Some familiar faces and young guns looking to make a name for themselves will line up side-by-side in the first Mixed Relay action of 2025, as the full-gas format closes out WTCS Abu Dhabi on Sunday afternoon.
It is a brand new course on Hudayriat Island that awaits the athletes, with a 300m swim transitioning to a 7km bike over two laps and wrapping up in a frantic 2-lap, 2km run.
Find the full start list here and watch it all unfold on TriathlonLive from 1.30pm local time.
Back in August, Team Germany took to the top of the Olympic podium and claimed a brilliant Paris 2024 Mixed Relay gold. Today in Abu Dhabi will see the format’s first outing of 2025, and while it is a new-look German squad with just Jonas Schomburg from that wider Paris squad, it is one that still packs plenty of firepower.
Rising female stars Selina Klamt – U23 World Champion of 2023 – and Tanja Neubert, 4th in Weihai last year, are joined by the exciting young talent Henry Graf, who scored an eye-catching fourth place in only his second Series race just yesterday.
The two-time Olympic silver medallists Team USA also look potent. The experienced heads of Taylor Spivey and Morgan Pearson will want redemption from disappointing individual results here, John Reed likewise though his WTCS journey is just beginning and Erika Ackerlund starts off the back of another solid 14th place.
Team GB ushers in Beth Cook and Isabella Hayes for Relay Series debuts alongside Max Stapley and Hugo Milner, Stapley providing the experience albeit in a rare start of his own, and with his strength across all three disciplines, his leg could be pivotal to their chances of success.
Team Spain can count on David Cantero, the man with the fastest run split from the previous day, alongside Miriam Casillas, Anna Godoy and Roberto Sanchez, while Portugal will hope youngster Madalena Amaral Almeida can keep in contention before Vasco Vilaça, Maria Tomé and Ricardo Batista let rip.
With back-to-back World Championship podiums the past two years, the Swiss have seemingly found their formula, and Nora Gmur looks set to lead them out, Adrien Briffod looking back to his best in Saturday's individual race, Simon Westermann and Leana Bissig completing the quartet.
Team Ireland, Japan, Belgium, Netherlands and Italy complete the line up of what is sure to be a fast, furious and unpredictable dose of super-sprint action.
WATCH ON TRIATHLONLIVE.TV
