Oceania Triathlon

Welcome to The Apex, your regular round-up of all that’s happening in swim-bike-run…

And we can say it again at last - It’s race week!!

COMING UP - Napier World Cup

The 2024 World Cup circuit blows into New Zealand on Saturday, when Napier makes its debut as host and fans will be hoping for more of the fireworks we saw in New Plymouth at the start of last season. Hayden Wilde leads the men’s race, Gina Sereno wears the women’s #1, plus Vasco Vilaca’s Portugal and a strong Hungary team chase Mixed Relay glory on Sunday - watch it all on unfold over on TriathlonLive.tv from 16:15 local time, with the Junior Oceania Cup to get the action underway! Catch up on what’s been happening down under.

TUNE IN FOR LIVE COVERAGE: TRIATHLONLive.tv

COMING UP - Pragelato Winter World Championships

Italy steps up to host the Winter Triathlon World Championships for the first time since Asiago 2021, with Pragelato-Sestriere - home of the 2006 Winter Olympic Nordic Ski racing - hosting the run/mountain-bike/ski on the snow from Friday to Sunday. Sandra Mairhofer is the Italian multisport maestro looking for her third world title, Norway’s Hans Christian Tungesvik likewise, both champions last year, both favourites to leave with the titles this year. Check out the Winter Duathlon World Championship gallery.

RACE PREVIEWS: TRIATHLON.ORG

RACE NEWS - Continental Cups heating up

Continental Cup action this weekend includes some intriguing racing in Havana, Cuba, where 2016 Olympic Champion and Paris 2024 hopeful Gwen Jorgensen has chosen to start her season, while Julie Derron (SUI) races Putrajaya, Malaysia. Felix Duchampt (ROU) continues his pursuit of an Olympic berth as he also heads to Cuba a week after victory in Venezuela. Kazakhstan’s Ayan Beisenbayev looks to follow up his Africa Triathlon Conti Cup win in Troutbeck last week with more points in Egypt’s Sharm El Sheikh.

eNEWS - E World Triathlon Championships hit London in April

Triathlon’s unique eSport series Arena Games has been replaced by a one-day E World Triathlon Championships, and the atmosphere inside the London Aquatics Centre is going to be more electric than ever as 60 athletes battle through the heats to reach a 10-deep final. With the start lists still one month away and so many eyes on Paris, expect some young guns eyeing up the chance to claim a world title and precious World Triathlon ranking points.

THE ATHLETES LOUNGE

SPOTTED - Training Camp fever is spreading like wildfire ahead of the season start, with some athletes retreating to far-flung corners for some top-secret sessions, others joining the merry throng getting blown around the Canary Islands. Here’s a handful our spies have spotted:

+ David Castro keeping the chat flowing in Lanzarote with Vincent Luis and Jake Birtwhistle
+ Sophie Coldwell, Alex Yee and a posse of GB faces open water swimming in Oz
+ Brazilian duo Miguel Hidalgo and Djenyfer Arnold hitting Dubai ahead of WTCS Abu Dhabi
+ Laura Lindemann and Nina Eim among the German crew in Namibia along with Dutch star Jetze Plat
+ Csongor Lehmann’s training group is in La Nucia, where they came across Beth Potter, Alistair Brownlee and a Leeds crew heading south for the winter.

LISTEN AGAIN - He may have missed out on a World Cup medal by the finest margins in New Plymouth last year, but it kickstarted a season that propelled him to Olympic contention - listen to Dylan McCullough discuss form, focus and team tactics on the World Triathlon Podcast.

WATCH - Want to see Gwen Jorgensen caked in mud racing the Old Man Winter Bike Rally with Jens Voigt? Look no further!

DIVE IN - Want to know the secret to preparing for your first open water swim? Here’s some tips from those that know.