Great Britain have a great chance to officially qualify their first athletes to the Olympic Games in Paris at today’s World Triathlon Mixed Relay Championships. The triathlon has three events: a men’s event, a women’s event, and a mixed relay event. All countries that enter at least two men and at least two women will automatically be entered into the mixed relay. However, nine countries will qualify directly for the mixed relay, as qualifying through these events will earn quotas for two men and two women. One of those nine special mixed relay spots has been taken by hosts France, but the next one is to be decided later today. The winner of the 2022 World Triathlon Mixed Relay Championships in Montreal, Canada will earn two male and two female quotas at the Games. If France, who have already qualified win, then the spot will be given to the runners-up instead.
Great Britain are the Olympic champions and have to go in to this race as favourites. Our team came second in the race in Leeds, although the winners there, Germany, are not entering this time. All teams in this event start with a man, then have a woman, then a man, and then a woman (MFMF). To lead-off we have Alex Yee, who won gold in the individual event and was also in the Olympic-winning team. Sophie Coldwell goes next: she came 7th in the individual event and was part of the team that won silver in Leeds. Samuel Dickinson is on ranking a weak link, having come 56th in the individual event out of 57 finishers, and having the least experience out of the quartet. Finally, Georgia Taylor-Brown won gold in the individual event, her second win of the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) in the third race, having been in the Olympic-winning team too.
GB won’t have it all their own way however. France aren’t a factor in Olympic qualifying but they came third in Leeds and in the Olympics, with their team including Pierre Le Corre (who came 7th in the individual event), U23 World Champion Emma Lombardi, Vincent Luis (who came 6th in the individual event) and individual silver medallist Cassandre Beaugrand. Another strong team is the US, who won Olympic silver but had a poor showing in Leeds, coming ninth. Their women are the strong link, with Summer Rappaport and Taylor Spivey managing fifth and sixth in the individual event.
That said, GB have to be heavy favourites to win gold and qualify for the Olympics. Regardless of our performance today, it is very likely that we qualify a full compliment of three men and three women in this sport, but this would be a good start.
The full entry list of countries, their athletes and their 2022 WTCS ranking is as follows (correct subject to late changes):
Australia: Jacob Birtwhistle (32), Jaz Hedgeland (35), Brandon Copeland (17), Natalie Van Coevorden (13)
Belgium: Jelle Geens (5), Valerie Barthelemy (45), Marten Van Riel (11), Hanne De Vet (86)
Brazil: Miguel Hidalgo (13), Djenyfer Arnold (23), Manoel Messias (36), Vittoria Lopes (60)
Canada: Tyler Mislawchuk (29), Emy Legault (29), Charles Paquet (24), Dominika Jamnicky (70)
Denmark: Emil Holm (37), Alberte Kjær Pedersen (15), Oscar Gladney Rundqvist (unranked), Anne Holm (96)
France: Pierre Le Corre (3), Emma Lombardi (26), Vincent Luis (6), Cassandre Beaugrand (3)
Great Britain: Alex Yee (9), Sophie Coldwell (6), Samuel Dickinson (63), Georgia Taylor-Brown (1)
Italy: Nicolò Strada (unranked), Bianca Seregni (unranked), Gianluca Pozzatti (49), Carlotta Missaglia (80)
Japan: Takumi Hojo (16), Yuka Sato (68), Kenji Nemer (14), Hikaru Fukuoka (unranked)
Mexico: Irving Perez (101), Lizeth Rueda Santos (67), Rodrigo Gonzalez (89), Anahi Alvarez Corral (88)
Netherlands: Richard Murray (22), Rachel Klamer (17), Mitch Kolkman (92), Barbara De Koning (62)
New Zealand: Hayden Wilde (2), Ainsley Thorpe (40), Tayler Reid (48), Nicole Van Der Kaay (24)
Norway: Vetle Bergsvik Thorn (27), Lotte Miller (40), Sebastian Wernersen (unranked), Solveig Løvseth (54)
Portugal: Ricardo Batista (26), Melanie Santos (34), Joao Silva (20), Maria Tomé (56)
Spain: Antonio Serrat Seoane (4), Anna Godoy Contreras (92), Roberto Sanchez Mantecon (19), Sara Perez Sala (64)
Switzerland: Sylvain Fridelance (18), Cathia Schär (50), Sasha Caterina (102), Nora Gmür (81)
United States: Seth Rider (52), Taylor Spivey (4), Kevin Mcdowell (45), Summer Rappaport (7)
The action begins at 2145 and can be watched on the BBC Red Button, with coverage starting at 2125. It can also be watched on other BBC platforms (iPlayer, website, and app).
GB Games 