Africa and the US. In Europe it will be live and exclusive on Eurosport and then available locally and regionally through a range of other deals that will see the final broadcast in 195+ territories.

The Dubai T100 Triathlon World Championship Final will also be an important part of the 30×30 Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) – an initiative driven by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, to integrate physical activity into everyday life for the population and make Dubai one of the most active cities in the world.

In addition to the professional races, there are set to be up to 10,000 amateur participants taking part in 100km and Sprint triathlons (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) as well as the Dubai debut of The Music Run – an un-timed, energy filled fun-run, perfect for participants of all ages and abilities. For more information, including registration details visit www.t100triathlon.com For more information on The Music Run please visit https://themusicrun.ae

The 2025 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods was approved by WADA’s Executive Committee (ExCo) during its meeting on 12 September 2024 and enters into force on 1 January 2025.

The List is one of the eight International Standards that are mandatory for all Signatories of the World Anti-Doping Code. It designates which substances and methods are prohibited both in- and out-of-competition and which substances are banned in particular sports. World Triathlon recommends all athletes and teams familiarise themselves with the list ahead of the new season.

Major modifications for 2025:

PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES

S0. Non-Approved Substances
• S-107 and S48168 (ARM210) were added to S0 as examples of the class of ryanodine
receptor-1-calstabin complex stabilizers. The ryanodine receptor-1-calstabin complex is
a major component of calcium storage and release, serving to maintain skeletal muscle
function.

S3. Beta-2 Agonists
• Based on a recent publication on potential performance-enhancing doses of inhaled
formoterol, the dosing intervals were updated to ensure that ergogenic effects are not
achieved. These new 12-hourly dosing intervals are consistent with manufacturers’
recommended use; the maximum delivered dose is unchanged at 54 micrograms over
24 hours.

S5. Diuretics and Masking Agents
• Xipamide was added as an example of a diuretic.

S4. Hormone and Metabolic Modulators
• Elacestrant was added as an example of an anti-estrogen.
• Mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA-c (MOTS-c) was added as an
example of an AMP-activated protein kinase activator.
• For clarity, S519 and S597 were added as examples of insulin-mimetics.
Insulinmimetics compounds or selective insulin receptor modulators (SIRMs) mimic insulin action by binding to the insulin receptor.

PROHIBITED METHODS

M1. Manipulation of Blood and Blood Components
• Donation of blood or blood components (e.g. plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and peripheral blood stem cells)
including by apheresis is not prohibited when performed in a collection center accredited by the relevant regulatory authority of the country in which it operates.

M3. Gene and Cell Doping
• Minor editorial change was made for clarity.

Furthermore, the following substances are placed on the 2025 Monitoring Program:

1. Anabolic Agents:
In and Out-of-Competition: Ecdysterone

2. Peptides Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances, and Mimetics:
In and Out-of-Competition: Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues in females under 18 years only.

3. Hypoxen (polyhydroxyphenylene thiosulfonate sodium):
In and Out-of-Competition

4. Stimulants:
In-Competition only: Bupropion, caffeine, nicotine, phenylephrine,
phenylpropanolamine, pipradrol and synephrine.

5. Narcotics:
In-Competition only: Codeine, dermorphin (and its analogues), dihydrocodeine,
hydrocodone and tapentadol
Out-of-Competition: Fentanyl and tramadol

6. Semaglutide:
In and Out-of-Competition

 

American Taylor Knibb will go head-to-head with Australia’s Ashleigh Gentle in the climax to the inaugural T100 Triathlon World Tour, as the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) and World Triathlon confirmed the women’s line up for the first Dubai T100 Triathlon World Championship Final on 16-17 November.

Three-time T100 winner Knibb is currently top of the T100 series standings with a win or second place in Dubai on Saturday 16 November enough for her to be crowned the first ever T100 Triathlon World Champion.

If two-time T100 winner Gentle were to win and Knibb comes third or worse, the T100 women’s title would be heading down under. Whoever scores the T100 series victory will not only be awarded World Champion status by triathlon’s international governing body, World Triathlon, but will also take away a cool $210,000 for topping the standings.

Also in the mix will be Britain’s India Lee, Kat Matthews, Lucy Byram and Lucy Charles-Barclay, Switzerland’s Imogen Simmonds, Germany’s Laura Philipp and Canada’s Paula Findlay – who all have a chance of finishing on the T100 series podium, with increased points available for the final to up the ante [55 pts for the win versus 35 pts normally, down to 4 pts for 20th position versus the normal 1 pt].

There will also be more than 20 athletes on the start line for the first time this year, thanks to five wildcard athletes who have qualified during the season. These include: Haley Chura (USA), Kaidi Kivioja (EST), Laura Madsen (DEN), Grace Thek (AUS) and Julie Derron (SWI), who finished second in Ibiza and Lake Las Vegas and is sure to be a race contender in Dubai.

The full list of contracted women and wildcards in the order they appear in the current T100 standings is here and includes:

Taylor Knibb (USA)
Ashleigh Gentle (AUS)
India Lee (GBR)
Imogen Simmonds (SWI)
Laura Philipp (GER)
Kat Matthews (GBR)
Lucy Byram (GBR)
Paula Findlay (CAN)
Julie Derron (SWI)
Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR)
Flora Duffy (BER)
Taylor Spivey (USA)
Tamara Jewett (CAN)
Emma Pallant-Browne (GBR)
Amelia Watkinson (NZL)
Anne Haug (GER)
Haley Chura (USA)
Kaidi Kivioja (EST)
Laura Madsen (DEN)
Grace Thek (AUS)
Chelsea Sodaro (USA)
Marjolaine Pierre (FRA)

T100 Series End Prize Purse:

$210,000
$140,000
$90,000
$75,000
$60,000
$55,000
$50,000
$45,000
$40,000
$35,000
$30,000
$26,000
$24,000
$22,000
$20,000
$18,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000

The 100km (2km swim, 80km bike, 18km run) professional course starts with a swim off the scenic Sunrise Beach in Jumeirah, with its breathtaking skyline views and beach-side location. The bike segment will take in Meydan and includes the Royal Bridge and surrounding area. Whilst the run will be around the Meydan Racecourse – the home of the world famous Dubai World Cup.

Staged and organised with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and Dubai Sports Council, the women’s broadcast will begin at 1315 local time, with the athletes diving in at 1330 and shown live locally on beIN Sports across the Middle East as well as North Africa and the US. In Europe it will be live and exclusive on Eurosport and then available locally and regionally through a range of other deals that will see the final broadcast in 195+ territories.

The Dubai T100 Triathlon World Championship Final will also be an important part of the 30×30 Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) – an initiative driven by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, to integrate physical activity into everyday life for the population and make Dubai one of the most active cities in the world.

In addition to the professional races, there are set to be up to 10,000 amateur participants taking part in 100km and Sprint triathlons (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) as well as the Dubai debut of The Music Run – an un-timed, energy filled fun-run, perfect for participants of all ages and abilities. For more information, including registration details visit www.t100triathlon.com For more information on The Music Run please visit https://themusicrun.ae

This was a tale of two protagonists. David Cantero del Campo (ESP) arrived in Tongyeong having won both the Valencia World Cup and the World U23 Championships, two races in which he definitively confirmed that he was the fastest runner of those heading into today’s Tongyeong World Cup. Meanwhile, Paris Olympian Dylan McCullough (NZL) was the first man on the pontoon after logging a recent best ever WTCS finish of 8th in Weihai. Having tasted defeat to Cantero on the U23 stage, though, a bill was left to be settled.

To enhance the already tantalising match-up, Tongyeong has been a course at which both running races and breakaways have materialised. The former would essentially hand Cantero the win, whereas the latter would put control back in McCullough’s hands. In the end, it was McCullough that seized the day in a spectacular two-man breakaway that saw him win a World Cup race for the first time and relegate his Spanish rival to the silver medal in the battle of styles.

In an early statement of intent, McCullough led the first lap of the swim from Igor Dupuis (FRA). However the field had barely broken up, leaving little scope for the breakaway he would have wanted. At the end of the second swim lap, McCullough would trail Brayden Mercer (AUS) and Maciej Bruzdziak (POL) as an increase in tempo put pressure on the rest of the field. A sharp T1 followed, as did an early surge on the bike, and suddenly McCullough and Bruzdziak were away.

At first the lead pair’s move seemed like akin to the early instability of a field before it comes together. Nevertheless, McCullough and Bruzdziak weren’t going to die wondering. After a lap of furious riding, they had earned a lead of over half a minute against a fairly small and disorganised chase group. Meanwhile, Cantero languished in the fourth pack on the road, around 75 seconds down on the leaders. At the end of the next lap, the front duo had extended their lead to 55 seconds in spite of the merging of the second and third packs. In the Cantero group, a frustrated Izan Edo Aguilar (ESP) broke ahead but received no support.

Frustration was the theme of the early stages of the bike with an irritated wag of the arm from Ben Dijkstra (GBR) here and a shout for others to follow his wheel by Jack Willis (GBR) there. All the while, McCullough and Bruzdziak progressed swimmingly.

Washing his hands of the chase pack shenanigans, Willis eventually set off after the lead pair on his own. However he was in a different postcode to them by this point. Behind, the chase and Cantero-Edo groups came together, albeit at a rather sedate pace. With Willis 2 minutes down going into the final lap, it was already clear that Cantero would have to out-run McCullough by an astronomical, comical, borderline diabolical amount to claim a third straight gold medal.

By this point, Bruzdziak had started to struggle but he did not throw in the towel and pulled a late powerful turn to maintain the lead. With that welcome assistance, McCullough led a chase trio of Willis, Roberto Sanchez Mantecón (ESP) and Blake Harris (CAN) by over 2min 30sec into T2, with the main pack over 3 minutes down.

And so, to the run.

Bruzdziak looked spent before he left the blue carpet after a brilliant effort while his New Zealand partner in crime powered clear. Then again, McCullough had been here before. At the end of last year, he held a healthy lead on the run at the Miyazaki World Cup following a similar breakaway move only for Hugo Milner to burst his bubble with a monster run split. A maiden World Cup medal was McCullough’s consolation that day. This time, he wanted it all.

Cantero certainly had a big run split locked and loaded and ran through the first of the four laps with the lightness of a man treading on clouds. He passed Harris and Willis in quick succession and caught Sanchez on the second of the four laps. Yet it was now unimaginable that he was going to catch McCullough. Thus the intrigue became the race for silver and bronze.

A yawning chasm separated Bruzdziak from the Spanish pair but they were closing fast. The Polish athlete gritted his teeth as the pain showed and Cantero cut Sanchez loose before chomping into the deficit to his opponent. In turn,  Sanchez came under pressure from Maxime Hueber-Moosbrugger (FRA). With a lap to go, Bruzdziak still held his position but Cantero had him right where he wanted him. At the same time, Hueber-Moosbrugger passed Sanchez and also threatened the podium. Then, on the final uphill section, Cantero got his man. All that remained to be seen now was whether Bruzdziak could hold off the Frenchman.

Leagues ahead on the blue carpet, McCullough embraced the crowd as he notched the first World Cup win of his career. After a wait, the day’s second protagonist followed with Cantero sealing an impressive 2nd place. Next over the line was none other than the unsung hero of the race. Turning back to check multiple times whether his eyes were deceiving him before issuing a bellow of joy, Bruzdziak held off Hueber-Moosbrugger to win a first senior international medal in a gutsy performance that deserved nothing less.

What they said

“I don’t normally like to lead the swim but I was feeling good and wanted to push the pace,” said McCullough. “Then I wanted to get on the bike and push the watts. We worked really well together and I’m glad it was just the two of us.” He also admitted that Miyazaki was playing on his mind. “I was hurting in the last 2.5km today, it’s been a long season. I really didn’t want that to be like Miyazaki last year so I dug deep and the gap was enough.”

“My first time here in Tongyeong,” said Cantero, “it was a good one but a really hard and tough race. I think on time with a 2 minute difference on the run I could take them (McCullough and Bruzdziak), but finally I got 2nd and I’m very happy with my performance. It’s the best way to end this good season.”

“It was difficult but I’m really happy with the result today,” said Bruzdziak. “I gave it my all. On the run I knew it was not my best leg. I felt really strong on the swim and on the bike. I knew I had to keep a comfortable pace on the first two laps on the run and then the last two I was shouting at my coach how many seconds were left to David. I was ready to give it all on the last lap because the guy is really fast. I have never been on a major podium before so it means a lot to be here and for me 3rd place is a win.”