The third successive laying of the
famous World Triathlon blue carpet in Arzachena will get both the 2022 World
Cup season and the Paris 2024 Olympic Qualification Period underway in Sardinia
this Saturday.
It is a young course that has already
seen some of the biggest names the sport has ever known competing for gold. In
2020, Vincent Luis held off the challenge of Kristian Blummenfelt and Alistair
Brownlee, last year saw Jonnny Brownlee take gold and set up an unprecedented
third successful Olympic campaign.
From the beach start of the 750m swim
to the steep climbs on the three-lap (20km) bike and the undulating 5km run, it
is one of the toughest sprint-distance courses out there, and you can watch all
the action as it happens on TriathlonLive.tv.
Men's PreviewThe first Olympic points
on the line means it’s another big start list for the men. Twelve months ago,
Jonathan Brownlee was indeed setting the pace and lapping up the significant
challenge of the Cannegione hills and hot Sardinian sunshine. He returns for
his first action of 2022 on a course he clearly enjoyed and eager to see where
that early-season fitness is, as he stands on the cusp of a fourth Olympics
campaign.
The number one will be worn by
Antonio Serrat Seoane, currently second in the overall Maurice Lacroix Rankings
and looking to carry that current momentum into his first Olympic campaign. The
27-year-old has two World Cup podiums to his name – both in Weihai, 2018 and
2019 – but has been knocking on the door of the top three at the top level and
the winning habit may not be far behind.
The same could be said for Adrien
Briffod, who found himself in the middle of a Brownlee-Mola sandwich last year
with a display that underlined how comfortable he is mixing it at the top
table. The Swiss was winner at the other end of Sardinia back in 2017 on a
Cagliari course where he saw off the likes of Henri Schoeman and Justus
Nieschlag to take gold.
Hungary are well represented thanks
to the in-form Mark Devay and U23 World Champion Csongor Lehmann, while
Morocco’s Jawad Abdelmoula returns to the circuit after a storming gold-medal
win in Tongyeong at the end of 2021 and off the back of continental cup wins in
Asia, Africa and Europe.
Brazil’s Manoel Messias has the run
power to write some headlines if he can stay in touch with the leaders across
the bike segment, but those climbs will be all important in his medal hunt.
It feels like the time could be right
for Sweden’s Gabriel Sandor to shine once more after two tenth-placed finishes
here in the past two editions of the race. Never one to shy away from the
toughest tests, Arzachena 2022 could just be the time that the 26-year-old
strikes a first World Cup podium since Antwerp 2019.
Young Kiwi Dylan Mccullough starts on
a high having just been selected for the New Zealand Commonwealth Games squad
alongside Hayden Wilde and Tayler Reid, while Australian Max Stapley returns
from Arena Games duties for his latest challenge alongside teammates Luke
Willian and Luke Bate.The French pair of Paul Georgenthum and Tom Richard have
repeatedly shown their ability at this level and could shine, while newcomer
Valentin Morlec is a huge talent in the ascension. Germany will also be
well-represented through the experienced Jonas Schomburg and Lasse Luhrs,
Israel’s Shachar Sagiv ready to give another good account after his 20th place
at Tokyo 2020 and a man for whom the bike course will be a challenge to relish
rather than fear.
Women's Race
Wearing the number one and the winner
of two bronze medals here is Italy’s own Verena Steinhauser. The 27-year-old
matched Beth Potter stride-for-stride in 2020 but neither could hold a candle
to the soaring Flora Duffy that day. After two third-place finishes, Italy’s
Olympian will hope to be climbing a little higher up the podium this time
around.
It was Julie Derron who grabbed the
silver last year, a powerful performance only undone at the last moment by the
perfect timing of Marlene Gomez-Goggel, and the Swiss star will also feel like
there is unfinished business to see to in Sardinia.
Spain’s Miriam Casillas Garcia looked
in excellent form in Yokohama two weeks ago as she ran her way into the top 10.
Her last podium in Weihai 2019 feels like a long way back for such a strong
athlete across all three segments, and Arzachena could be just the place to
rediscover that top-three touch.
Denmark’s Alberte Kjaer Pedersen was
one of the breakout stars of 2021. After victory in Huatulco and silver in the
U23 World Championships Edmonton, the Dane’s return to the World Cup circuit –
and on a course she already has two top-10 finishes to her name - will be one
to keep an eye out for.
Hungary’s Zsanett Bragmayer arrives
off the back of an excellent Arena Games in Singapore, but there was
disappointment at WTCS Yokohama where illness prevented her finishing. If the
28-year-old is fully firing, she could definitely make a return to the World
Cup podium she occupied in Haeundae 7 months ago.
Beyond the European contenders,
Ainsley Thorpe (NZL) makes a welcome return to the blue carpet for the first time
since WTCS Hamburg and after a series of Oceania podiums in recent months. The
Kiwi’s young relay star will be gunning for a first World Cup medal since
Antwerp 2019.
Charlotte McShane and Emma Jeffcoat
bring the experience to an Australian contingent featuring three deubtants on
the circuit; Jessica Ewart-Mctigue, Matilda Offord and Ellie Hoitink.
From the Americas, Tamara Gorman will
make her long awaited World Cup return, with Banyoles 2019 being the former
Junior and U23 World Champion’s last race at this level, while Brazil’s Pan
American Games champion Luisa Baptista will be ready to test herself against
some of the world’s best for the first time since Tokyo 2020.
The ASICS World Triathlon Team sees
the welcome World Cup return of Edda Hannesdottir (ISL) for the first time
since her injury a year ago, along with Estonia’s Kaidi Kivioja.
Women's Start list here - 29 May,
10.30 CEST - TriathlonLive.tv
Men's Start list here - 28 May, 15.30
CEST - TriathlonLive.tv
ABOUT WORLD TRIATHLON
World Triathlon is the international
governing body for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of triathlon and all
related multisport disciplines around the world, including duathlon, aquathlon,
cross triathlon and winter triathlon. Triathlon made its Olympic debut in Sydney
2000, with a third medal event, the Mixed Team Relay, added to the programme at
Tokyo 2020, while para triathlon was first added to the Paralympic programme at
Rio 2016. World Triathlon is proudly committed to the development of the sport
worldwide, with inclusion, equality, sustainability and transparency at our
core as we seek to help triathletes at all levels of the sport to be
extraordinary.
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