World Triathlon

The athletes that have earned the right to start in the triathlon events at the Paris Olympic Games are now locked in. Over the past week, the last few teams have put the finishing touches to their selections including the reigning Olympic champions in the Mixed Team Relay, Great Britain, as well as New Zealand and Australia. Read on to find out the latest updates and who made the cut.

Great Britain

Alex Yee and Beth Potter had already punched their Team GB tickets courtesy of their respective performances at the Paris Test Event and WTCS Pontevedra. One male slot and two female slots remained, and each had multiple candidates gunning for them.

It was 26-year-old Samuel Dickinson who earned the second British men’s slot. The previous World Cup medallist aced his audition at WTCS Cagliari and then showcased his relay value with a win at the super-sprint European Cup in Kielce a week later.

On the women’s side, the defending Olympic silver medallist Georgia Taylor-Brown got the nod. Taylor-Brown has won multiple WTCS races since Tokyo, including in Cagliari in an injury-hit 2023, and has been a staple of the British squad for years. Kate Waugh was nominated for the second slot. After winning the World U23 title in 2022 and finishing 2nd at the Championship Finals Pontevedra in 2023, Waugh has opened her WTCS season with finishes of 10th in both Yokohama and Cagliari.

Australia

The Australian selectors faced a similar situation to that of their British counterparts when the qualification window ended. Matthew Hauser had secured his berth at WTCS Pontevedra while Luke Willian, the current overall leader in the 2024 Series, qualified with an accomplished bronze medal in Yokohama. While the two male slots were settled, Australia’s two female slots were up for grabs.

The experienced Natalie Van Coevorden managed to rectify the heartbreak of Tokyo as she earned selection for Paris. The former WTCS medallist has been a stalwart of the Australian team and will at last be able to call herself an Olympian. Joining her will be Sophie Linn, the winner of the Napier World Cup at the start of the season. With a blend of experience and great form across its team, Australia will be quietly confident in their quartet delivering.

Austria

Austria also joined the party by unveiling their Olympic squad. World Cup medallist Lisa Perterer will lead the way. Typically, Perterer has thrived in hot conditions such as the Huatulco World Cup. Should the mercury rise in Paris, any heat could play to her advantage. European Games medallist Julia Hauser secured the second women’s slot after a series of assured performances throughout the qualification window.

Tjebbe Kaindl was one of the final men to qualify through the Olympic rankings and the youngster will now push to make an impression on his Olympic debut. With power to spare on the bike, he will no doubt relish the Tour de France-inspired course. Alois Knabl was also nominated after ending the qualification window as Austria’s highest-ranked male triathlete.

New Zealand

They left it later than any other country, but the New Zealand team has now been revealed. WTCS gold medallist and Olympic bronze medallist Hayden Wilde was the obvious selection. Although he did not finish the nomination race (the Test Event) his form has made him a guaranteed pick. Taking the second men’s slot is Dylan McCullough. A string of classy World Cup performances, including a maiden medal in Miyazaki, set McCullough on his way to Paris as he proved his fitness was ready for the big push.

Nicole Van Der Kaay and Ainsley Thorpe, both of whom have World Cup medallists in their pockets, got the nod on the women’s team. The duo have been regulars on the New Zealand Mixed Team Relay in the past few years while Van Der Kaay also is a WTCS medallist from this Olympic cycle having placed 2nd in Hamburg in 2021.

Primed for action

The Canadian team was also made public recently. Charles Paquet had done enough with his glittering 2024 WTCS performances and his slot was formally confirmed. He will race alongside Tyler Mislawchuk in Paris, Emy Legault taking the sole Canadian women’s slot.

China’s Xinyu Lin had her place confirmed while Jean Gael Laurent L`Entente of Mauritius is set to race as the recipient of the African New Flag. On the note of Africa, the Olympic bronze medallist from Rio, Henri Schoeman, has had his Paris place settled. He will be joined on the South African team by Jamie Riddle, Vicky Van Der Merwe joining them.

With the starting numbers and pontoon draw among the next Olympic items to follow, stay up to date with all the latest in the build-up to Paris across all World Triathlon channels.