They have dominated women’s triathlon for two seasons, and this weekend the reigning Olympic and World champion Cassandre Beaugrand and 2023 World Champion Beth Potter return to the Series and the blue carpet for the first time in 2025 at WTCS Yokohama.
It is a podium that has escaped both to date, and by some margin. Potter's only finish here an 11th place in 2022, Beaugrand hasn't crossed the line since 10th place the year before. With both being conspicuous by their absences in recent Yokohama outings, then, the anticipation for the duo's return on Saturday has cranked right up.
A classic, Olympic-distance course of 1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run lies ahead of them, watch it all unfold on TriathlonLive.tv on 17 May, from 10am local time.
Tertsch on a tear and wears the one
It was a composed Lisa Tertsch who waited and waited and then detonated her way to Abu Dhabi gold in February to get her season off to a flyer, and as such the German tops the 2025 rankings after one race. The fastest 10km here 12 months ago (32:49) could only steer her to 14th place after troubles on the bike she will want to avoid a repeat of.
It was a similar bike struggle from the chase pack in the Championship Finals Torremolinos where she had to run her way to 7th, but if in touch out of T2, expect fireworks regardless of who is around her.
Olympic stars back on the blue
There will be many hoping and predicting that Cassandre Beaugrand will be one of those leading off the bike. Yokohama may not have been her most successful hunting ground over the years, but this is Beaugrand 2.0 and beating her best finish to date of 8th here and putting another WTCS podium in her growing locker is surely on the cards.
Like her French rival, Beth Potter also sat out WTCS Abu Dhabi and will be coming to Japan ready to kickstart the latest title challenge. Not since last year’s Cagliari have we seen Potter, Tertsch and Beaugrand shoulder-to-shoulder, and it could be a fascinating 10km showdown on the streets of Yokohama at this early stage of the LA 2028 cycle.
Germans chase further honours
With German triathlon flying and a WTCS Abu Dhabi podium sweep in the book already this year, Laura Lindemann, Tanja Neubert and Annika Koch join Tertsch in the medal hunt. Silver medallist in the season opener, Nina Eim is out with a foot issue, but both Lindemann and Koch have Series podium pedigree aplenty, and Neubert has established herself as the next in the country's bulging talent pipeline.
Leonie Periault’s gold here last year was as good as it got in 2024 for the French star, her first Series win looked to propel her towards Paris 2024 only for that top form to desert her. She may have narrowly missed the Abu Dhabi podium to the German trio, but this is her course, and her distance.
Nobody has won more races in Yokohama than Gwen Jorgensen. Four golds from 2013-2016 established a vice-like grip on the course, and the second-quickest run split last time out will be all the fuel her fire needs. Fellow American Taylor Spivey arrives off the back of a strong T100 debut and has a bronze and three fourth-place finished on this course to her name.
Expect fast starts from swim stars Bianca Seregni of Italy and Austria's Therese Feuersinger, and fast runs from Rosa Tapia (MEX) and Jeanne Lehair (LUX)... but can anyone halt the seemingly relentless success of Cassandre Beaugrand?
There are 1,000 Series ranking points for the winner, with the top 3 scores plus those earned at the Championship Finals Wollongong set to count towards the final tally. With eight stops this season, there will be plenty eyeing the big prize in 2025.
WTCS YOKOHAMA
SATURDAY 17 MAY, 10AM local time
START LIST
TRIATHLONLIVE.TV