With the Pan American Games heading to Chile in 2023, the World Cup circuit lands on the country’s Pacific Coast this weekend, making Vina del Mar both the final race on this year’s Cup calendar and a chance to put next year’s stunning Games venue to the test.
Sunday’s action will also be the first ever World Triathlon Cup to hit the country, and with plenty of Olympians and Olympic hopefuls alike on the start lines, Chile’s multisport fans are in for a treat as the athletes continue to chase precious Paris 2024 qualification points.
A 90-minute drive west of capital Santiago, a beautiful, all-in sprint-distance course awaits the 56 women scheduled to compete, a 750m ocean swim getting things underway close to Vergara Pier.
The 18.5km bike packs in two long straights linked by a tight switchback after transition and a tight, technical section once over Casino Bridge, those three laps followed by a two-lap run along the coastal road.
You can watch all the action live and direct or on-demand, on TriathlonLive.tv from 9.45am local time, Sunday 13 November.
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Wearing the one and looking to cap a strong season with another podium will be Canada’s Emy Legault. Bronze at the end of October at the Americas Triathlon Championships Montevideo and silver in Huatulco sandwiched a top 10 finish at the Commonwealth Games, leaving the 26-year-old with plenty of confidence heading to a course she knows well from her Americas Cup silver here in February.
First place in that race went to Luisa Baptista, just as it did in the Uruguay capital two weeks ago and, as long as she has recovered from the travels and exertions of her first top-10 Series finish at WTCS Bermuda seven days prior, the Brazilian should feel well set for another strong result here.
The French duo of Audrey Merle and Sandra Dodet bring plenty of World Cup experience to the start line, Merle most recently taking gold in Tongyeong, Dodet a perennial fixture on the circuit’s podiums around the world.
Ecuador’s Elizabeth Bravo has seen some of her best results on her home continent over the years, but hasn’t hit a podium since the last time a World Cup preceded the Pan American Games in Lima 2019. Bravo has raced here before, way back in 2008, but her experience could be the decisive factor here if she is in the hunt down the closing stages.
There will be plenty of Mexican potential in Chile, notably Anahi Alvarez Corral who scooped silver at the Valencia World Cup after out-sprinting French star Leonie Periault and Rosa Maria Tapia Vidal, a top-five finisher in both Huatulco and Tongyeong this season.
Erica Hawley will want to bounce back from her disappointment of crashing out of her home race in Bermuda last weekend and is one of two members of the ASICS World Triathlon development team on the women’s start, Costa Rica’s Raquel Solis Guerrero joining the squad for the first time to benefit from the wisdom and support the programme offers selected athletes from smaller member National Federations.
After crashing out of WTCS Cagliari at the start of October, Claire Michel finished 17th in Miyazaki two weeks ago and will be chasing a morale-boosting performance after an injury-hit 2022. The same can be said for USA’s Tamara Gorman, who has been able to start just two World Cups since her silver in Banyoles at the tail end of a very promising 2019 season.
For the full women’ start list, click here.