With 70 men and 42 women from right
across the continents lining up for the 2022 World Triathlon U23 Championships
in Abu Dhabi on Friday morning, all will be looking to follow in the footsteps
of last year’s winners Csongor Lehmann (HUN) and Emma Lombardi (FRA).
Athletes born in 1999 or after are
eligible, and while only one of last year’s men’s top 10 in Edmonton – Valentin
Morlec – returns for another shot at this year’s title, Kate Waugh (GBR),
Annika Koch (GER) and Maria Tomé (POR) are all back on the hunt for a first
world title along with a host of talented debutants including South African
Jamie Riddle and Italy’s Bianca Seregni.
The bike course will differ
marginally to that of the elites, with an extra technical section making each
loop slightly longer and as such it becomes an 8-lap rather than 9-lap 40km
ride to follow the 1.5km swim. Off the bikes, it will be a hot, flat 4-lap and
10km run to glory.
As always, you can watch all the
action live and on demand on TriathlonLive.tv, with the women going out at
7.30am local time and the men at 10.15am.
Men’s preview
Jamie Riddle made his WTCS debut in
Abu Dhabi 12 months ago, and it is testament to his fearless racing that he has
been a major feature at the top level since. Kicking off 2022 with a pair of
Africa Triathlon Cup wins, an excellent race in Leeds was followed up with a
15th place in Hamburg and 6th at the Commonwealth Games, all earning him the
number one and planting the young South African firmly among the title
favourites.
Silver at the 2021 WTCS Hamburg was a
huge moment in the young career of Paul Georgenthum less than a month after a
disappointing 16th place in Edmonton. He arrives in Abu Dhabi seeking, much
like compatriot Morlec, to build consistency to go with his big moments and
head into the off season with a World Championship medal.
Dylan McCullough (NZL) is one of the
more established names returning for another crack at the world title.
Finishing 12th last year and with some eye-catching displays since, so far his
2022 has included a major crash in WTCS Leeds, a solid return to Series action
in Hamburg and a top 10 Commonwealth Games finish in Birmingham.
Czech number two Radim Grebik scored
his first Series top 20 in Hamburg four months ago and could be one to watch
along with Netherlands’ Mitch Kolkman after a string of strong performances by
the Dutchman that began with 4th at last year’s Junior World Championships.
Another rising Brazilian talent
following on the heels of Miguel Hidalgo is Antonio Bravo Neto. Recent runner
up in the U23 Americas Triathlon Championships Montevideo and World University
Champion in Maceio in September, Bravo is the sole South American on the start
line and could be ready to thrive in the expected heat.
Mexico is well represented in Abu
Dhabi, Aram Michell Penaflor Moysen and Jorge Alarcon Familiar the two looking
best-placed to provide the country’s podium potential, particularly given
Penaflor’s excellent top 10 in the recent Vina del Mar World Cup.
The powerful stroke of Egypt’s number
one Seifeldeen Ismail could see him among the first out of the water along with
Italian Alessio Crociani, and Britain’s Daniel Dixon will want to continue
putting his bike accident at the Junior World Championships last year behind
him with another assured display like the one that earned him 12th at
Birmingham’s Commonwealth Games and a standout 4th place at the Arena Games in
Singapore.
Davis Bove spearheads the USA’s medal
challenge, Max Stapley returns to the blue carpet for the first time since the
Bergen World Cup in August after an excellent start to his year at both Arena
Games and World Cup level along with Italian Nicolo Strada. Japan’s Kyotaro
Yosikawa has produced some eye-catching displays over recent months, not least
his front-pack moments alongside Vincent Luis at WTCS Bermuda, and is another
firmly on the ones-to-watch list.
Women’s preview
Britain’s Kate Waugh is one of the
most experienced of all the athletes lining up on the quest for U23 gold, and
with a Junior Worlds silver (2017) and bronze (2018), U23 Worlds 4th and 10th
and no fewer than four World Cup podiums already to her name, a first title
will be a huge target in Abu Dhabi for the 23-year-old with plenty of big-stage
know-how.
Annika Koch earned a U23 bronze in
Edmonton last year and has since won World Cup gold in Huatulco and more
recently silver in Tongyeong, marking the German out again as one of the
favourites to feature among the medals again this time around.
Italy’s Bianca Seregni showed her
mettle on one of the toughest World Cup circuits out there by winning silver in
the Czech hills of Karlovy Vary in September at the end of a gruelling battle
that she led for much of. Regularly first out of the water – notably alongside
Flora Duffy in her top 10 WTCS Bermuda showing two weeks ago – Seregni is as
tough as they come and will be fired up for another big performance at the end
of a huge year.
Much the same can be said of
compatriot Beatrice Mallozzi, gutsy 2019 Junior World Champion and a regular in
and around World Cup top 10s ever since, though yet to make a similar impact at
the WTCS level.
A top 10 finish for Cecilia Sayuri
Ramirez Alavez in Vina del Mar followed her Americas Triathlon Championship U23
gold and, as one of a crop of exciting young Mexican athletes coming through on
the big stage including Valencia World Cup silver medallist Anahi Alvarez
Corral, Abu Dhabi looks like providing a timely opportunity to showcase her
significant abilities once more.
Australia’s Matilda Offord was able
to spread her racing wings beyond Oceania in mid-2022 and with some success, a
notable WTCS Montreal showing setting her up for a big showing here, while
Denmark’s Anne Holm finally found her first top 10 World Cup finish just at the
right time in Miyazaki at the end of October.
Junior Aquathlon World Champion and
elite silver medallist Marta Kropko leads the line for Hungary and Netherlands’
Barbara de Koning concludes a busy first full year on the triathlon front line
that began with an Arena Games tour and included no fewer than five Series
events.
For the full start lists click here.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment