The World Cup tour heads to Chengdu, China, this Saturday for some seriously fast standard-distance racing in the purpose-built Jintang Triathlon Centre. Watch the action on TriathlonLive.tv (live and on-demand) with the elite men lining up first from 9am local and the women to follow at 11.45am. The chase continues for athletes to earn valuable Olympic points in the qualification window towards Paris 2024.
The start list has 34 Elite women lining up for the 2023 World Triathlon Cup Chengdu ready to tackle the standard-distance race format featuring a 2-lap 1.5km lake swim, 6-lap 40km bike with hills and sharp corners to navigate followed by a 4-lap 10km flat run course.
BIANCA SEREGNI WEARS NUMBER ONE
If the results in the 2023 World Triathlon Cup Weihai are anything to reference Italy’s Bianca Seregni could be primed to deliver another dominant performance in this Saturday’s 2023 World Triathlon Cup Chengdu. In Weihai the Italian triathlete swam away from the field to lead on the bike and ran away with a truly dominant victory. Both races being standard-distance and Seregni has proven she has what it takes to win across this format, but will some of the other big names in the field put up a fight?
VAN COEVORDEN, BRAGMAYER, ACKERLUND, MICHEL AND KISHIMOTO CHASING POINTS AND MEDALS
Australia’s Natalie Van Coevorden, Hungary’s Zsanett Kuttor-Bragmayer, USA’s Erika Ackerlund and Belgium’s Claire Michel are all highly motivated by Olympic points to perform in Chengdu. Van Coevorden produced a strong 12th finish in last week’s World Triathlon Cup Rome. Ackerlund has had a string of strong results this season on the World Triathlon Championship Series stage and will be eager to stick with the front girls come Saturday’s standard-distance race. Olympian Claire Michel delivered a stellar 11th place in the World Triathlon Championship Finals in Pontevedra and is highly motivated to continue her 2023 season by collecting Olympic points and chasing World Cup medals. Japan’s Niina Kishimoto has had an impressive season with top 10 finishes in World Triathlon Cup Yeongdo and Weihai and representing Japan in the Olympic test event in Paris. Kishimoto is vying for Olympic points for Paris 2024.
ASIAN GAMES STARS ARE BACK TO BATTLE IN CHENGDU
China’s Xinyu Lin came away with 2 silver medals in the 2023 Asian Games in both the individual and mixed relay triathlon competition. Lin will be eyeing a podium performance in front of a home crowd in Chengdu on Saturday. Yuka Sato, gold medallist in the 2023 Asian Games Mixed Relay, will be eager to bring her form into the World Cup in China. The Japanese triathlete is highly experienced and could be a main contender in the race for the medals.
THE BATTLE OF THE YOUNG GUNS
Mexico’s Anahi Alvarez Corral ran away with gold and a storming performance in the 2023 World Triathlon Cup Huatulco, proving she is one of the fastest runners on the circuit. Hungary’s Márta Kropkó secured a top 20 finish in the recent World Triathlon Cup Yeongdo and a 10th place in the 2023 World Triathlon Cup in Weihai and is quickly showing she is one to watch with her exceptional bike handling and run skills. New Zealand’s Eva Goodisson is a new talent on the World Triathlon Cup tour, having stepped up to the level of racing in 2022. The New Zealander is looking for her breakthrough race on the scene and Chengdu’s standard-distance format might just be the place where she can show off her strengths. Team World Triathlon members Ivana Kuriackova and Romana Gajdošová, both from Slovakia, are ready to take on the World Cup course in Chengdu. Gajdošová secured the silver medal in the 2023 World Triathlon Cup Yeongdo and will be eager to deliver a podium performance in China.
China will have 5 women represented in the 2023 World Triathlon Cup Chengdu.
Review the full start list and follow the action on TriathlonLive.tv.