World Triathlon racing returns to Cagliari this weekend, as the venue which has seen some thrilling battles in recent seasons hosts the final Olympic distance race of the WTCS before the Paris Olympic Games this summer.
A fortnight ago, Morgan Pearson and Leonie Periault took big wins against quality opposition at WTCS Yokohama, but this weekend, the strength of field has ramped up another notch.
Featuring Olympic champions, reigning world champions and the favourites for Paris, this race is one you don’t want to miss. For all the information you need on race day, keep reading.
Start time and how to watch live
WTCS Cagliari takes place on Saturday May 25, with the women kicking things off at 11:00 local time. This corresponds to 10:00 UK, 05:00 on the East Coast and 02:00 on the West Coast.
Just over four hours later, the men will race at 15:15 local time. This corresponds to 14:15 UK, 09:15 on the East Coast and 06:15 on the West Coast.
All the action will be available to watch live via Triathlonlive.tv
Elite Women
In the women’s race, all eyes will be on the Team GB squad, as three athletes – Sophie Coldwell, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Kate Waugh – battle it out for the two remaining spots on the team alongside Beth Potter.
Great Britain’s Beth Potter and Kate Waugh embrace after finishing first and second in the WTCS 2023 Grand Finals in Pontevedra, Spain (Photo Credit: Wagner Araujo, World Triathlon)
So far this season, Waugh is the one athlete to have competed at a WTCS, finishing 10th in Yokohama. At a recent Europe Triathlon Cup in Melilla, Waugh also beat Coldwell by more than half a minute, as she finished second behind Emma Lombardi.
That third place finish in Melilla was Coldwell’s first race of the season, and the 29-year-old hasn’t competed since that outing. Taylor-Brown, a two-time winner in Cagliari, has raced twice so far in 2024, with podiums in Quarteira and Lievin.
Whilst there is no set criteria for the British team in Cagliari, a strong result will play a big part in securing a discretionary spot alongside Potter. Therefore, it will be all to play for when the trio of Olympic hopefuls lineup in Sardinia on Saturday.
Another narrative on race day will be the head-to-head between French star Cassandre Beaugrand and Potter, as the two gold medal favourites battle it once more in 2024, after Potter took the spoils at the supertri E World Championship last month.
Beaugrand will be joined by teammates Lombardi and Periault, who look certain to join her on the plane to Paris, with other notable starters including German star Laura Lindemann, Olympic champion Flora Duffy and American heroine Taylor Knibb.
[Photo Credit – Tommy Zaferes]
Joining Knibb from Team USA are Taylor Spivey, Kirsten Kasper, Summer Rappaport and Tokyo Olympic medalist Katie Zaferes, after USAT decided to substitute Olympic champion Gwen Jorgensen out for Zaferes.
Similarly to the British selection process, their results in Cagliari will most likely be used by the selection committee next month, who will decided which two athletes to send to the Olympic Games alongside Knibb.
Elite Men
Once again, triathlon fans will hope for a similar showdown in the men’s race to last year, which saw rivals Hayden Wilde and Alex Yee battle it out on the run, with Yee eventually proving too strong in the closing stages and taking the win.
[Photo Credit – Tommy Zaferes]
Joining the pair in Cagliari will be Olympic champion Kristian Blummenfelt, who said he was disappointed with his Top 10 finish at WTCS Yokohama, and French former world champions Leo Bergere and Vincent Luis, who are chasing Paris selection.
Pearson, who took a first WTCS win a fortnight ago in Japan, wears #1 and will be one to watch, with Australian Luke Willian also racing back-to-back WTCS events after claiming a first podium and an Olympic berth with a memorable race in Yokohama.
In the fight for British selection to the men’s team alongside Yee, a trio of Olympic eligible athletes – Samuel Dickinson, Hugo Milner and Barclay Izzard – will hope to put their best foot forward and prove their worth to selectors in Sardinia.
Jonny Brownlee, who is not racing, has a full set of Olympic medals and is the most decorated triathlete in Olympic history, appears to be the safe bet, but the British selection team could yet decided to choose Izzard, Milner or Dickinson with eye on development for future Games.
Other notable starters in the men’s race include Belgian Marten Van Riel, Frenchman Pierre Le Corre (who is pre-qualified for Pairs) and 2016 Rio Olympic bronze medalist Henri Schoeman, who is looking to secure his spot in Paris.
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