by Doug
Gray
At 8am on
Wednesday 31 July, 55 women will line up in Paris for only the seventh women’s
individual triathlon in the history of the Games, ready to put years of hard
work and training into the chase for the biggest prize in sport: Olympic gold.
Among
them, the defending champion and the only Bermudian ever to win an Olympic
gold: Flora Duffy. Starting a record-equalling 5th Games, both she and
Britain’s Tokyo silver medallist Georgia Taylor-Brown have had their
preparations hampered by injuries but returned to something approaching their
best. And with their abilities, that could be enough.
Standing
in their way will be the two athletes who hoovered up the 2023 Series gold
medals in their absence, defending World Champion Beth Potter (GBR) and
France’s Cassandre Beaugrand. The hosts also have last year’s no.3 Emma
Lombardi and WTCS Yokohama champion Leonie Periault to call upon, while
Germany’s resurgence is in the hands of Laura Lindemann, Lisa Tertsch and Nina
Eim. Along with the USA and GB, they are the only teams to qualify three women,
Taylor Knibb spearheading American hopes.
Women’s
Paris 2024 individual triathlon: 8am, Wednesday 31 July.
DUFFY
RIDES AGAIN
Olympic
Champion. Four-time World Champion. Two-time Commonwealth Champion. Flora Duffy
is already in the realm of being the greatest triathlete of all time. Victory
in Paris would surely bring with it GOAT status.
The knee
injury that left her out of racing for 18 months now repaired and with no ill
effects from an encouraging return to the top flight at WTCS Yokohama, Duffy
has been able to focus on getting back to something like full firepower. The
swim looks dialled, the bike is still one of the best on the circuit, the run
likewise. As long as the body allows, this could be Duffytime once more.
The
famous battle with Georgia Taylor-Brown both in Tokyo and across the 2022
season that lit up triathlon could return, possibly for the last time, on the
streets of Paris. Whether Taylor-Brown could have challenged Duffy all the way
to the Olympic gold had she not suffered a puncture on the final lap three
years ago, we shall never know. Whether she can outfox her great rival this
time around, only time will tell. Sixth place at WTCS Cagliari was enough to
seal GB selection for good, and she will likely be right there with Duffy again
on all three disciplines.
WORLD
CHAMPION X HOME FAVOURITE
The title
of favourite is rarely useful in triathlon, such are the numerous moments and
multitude of factors that can influence a race. Taking form as the guide, it is
hard to look beyond the French, and in particular Cassandre Beaugrand.
Already a
Series winner this year over the Olympic and Sprint distances, when Beaugrand
is in the zone, everyone pays the price. Among the last out of T2 in Hamburg,
within 30 seconds she was on the front, after a minute, she had daylight over
the field.
Jogging
it in ten seconds ahead of her rivals, it was a huge statement of intent, not
least for the woman who beat her in the Championship Finals Pontevedra to win
the world title last year, Beth Potter.
But
Potter has stated her satisfaction with preparations to Paris, and as a former
10,000m runner, would no doubt relish being in a similar position for the
second 5km in Paris. That was what she also showed in the Test Event, where the
control – and the gold - were entirely with the Brit.
GERMANS
ON A ROLL
Wedged
between the two on that Hamburg podium was Lisa Tertsch, the 25-year-old German
who has proven herself every bit as much of a medal threat in Paris as her
teammate and former Junior and U23 World Champion Laura Lindemann.
Coming
out of the Hamburg water within 9 seconds of the front will have been almost as
big a boost for Tertsch as out-sprinting Potter to the silver. Impeccable run
form and a mighty sprint finish could sweep her to an Olympic medal, while
Lindemann has flown under the radar so far in 2024, can never be written off as
truly a big-day racer.
Expect
Brazil’s Vittoria Lopes and Italian Bianca Seregni to be among the leaders out
of the water, though the currents could throw the form guide out of the window
as positioning in the water assumes more importance than ever.
TAYLOR-MADE
FOR SUCCESS?
The USA’s
Taylors will be on a mission in Paris too. Taylor Knibb was the first to
qualify and will be fuelled by a Tokyo 2020 campaign she would rather forget.
The prospect of an explosive bike leg to keep the likes of Potter and Beaugrand
at bay for as long as possible is what the fans would love to see and is surely
her best chance of success.
For
Spivey, being on that wheel would be an equally appealing scenario towards the
end of the 40km ride. The 33-year-old will be looking to deliver as she finally
makes her long-awaited Games debut, and convert the incredible consistency she
has displayed over close to a decade at the top, and on the biggest day of her
career.
How the
bike plays out will also have a huge impact on the likes of Tilda Mansson, the
young Swedish breakout star of 2023 who has shown the incredible run speed she
has in the locker and that could be dangerous if she can get out of T2 in touch
with the front without cooking the legs completely.
FRESH
FACES ON THE START
There
will be first triathlon appearances for Iceland and Guam, after Edda
Hannesdottir and Manami Iijima ensured their places thanks to earning vital
late points in the qualification period. Also on the World Triathlon
development squad is Bermuda’s Erica Hawley and Colombian Maria Carolina
Velasquez Soto, while Romina Biagioli earns the Americas New Flag spot for the
second successive Games.
For the
full start list, click here. https://triathlon.org/events/start_list/paris_2024_olympic_games/655048
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