In March, the 2023 World Triathlon Cup season got underway in New Zealand and returns this week to southern Mexico, in the state of Oaxaca, for World Triathlon Cup Huatulco. Elite races will start in the beautiful coastal town on Saturday and the famous Elite Mixed Relay format will be staged on Sunday. The fields are stacked with athlete chasing valuable Olympic and ranking points in a crucial Olympic qualification window. The course in Huatulco is a sprint-distance triathlon featuring a beach start for the 750m swim in the Pacific Ocean, a fierce 20km bike course (4-laps) and will come down to a 5km run segment (2-laps). Watch the races on TriathlonLive.tv on Saturday 17th June with the women starting at 4.30pm local time and the men will follow at 6pm.
David Castro Fajardo eyes podium in Huatulco
Spain’s David Castro Fajardo will lead the field onto the beach and will have prime position for the start of the men’s World Triathlon Cup in Huatulco. Castro was crowned champion in the recent 2023 Europe Triathlon Championships Madrid. The last time the Spaniard raced in Huatulco was in 2021 when he crossed the line in fifth place. Castro is a specialist over the sprint distance and his victories include 2022 World Triathlon Cup Vina del Mar.
Diego Moya will be aiming for the fast lane in Huatulco
Chile’s Diego Moya came in second after Castro in the 2022 World Triathlon Cup Vina del Mar showcasing his class over the sprint distance format. Moya is once again on the Team World Triathlon in 2023 and is striving towards qualifying to represent Chile in the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.
Will there be another sprint down the blue carpet with Genis Grau and Tyler Mislawchuk
Spain’s Genis Grau and Canada’s Tyler Mislawchuk produced a thrilling finish in the 2022 edition of the World Cup in Huatulco. Grau took gold away from Mislawchuk, who had won in the two previous editions of the World Cup. The hot and humid race conditions in Huatulco suit both these men so the fight for medals will be firing from the start of Saturday’s sprint distance race.
Others to watch in Huatulco
Australia’s Jake Birtwhistle could be a main contender in Saturday’s race. Birtwhistle certainly has the speed and power to win a sprint to the finish if the opportunity knocked.
USA’s Chase McQueen has been a consistent performer across the elite racing scene however is still on the hunt for his first World Cup podium.
Japan’s Ren Sato and Aoba Yasumatsu are in the top ten men on the start list in Huatulco. Sato earned bronze in the 2023 Asia Triathlon Cup Subic Bay and both men have a great deal of experience across the sprint distance race format.
Mexico’s Rodrigo Gonzalez and Irving Perez bring a wealth of race experience and results to Saturday’s field. Both men continue to chase valuable Olympic points ahead of Paris and will want to perform in front of a home crowd this weekend. Gonzalez knows what it takes to win here after claiming the title in 2018.
Team World Triathlon will meet first time in Huatulco
Athletes from the 2023 Team World Triathlon will have the opportunity to race in the Elite races in the 2023 World Triathlon Cup Huatulco and will participate in a variety of activities organised by World Triathlon Development.
The Team members in Huatulco are:
Maria Carolina Velasquez, COL
Ramon Armando Matute Alava, ECU
Paula Vega, ECU
Gabriel Teran Carvajal, ECU
Raquel Solis Guerrero, CRC
Alvaro Campos Solano, CRC
Erica Hawley, BER
Ivana Kuriačková SVK
Tyler Smith, BER
Vitalii Vorontsov, UKR
Diego Moya, CHI
A field of 65 men will line up on Saturday to battle for medals and Olympic and ranking points in the 2023 World Triathlon Cup Huatulco. The course and conditions in Huatulco are challenging and will look to test all athletes so get ready to watch the races on TriathlonLive.tv. Review the full athlete start lists online.