It’s time for round three of the World Triathlon Series 2024! Well, technically, it’s round two as the first race in Abu Dhabi had to be cancelled.
Next up, though, is Cagliari, which is set to take place this weekend, and there’s some strong talent on show as athletes battle for Olympic qualification.
Keep on reading to find out what happened in the series in 2023, who’s racing in Cagliari and what the rest of the short-course season looks like…
What happened in the 2023 WTCS?
The first round in Abu Dhabi on 3 March saw double GB gold, as Beth Potter notched up her first-ever WTCS win and Alex Yee put in a masterclass performance to take his fifth WTCS victory.
The second-round spoils in Yokohama went to Potter’s teammate Sophie Coldwell – her first WTCS victory – and NZ’s Hayden Wilde.
The third round in Cagliari, Sardinia, was yet another Brit double as Georgia Taylor Brown rediscovered that world-beating form to take her first win of the season and Yee once again got the better of the field to make it two wins from two race starts.
Montreal hosted the fourth round where Potter reigned supreme yet again. In a slightly depleted men’s field, Aussie Matt Hauser took his first-ever WTCS win.
Round five took place in a familiar venue but with an entirely new format for the German city of Hamburg – the eliminator, which has so far only been contested in Montreal. The race also acted as the first-ever World Super Sprint Champs.
Taking the top honours were Hayden Wilde and Cassandre Beaugrand, for their second and first wins of the season, respectively.
The penultimate race took place in Sunderland, UK, for what could be the last WTCS outing for some time on UK shores.
But back on the race course it was a French sweep as Pierre Le Corre beat teammate Leo Bergere in a sprint to take his first WTCS win; Cassandre Beaugrand made it two in a row; and Team France outshone the field to win the Mixed Team Relay.
Pontevedra, Spain, hosted the Grand Final, with Alex Yee leading the rankings and poised to become the first British world champion since Jonny Brownlee back in 2012. However, a terrible swim for the Brit saw him eventually finish in 29th place and fifth in the overall standings.
Taking the spoils was Dorian Coninx, a surprise victory for the Frenchmen who had been in fifth place heading into the Final.
For the women, Beth Potter started as No.1 and finished No.1, leading from almost start to finish to take her first world title.
What happened in the last race?
The second round of the 2024 WTCS took place in Yokohama, Japan, on Saturday 11 May, and saw two new names added to the list of WTCS winners – Morgan Pearson in the men’s race and Léonie Périault in the women’s.
When and where is WTCS Cagliari taking place?
The third round of the 2024 WTCS takes place in Cagliari, Sardinia, on Saturday 25 May.
Which events are taking place in Cagliari?
Cagliari will be hosting the elite men’s and women’s Olympic-distance WTCS.
Which athletes are racing in Cagliari?
Cagliari is the last race within the Olympic qualification window, so it’s a big one for any athlete still waiting to punch their Paris ticket.
And that includes Georgia Taylor-Brown. The defending Olympic silver medallist will be thrilled that Cagaliari is the race which could see her sign up for Olympics No.2, having won the last two – and only two – races here.
Battling Taylor-Brown for those final two GB women’s slots – Beth Potter will be lining up in Paris, and Cagliari – will be Kate Waugh and Sophie Coldwell.
On the men’s side, Paris qualifier Alex Yee is also on the startlist, but a notable absentee is Jonny Brownlee who had been hoping to line up for his fourth Games. That could still happen, but who else has a chance to don the hallowed GB tri-suit?
With only one more slot available in the men’s squad (GB haven’t achieved enough points to send three), Barclay Izzard could be the one to capitalise. With four top-25 WTCS finishes in 2023 and plenty of success in the relay format – including a silver medal at the Paris Test Event – this could be Izzard’s chance to shine.
Samuel Dickinson is another GB contender and is the second-ranked British man behind Yee in the world rankings.
Then there’s the wildcard – World Cup winner Hugo Milner and one of only a handful of men on the circuit capable of matching pace with Yee on the run.
And that’s just the race within a race for the British team! The US women’s team, for example, has five women in contention for the final two places alongside Taylor Knibb.
Plus, defending champion Flora Duffy is back on the scene, having returned to racing in Yokohama after an agonisingly long 18 months on the sidelines with a seventh place. Never discount the Duffy!
Full start lists can be found here.
The 2024 WTCS Cagliari course
The elite races are Olympic distance, and start with a two-lap 1,500m swim with a beach start.
After a short run, on sand, to T1, athletes hit the 10-lap, 38km rolling bike course.
From T2 they start the four-lap, 10km run… and all under the baking Sardinian sunshine.
How can I watch the 2024 WTCS Cagliari?
You can watch all races live on TriathlonLive.tv, while UK audiences can also stream live coverage via BBC Sport, the BBC Sport app and the BBC Red Button.
When do the 2024 WTCS Cagliari events start*?
*All times are local, which is 1hr ahead of the UK.
Saturday 25 May
11am – Elite women’s Olympic-distance race
3:15pm – Elite men’s Olympic-distance race
2024 World Triathlon Championship Series
The 2024 series will have visited six different locations during the season, starting in Abu Dhabi in March – although it was cancelled due to bad weather – and culminating at the Grand Final in Malaga, Spain, in October.
WTCS 2024 overview
- 8-9 March: WTCS Abu Dhabi, UAE (sprint and mixed relay)
- 11 May: WTCS Yokohama Japan (standard)
- 25-26 May: WTCS Cagliari, Italy (standard)
- 13-14 July: WTCS Hamburg, Germany (sprint and mixed relay)
- 14-15 September: WTCS Montreal, Canada (sprint and mixed relay)
- 17-20 October: World Triathlon Grand Final Malaga, Spain (standard)
Paris 2024 Olympics
- 30, 31 July & 5 August: Paris, France (standard & mixed relay)
Paratriathlon
- 8 March: Para Cup Abu Dhabi, UAE
- 16-17 March: WTPS Devonport, Australia
- 13 May: WTPS Yokohama, Japan
- 18-19 May: Para Cup Samarkand, Uzbekistan
- 15-16 June: Para Cup Besançon, France
- 22-23 June: WTPS Swansea, Wales
- 29-30 June: WTPS Montreal, Canada
- 20-21 July: Para Cup Long Beach, USA
- 1-2 September: Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, France
- 17-20 October: World Triathlon Para Championships Malaga, Spain
Top image credit: Tommy Zaferes/World Triathlon
