Latest / Happy Pace - a triathlon podcast / Episode 10: The Pro Triathlon Catch-Up: Everything You Need to Know RN
Transcript
- Jaclyn: Hello and welcome to episode of the Happy Pace podcast. Marty, how are you? ⁓ Mardi: Good. Episode 10. And I think we remarked last week that we're both just finished our tenth 70.3. So there must be something about the number 10. The timing. It's our tenth. but today is also our first episode on YouTube. So really ⁓ really branching out. Jaclyn: The timing. Boo. Really leaning into this, aren't we? Mardi: Really leaning in. And we're just saying before, like I really gobble up Trathon on YouTube. Like I love watching some of the athletes YouTube. Like there's some age groupers who do vlog style videos and things. I love watching other podcasts on YouTube just to get a little bit more out of it. And yeah, we're joining the party. Jaclyn: Can you tell us what you called it? Mardi: I called it my Saturday Disney time. ⁓ like ⁓ ⁓ as a kid growing up, like you get the special treat of watching Saturday Disney ⁓ ⁓ on a Saturday morning. And ⁓ that's what I do on a Saturday morning. Have a little sleep in, a leisurely breakfast watching my Saturday Disney on ⁓ which is all my triath on YouTube, and then head out for my session. ⁓ Jaclyn: I love that. Amazing. Perfect. Mardi: how are you, Jax? ⁓ Jaclyn: I am good, thank you. Just ⁓ you know, recovering from cans, taking it easy. yeah, that's about it. Mardi: ⁓ I'm gonna say this 'cause we are on video, is that your hair looks great. Not fresh out of the pool, not fresh off a sweaty run. Jaclyn: ⁓ thanks. It makes such a big difference when you've got time to actually shower and wash your hair properly and dry it with a hairdryer. Mardi: Yeah, I've had a few compliments in the last week of like, ⁓ your hair looks so nice. It's like, Yeah, 'cause I washed and dried it for once. Like ⁓ Jaclyn: It's amazing what that extra hour can do for you in the mornings, isn't it? Mardi: So put together. for today's episode, we have been highly distracted by Cans and Cannes 70.3, though we have missed a lot of pro racing and a lot happening in the pro world. So we are gonna do a big fat pro catch-up on everything that's happening and has been happening in the past couple of weeks. Jaclyn: Yeah. Excellent. I'm excited. But before we get into that, what was your session of the week? Mardi: Session of the week. I think this is gonna be really predictable. It was a two-hour coffee ride last Saturday, the week after cats. It was like literally two hours on the nose. It was a blue sky, sunny day here in Brisbane. Just did like a favorite loop, finished at a cafe, spent probably more time at the cafe than half the ride. It was just really nice. Like nothing to train for, no run off the bike, like. Jaclyn: ⁓ the dream. Mardi: Just really cut feeling and yeah, exactly what I'd been looking forward to after the build to Cannes. Jaclyn: ⁓ I think there's something to be said for those like few Saturdays after after a race where there's there's no schedule and you're out riding. Not that we're like we're training for something we're not riding because we don't want to be, but I think when you're just riding for the sake of fresh air and filling up your carp, like there's something to be said for that. And I was gonna say the same. My session of the week was my ride last Saturday. thing. Coffee shop ride, ⁓ was no blue skies here. ⁓ it was probably the worst weather day of the week. even still, just like being able to ride, no set distance, chatting the whole way and then finishing at a coffee shop, like there's no better way to start the weekend. Mardi: Mm-hmm. ⁓ the best. The best. And like, for me, I'm going to do Nice World Championships, which is just over I think it's eleven weeks tomorrow so me I'm like, this is just like a nice little couple of weeks, ⁓ a bit less intensity, a little bit more cup filling before the build really kicks in. But what are you thinking f what are you thinking next, Jack? So you gonna do two times a U or Jaclyn: Mm. Yeah, I'm actually gonna do Melbourne 70 point three. ⁓ that is ⁓ the eighth of November. which think ⁓ like about ⁓ it's seventeen or eighteen weeks away. Like ⁓ there's of time for me to have a little bit of a a physical and mental break now and then roll into another pretty solid build for that. ⁓ And ⁓ yeah, roll into sprint season from there, because ⁓ You know, I I love a sprint distance race as much as I love a seventy point three. So ⁓ yeah, I'm excited for the end of the year, but enjoying the break now. Mardi: Yeah, definitely. And something that got announced in the last couple of weeks is the seventy point three World Championship race venue for twenty twenty seven, which will be in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the US. So races from basically now on, I think. Jaclyn: It would be from now in Melbourne, d ⁓ in Australia, definitely. So I think Sunny Coast and Port Mac would be the qualify a first couple of qualifying races for that. Mardi: Sunny coast. Yeah, they're the first few qualifying races. It's gonna be at the end of August next year. know some of our friends have started getting excited, started thinking about what races they might be able to do to qualify. ⁓ yeah, you're thinking ⁓ about it? ⁓ your vibes? Jaclyn: I actually probably haven't given too much thought to another world championship. So there's obviously a few factors to consider, but I definitely excited about it being back in the US. But yeah, TBC, watch your space. I'm not sure. Mardi: Yeah. Yeah, I feel like just like fresh off this race, it's like just thinking about races between now and the end of the year, let alone ⁓ let alone next year. But nonetheless, something to keep in mind. Jaclyn: Yeah. I'm probably actually also interested over the next couple of years with the recent Iron Man announcement overnight to the changes in in future seventy point three races, which maybe we can chat about towards the end. But I'll be interested to see where the races that were meant to be in Nice in twenty twenty eight and twenty thirty, where they might land. Mardi: Yeah, so I mean we could probably talk about it now. So a of background. ⁓ a couple of years ago they split the Kona Iron Man World Championships into for the full distance world championships into two ⁓ two separate days for men and women, ⁓ and then split that ⁓ Jaclyn: Yeah. Or the full distance world championships. Mardi: across Nice and Kona as an alternating venue each year. And it literally took about two or three years of doing that for them to realise like that's not really what the triathlon community want. They really love and see Kona as the ⁓ world championships and the race location for the full distance world championships every year. year there was a fantastic men's race in Nice which I think ⁓ of was a bit of a a bit of a dagger to the to the reprise back To Kona only. but Iron Man had had a contract with the city of Nice for five years ⁓ that world championships being held there. So from the outside, you can kind of guess that as part of negotiating out of that, now that they're racing back in Kona, men and women on one day, ⁓ to have the 70.3 world champs in ⁓ in 2026, 2028, was it and 2030 Jaclyn: Yeah. Mardi: Yeah, and then as overnight, ⁓ there's actually Iron Man Nice and Iron Man Seventy. This weekend have been cancelled by the local authorities because it's been a really extreme heat wave and there's a lot of pressure on health systems over there. ⁓ ⁓ a couple of hours of that announcement, Iron Man announced that the twenty twenty eight and twenty thirty seventy point three world champs won't be held in Nice. So there's a bit happening in that space. ⁓ think the Tennessee announcement felt pretty late. Jaclyn: Mm. Mardi: Given that the qualification period's just starting to open now, and people love to be able to plan ahead, particularly for those bigger international races. So it'd be really interesting to see what they can come up with for for twenty twenty eight seventy point three worlds. Jaclyn: Yeah. Yeah, watch your space. I think it'll be interesting to see and and maybe give us age group as a another destination to travel to. Mardi: Yeah, hundred percent. All right, shall we roll into our topic of the week, which is a big update on the pro world in triathlon. I think first is probably good to start with the World ⁓ Triton Championship series. Is that what WTCS stands for? Yeah, great. WTCS, we always call it, we always call it WTCS, and I never really think about it other than World Triathlon. So as we've talked about before, the Olympic cycle has started. So the Olympic qualification period for LA 2028, and that basically runs up to about, I think it's like March 2028. Jaclyn: Yes. ⁓ Yeah. Mardi: So we're pretty early in the cycle. ⁓ we had some pretty competitive racing from the defending world champs Matt Houser and then the defending Olympic champion Alex ⁓ and Beaugrant on the women's side. we talked about the race in Al Ghero a couple of episodes ago now, and was super competitive on the w on the women's side and equally so on the men's. two weeks ago there ⁓ an the first ⁓ WTCS sprint race ⁓ the season, which was Quiberon. unfortunately, due the crash ⁓ in previous race, Matthauser was not able to start on the men's side. so it was a pretty strong European feel to taking out the podium ⁓ that race. And on the women's side, Beaugrant backed up her win from Al Ghero with the win ⁓ as well. From Australia having Matt Hauser off the start list, Tay Noah was off the start list and a couple of others, ⁓ it opened up spots for a few first-timers ⁓ and a few Aussies to take to the start list, which is really cool to see. Luke ⁓ Schofield, I want say, who's a twin, whose twin brother also ⁓ is a pro triathlete. and I might just Jaclyn: ⁓ Mardi: So ⁓ in Coubaron, feel like we're butchering the name of the pronunciation, but it is French. ⁓ Jaclyn: Well, actually also on that, there was a a video that WTCS posted that was like ⁓ the that were racing pronouncing the name of the race and they also pronounced it like six different ways. So we are fine. Yeah. Mardi: We're off the hook. Yeah, amazing. So, as well as being the first sprint race of the season, it was the first mixed team relay event of the season. And Australia had ⁓ Aspen Anderson and Rochelle Hill on the ⁓ and Luke Schofield and Kelly McCluskey on the boys. Rochelle Hill is the under 23 reigning world champ. She won the world champs ⁓ in last which was really exciting race. ⁓ And yeah, it Luke Schofield ⁓ Think potentially Espin Anderson's first weekend, which was really exciting. ⁓ I think also what probably went most viral, other than the fact that they came fourth, was their entry to the race. So they announce each of the competitors in the start of the WTCS races. And for the mixed team, really, ⁓ a new little tradition has been for the teams to come out and do some kind of coordinated like dance move ⁓ or ⁓ pose or something like that when their team gets called out. ⁓ and the Aussies came out this is very Gen Z, came out with like a very well rehearsed TikTok dance. ⁓ Jaclyn: Definitely go and have a look at it. Like it was very good it on on Instagram or TikTok. Mardi: Yeah, so I know we came fourth off just off the podium, but I think we were definitely on the podium for moves. but yeah, what the mixed traton relay is ⁓ the third triathon ⁓ in ⁓ the outside the men's and women's race. So ⁓ it is always interesting to see what ⁓ the countries each Some countries just have the same athletes from the men's and women's race, do the mixed team relay. At the end of the weekend, others like save some athletes to be fresh for the mixed team relay. so that's gonna be a really interesting strategy to sort of see across the next couple of years. ⁓ Jaclyn: Yeah, and I think the thing to keep in mind is that with the Olympic qualification, qualify spots ⁓ opposed to say athletes qualifying spots. So the countries qualify spots while the athletes earn points, but ⁓ it's up to the country, countries either selection committee ⁓ decide who then is actually going to go ahead and represent the country. ⁓ for example, Australia might qualify two or three women's spots. And then the Australian committee would then basically select who of those people, women and men, would then go to the Olympics to compete for Australia. countries that qualify a mixed relay effectively secure like two men and two women's spots, ⁓ is why relay performances are really, really important. after the relay spots have been allocated, ⁓ places also then awarded through individual qualification ranking. so that's why it's still really important for athletes to be accumulating points throughout the whole qualification period. ⁓ which is why you'll s then start to see different people ⁓ turning up to races such as like people like Taylor Nib ⁓ yeah, to see sort of who's gonna end up racing. Mardi: Yeah. And it's also really interesting to see how different athletes like strategize this period because the qualification period comes so like the end of it comes so close to the actual games itself. So if you wanted to like peak in 2028, do you sort of have some of these like earlier races as sort of build to that in your sort of like B or C race type of thing and aim to peak? Add that as your A race or like We saw the crashes in ⁓ Algero, like anything can happen in race, you could miss those qualification points entirely if you DNF or you're unwell, whatever happens. So I don't know, it is risky and as much as it's like early in the season, some of these types of impacts can really affect things ⁓ closer to the games. ⁓ Jaclyn: I think it's so important for athletes to be like showing up on the start line as fit and as healthy as they can. But yeah, it's interesting to see how how much importance or how ⁓ they're showing up to those races ⁓ ⁓ maybe how they will be at the start of twenty twenty eight. Mardi: Totally. The other thing in the WTCS world, which got announced a couple of weeks ago now, is that Cassandra Beaugrant and Alex Yee, who are both the reigning Olympic champions, are announced to participate in the Diamond League Athletics ⁓ Monaco in a couple of weeks. Jaclyn: Interesting. Mardi: Interesting. Yeah. So Alex is gonna do the five K and Cassandra is gonna do the three K. But we were talking about this a few weeks ago about how like could they or would they qualify in athletics as well as Triathon? Jaclyn: Yeah, which I think is interesting. And like I'm probably less surprised by Alex Yi doing this, ⁓ as opposed to Cassandra Bogrand. Like I think like I'm not surprised now she's running so well, but it's interesting. But also, ⁓ Taylor Nip also the American Time Trial. Mardi: Mm. Mm. Jaclyn: championships on the bike as well. And we know that she qualified in the time trial for Paris. So it'll be interesting to see if she then tries to do both the cycling time trial and triathon as well. Mardi: Mm. Yeah, super interesting. So watch that space. the next WCTCS race is in Hamburg on the eleventh of July. which will have mixed team relay again, elite men's and women's the World Tri Paris race on that program as well. Jaclyn: For sure. Mardi: Alright, next on the menu is T one hundred. So I say this is a bit of a mid season review, but I don't know, like what are your vibes on T one hundred at the moment? Jaclyn: ⁓ I'm a bit off it, if I'm honest. I have like historically really, enjoyed watching these races. They're really palatable to watch. They're like typically three and a half, to four hour races. But ⁓ I'm finding this season really difficult to engage in. And I think it's probably something to do with the with the split men and women's races. ⁓ so far there's been two men's races and two women's races, which When those races are on, especially on the women's, like they're relatively interesting to watch. But I feel like, first of all, there is only one race to watch. which is meaning one race is a little bit boring, then you don't have another one to kind of back it up. ⁓ but also just time between the races is really long as well, and it's like I'm finding it really disengaging. Mardi: Yeah. Totally. And think because they don't have contracted athletes this year, there isn't as much continuity in the participants. So even like looking at the start list, there's names you just don't recognise. ⁓ and also names where it's like potentially their first T one hundred race either this year or overall. Yeah, ever. So it's like it's kind of a bit tricky to like get pumped about because chances are it's like a bit of a thrown together start list of athletes who ⁓ Jaclyn: Yeah. Yeah. Mardi: Either haven't raced that distance or haven't raced each other before because they're either coming down from the seventy point three or iron man distance or coming up from the WTCS distance and media in the middle. But yeah, I agree. It's just been like a little bit underwhelming. Jaclyn: Yeah. Which is what I'm actually on the flip side though, what I am enjoying is seeing some of these short course coming up and racing, ⁓ I guess, more of middle distance. ⁓ when I was chatting to Regan a couple of weeks ago, she said that ⁓ she finds that T100 is a lot closer ⁓ to Olympic distance racing it is to even say 70.3 or Iron Man. ⁓ So I think that For me, it's been really enjoyable. It's bringing some new athletes onto my radar who definitely were not on my radar. and it's also I'm I'm buying into the WTCS racing a little bit more. So it kind of does go both ways, I guess. But like the men's races, if Hayden Wilde's racing, it's ⁓ largely quite predictable. ⁓ women's has been little bit more interesting with no one athlete kind of dominating. ⁓ But I think that lack of continuity between who's turning our up to races and the start list being quite small, yeah, is losing me a bit. Yeah. Mardi: It's super jarring. Yeah, super jarring. And like probably a few things like on the women's side, like as you said, it being quite competitive in the race itself. The T one hundred Spain a month ago or so, the swim in that was like I've never seen a closer swim. even the commentators were saying that. Like there was a group of fourteen together swimming and they were just in like one long line. And you just don't see that that often in a race. Usually some strong swimmers will like break out the front. But as you said, 'cause you do have those WTCS athletes moving up, it can be quite tight, can be quite competitive. Jaclyn: it's changing the dynamics a little bit. And that's actually another ⁓ good point that Regan mentioned when I spoke to her the other week is that ⁓ was saying, like, ⁓ ⁓ Iron Man and even 70 point three racing, you know it's relatively predictable the way that the swim's gonna go. ⁓ in T one hundred and particularly say a race like Gold Coast where the swim was in the surf, ⁓ made it so much more interesting and so much less predictable because ⁓ were so many other factors at play than just who is the strongest swimmer here. Mardi: I think on the men's side, like Caden Wilde, ⁓ he out of the W ⁓ WTCS the week before ⁓ T100 Fran and was coming into T100 San Fran coming off the back of illness. So he was sick, he came third, and like the fact that he only didn't win the race probably because he was unlike had been unwell, it didn't make it exciting that someone had beaten ⁓ Jaclyn: He was sick, yeah. Mardi: him because it was pretty obvious coming into the race that he wasn't at his best. Jaclyn: And there was still no race there. Like it wasn't like it was it came down to a running race or anything like that. Mardi: Mm, totally. I did notice. So there's one athlete, Mika Newt, who came, I want to say he came second at Singapore. He's consistently podium and done very well at the T100 distance. He's quite a young athlete. He hasn't done a 70.3 for a couple of years. I want to say that he came maybe top three in 2023 at the 70.3 World Champs. I'd probably have to fact check that. But I did notice that he is on the start list for 70.3 Swansea. Jaclyn: ⁓ cool. Mardi: Which is interesting. I'm like, ⁓ hang on a minute. You were a very dedicated T one hundred athlete only and now you are dipping your toe in seventy point three again. So I'm wondering if he's a bit impatient with the T one hundred about it not having that many races. and when you're your fighting at your best, this is the middle of the season, like having months between races. Yeah, literally, like what are they supposed to do? ⁓ Like hang out. So ⁓ Jaclyn: Like the next men's race is in September. Mardi: Yeah, I think that that that adds a really interesting dynamic to it as well. Jaclyn: Yeah, fascinating. I'll be interested to see what they do next year to this. Like there's been ⁓ talk of like this kind of just being like a bit of a buy year. ⁓ And I wonder as if it's another contract negotiation thing where ⁓ they were they wanted change the structure of their race in but they're already locked into these contracts with ⁓ certain locations and things that that had to then kind of write out this contract. this year and the best way that they were able to kind of negotiate that was to have a separate men's and women's races. I'm really interested to see kind of how they come back from this next year. And I really hope that ⁓ this one hundred style of racing is not is not short lived, 'cause I think when it's good, it's really, really good. But when it's average, it's average. Mardi: Hm, totally agree. Totally agree. Jaclyn: On the women's side though, we haven't really had one particular athlete dominate. Nib won Gold Coast, and then Georgia Taylor Brown, who is typically a short course athlete, won Spain. there's other people who have been performing like in the mix, like Julie Duron, Imogen Simmons has had some really good races at both Gold Coast ⁓ and Spain. ⁓ And then Holly Lawrence as well. But ⁓ yet to see Kate War race. She was quite dominant last year. ⁓ so hopefully we see her back on a start line soon. Mardi: Hm, yeah, she was injured coming into Gold Coast, so she pulled out before the race. Yeah, you're right. Actually, she has not been around. It's been very quiet. Whereas like Georgia Taylor Brown has been doing really well at the WTCS race. So maybe she's yeah, sort of playing in both spaces at the moment. But again, you're gonna get the frequency of racing in WTCS that you are just not getting from T one hundred right now. So yeah. Jaclyn: Gold Coast, yeah. Mardi: It's their job at the end of the day, they've gotta work. Jaclyn: They've got to work, they've got to make money, but I think again, watch this space. So the next T one hundred race ⁓ for the women is in Vancouver in August and the men are racing in French Riv Riviera in September. So yeah, hopefully we can turn this show around. Mardi: Definitely. Interesting. I didn't realize the French Riviera race was in September. Because there's obviously the 70.3 world champs in Nice also in September. So I guess like it would be interesting to see who's on the start list for that. Whether you can do both like obviously you'd want to target the 70.3 worlds as like your key race if you are a competitive athlete. But what that looks like to take a bit of an extended trip to France, do you just use that fitness on either end of the race? Jaclyn: Yeah. Yeah. Mardi: Yeah, it'll be interesting. Jaclyn: It'll be interesting to see who shows up and I think it could be a kind of time where we see more athletes who are really leaning into that sort of short course into Tier 100 crossover as opposed to the other way. ⁓ Mardi: I do think like it could be for the men interested in going to Qatar for the World Champs, T one hundred at the end of the year. Like that's probably their last qualifying race, unless Dubai I can't remember if Dubies men or women in November, So like you might get athletes where that's like not their A race as the T one hundred French Riviera, but they want to get on a start line so that they can go to Qatar and have the chance to compete for the the really attractive prize pool. Jaclyn: Yeah, that was the other thing I was gonna say is potentially there's also athletes who have missed out on qualifying for any seventy point three. I know that ⁓ especially the last couple of weeks has been been talks about who and who doesn't have spots for seventy point three world champs. So I think ⁓ potentially it's an opportunity for those athletes to race who maybe didn't get spots. Mardi: Yeah, it'll be like the Audi version. Of the ⁓ 70.3 world. the Man and 70.3 racing, we've had a few weeks of racing. ⁓ there was Iron Man a couple of weeks ago, which was a women's only pro race. So ⁓ Jaclyn: ⁓ Yeah. Mardi: Sorve Glovseth took that one out only like by a little bit to Laura Phillip. Did you watch that race? Jaclyn: ⁓ I watch it. ⁓ Silvag was quite dominant on the bike. Mardi: Yeah, yeah, she was. I listened to she a podcast with Herring, the women's race pod, and ⁓ talked through the race that she was having there. And she was getting splits ⁓ on the bike. were telling her, like giving time splits, ⁓ and she just didn't know who it was from to. Like at first she thought that when there were people saying, like, that you've got four minutes that like four minutes to the people behind her and then realized I was like, no, I think it's to like someone in front. And then would be was trying to work out like who it was. And I think Laura Phillip was behind her or around her at that point. She said it was just very confusing and she started just yelling out to the people like, who too? Like, who is it to? ⁓ but I think quite broadly, like Solveg is the world champion at the Iron Man distance. She did ⁓ this race last year. You might recall that was her first Iron Man. You might recall her handlebar came loose or like of her T T bars was loose. ⁓ And ⁓ she just like totally powered through, qualified for Kona, And the world champion. ⁓ I think like she won that race ⁓ Kona. I'm not gonna say because Lucy Charles Barclay and Taylor Nibb DNF'd and came off the course. Like she obviously was very tactical and paced the race really well, managed herself in the conditions and came through for the win. But like coming into that Kona race, like she was not the favorite. She was not the name that people were talking about. She was probably seen as someone who had done an Iron Man, done really well, was someone who was potentially going to be a threat in the next couple of years, and then ended up becoming the world champion. So it's interesting this interview she did this week or last week, just like hearing her perspective on it now, because she's like, I never expected to become world champion, and especially not in my like second Iron Man race, Iron Man Distance, as someone who Come up through the World Triathon series and who'd been to the Olympics in 2024. So she said, like, all of this now just kind of feels like a bonus. Like everything since winning Krona has just felt like a bonus to her. Cause she's like, I've already achieved more than I thought possible in my professional Iron Man career. And I just thought that was really cool. Like, obviously amazing to be world chant, but just that perspective. Jaclyn: How good. That's that Yeah. Like it's so cool to to hear that perspective. And you know what? I actually feel like this is something that we hear a lot from female athletes in that they're always just like, ⁓ you know what, like I've achieved the the thing ⁓ or ⁓ like this is so cool that this is job. Like ⁓ I get to ⁓ I get to do this and anything else that I achieve outside of that is a bonus. ⁓ but also what I think is really cool about Solveg is that she's kept performing this year. I feel like we've also seen in the past people who have won world championship races or won really big races early in their professional career. And then ⁓ we kind of don't see or hear them for some time, or their performances the next year ⁓ I guess don't back up. Mardi: Mm. Mm. Jaclyn: from that. But with that kind of attitude, it's it's that same kind of thing we were talking about last week about our own races, like when you're having fun and you're enjoying what you're doing. Like everything is kind of a bonus, which I just think for someone who ⁓ as well as she does and shows up to race as like fit and ready to perform, ⁓ how cool. Mardi: Yeah. Yeah, totally. And you she has such a great perspective on all of that and she really enjoys she's Norwegian and trains with her friends who are Kristen Beer, Gustav Eden and Kasper Stornes, like the Norwegian heart train, like really dominant ⁓ group self coached athletes. But like to her they are her friends and like she has fun training when she was in Krona last year, like it was literally her and her boyfriend, like Jaclyn: Yeah. Mardi: In a rented Airbnb, like no no bells and whistles, no like team travelling with her or anything. Like she was just like one of us. and she's only twenty six. ⁓ improving at the rate she is. ⁓ just yeah, I'm excited to see what she does this season, but also just like over the next couple of years. Jaclyn: So cool. She's young. Hundred percent. Do you know, like I think that's also like reminds is a r good reminder that the these pro athletes like Sorve like such a big name in our sport. ⁓ like they're just like normal people like us and just like having out there having a crack. Mardi: Yeah. Totally, totally. You can start that again if you want to. Wanna talk about Cat Matthews? Yeah. Jaclyn: yeah. Yeah. one of my favorite people to talk about. so I think what has been really, really big for her is just how dominant she has been. she won Iron Man New Zealand. ⁓ She went on to win ⁓ seventy point three Geelong. ⁓ She started point three ⁓ sorry, Iron Man Texas, but had that massive gash. ⁓ in her tire ⁓ that led to her DNFing in the end, which is such a shame. But she showed up to 70.3 Elzanor last weekend and absolutely dominated that run. keeping in mind that she is also ⁓ ⁓ in a couple of weeks. so full distance ⁓ race. but we were all kind of watching and waiting to see what she would do in regards to the pro series. Obviously being difficult to fit in another full distance race ⁓ you've got Roth on the calendar ⁓ well. but last weekend ⁓ she and typically she would generally lose the lead group in a swim. ⁓ and she's an Uber biker, so she'd basically normally ride her way to the front. But ⁓ last she didn't make it to the front of the race. ⁓ And Mardi: Mm. Mm-hmm. Jaclyn: Started the run four minutes down, in seventh place. ⁓ then ran ⁓ fun. Mardi: Yeah, that was so f that was so fun to watch. Cause I feel like knowing that she was in that build to challenge Ross, ⁓ and not the bike that she normally would. ⁓ yeah, I was a like, ⁓ maybe she's about Yeah, I was like, maybe she's a bit out for the count on this one and like absolutely not. ⁓ Jaclyn: Basically a training race. Absolutely not. She went through and she ran like one sixteen, half and ⁓ passed women on the run. Mardi: Yeah, and there's videos on Instagram of her like running alongside and then passing like gapping some of the men in the men's race. Like she's just such a machine. ⁓ I also just Jaclyn: Yeah. Her running is just like next level. Like i it regardless, like even like off in an Ironman run, like she's running fast, like two forty two, two like two forty somethings a lot of the time. Mardi: Yeah, I think that's awesome. And I'm not one to comment on like body or body type, or body shape at ⁓ all. I think so it's something that Kat has commented on herself ⁓ around ⁓ not like she is a typical build of what we might call a fast runner in the sport. ⁓ and she has just consistently been able to deliver these really strong run performances ⁓ across both the 70.3 and the full distance. And I think it just continues to prove. And same with Solveg as well, like Triton is for everybody. Jaclyn: ⁓ a hundred percent. But I also like even even without that, both of them fuel really, really well. And I think that is also what allows them to be consistent, like race on race, year on year. Like we're talking like two or three years now for cats. She did have that calf injury a couple of years ago. But like really we're talking like the the t the crash in Texas, yeah. Like all of these things, like Mardi: And a crash, remember? That massive crash. Mm. Jaclyn: Th the fueling and maybe not like the body type that we're we would we're used to seeing in really fast runners, like I think this is just like an example that like it doesn't matter. Like those things aren't important, but fueling your body correctly and looking after yourself is what's most important. And I think the other thing with both of these athletes is they're just having fun. Like you could tell Kat was having a great time on that run. Mardi: Mm. Yeah, totally. And I love her Jaclyn: She made it back in time to watch her brother race. Mardi: I love that. Yeah. Her brother did the 70 point three as an age group bar and like there's this photo of her like basically marching from the podium to spectate her brother's finish and give him give him her his medal. Her I was gonna say her medal. She probably could give him her medal. But ⁓ yeah, I thought that was so wholesome. ⁓ and the other thing was like she I don't know if you saw, but like when she overtook Katrine Christensen, who was leading the race, she like gave a little compliment. Jaclyn: Yeah. Mardi: to her and I just think like God I love women's sport. Like we want everyone wants other people to be successful and just so much respect. Jaclyn: ⁓ Yeah, and like there's that, but also like say we were talking about like Jackie and ⁓ and Grace on the run in Texas where they were kinda like running together and like Jackie was helping Grace on that run. Like Grace hasn't done that many full Ironmans and like Grace has spoken with Jackie about like how how much help that's given her and like I think like it's so cool to see and it it goes to show that like If we're not doing that as age groupers, we probably need to be doing better. Mardi: Yeah, 100%. If they've got time to do it, we've got time to do it. ⁓ yeah, on the men's side, so Martin Van Riel, who I mentioned around the T100, he's been T100 World Champ, not end of last year, but the year before. ⁓ has been playing in the Iron Man and 70.3 space. He came fourth at the World Champs in Nice last year, the full distance. ⁓ actually now won six of the ⁓ ⁓ Jaclyn: Hundred percent. Mardi: seventy point threes that he's entered in the last sort of twelve, eighteen months, which I feel deserves more attention. Jaclyn: I agree. Mardi: Like we are talking about like race to race, like all different names taking out titles where he hasn't been on the start list, but when he has been, he's taken out the race. So I think it's just gonna be really interesting seeing him come into seventy point three worlds this year. I know he'd come off obviously the big build into Nice World Champs last year. So I don't know, did he do the seventy point three worlds last year? Jaclyn: ⁓ I couldn't tell you. Mardi: I don't know if he did, but I just feel like he could be one to watch this year. ⁓ he'll be going to Kona, he'll be going to Nice seventy point three worlds. ⁓ he's got a few pro series race points on the board. And if he does well in both seventy point three and the full world champs, like he could come could come close in the pro series. Jaclyn: Hmm, absolutely. Mardi: so with the Pro Series, ⁓ we are getting to the pointy end now because that will be declared after the Kona World Champs in October. There's only a couple of pro series races to go ⁓ and ⁓ They are 70.3 worlds in Nice and the full in Kona are going to be double points for those races. So things could really swing. On the men's side, Christian Bumenthal is in the lead. He's got about 14,000 points. He came sixth at New Zealand as a bit of a disappointing start to the season, but then has smashed three first places since two seventy point threes and an Iron Man. Like he is the man to beat as the pro series. Champion, but also for the world championships, I'd potentially say. Caspar Strawn has won the world champs last year in Nice. He hasn't has he done a w ⁓ I full Iron Man this year? Like, I don't even know. ⁓ Jaclyn: I don't think so. He he's on the start list for Frankfurt. Mardi: I don't know if he's done a full this year and if he has, he hasn't placed. Okay, so that's this weekend. So we'll see how he goes there. But I think it's just gonna be really interesting because KB has been so strong at those Iron Man distance races. I know Kona's a different beast, you've got to peek at the right time of the season. But he's got so much hype around him that I think he comes with that label. Jaclyn: Yeah. Yeah, I agree. After that we have Matt Hansen in second place. always like in the mix ⁓ little bit. Like he finished third in New Zealand, and eleventh ⁓ in Texas twelfth in Happy Valley, seventy point three. So ⁓ he's always kind of there. And I think it's important to note that the if you don't know the way the ⁓ points are calculated for the Iron Man Pro Series is for a full distance Iron Man it's five thousand points for the winner and for a 70 point three it's two thousand five hundred points ⁓ for the winner and then ⁓ points are then awarded to every athlete after until the points run out but every second that passes after the winner crosses the finish line, a point is deducted. ⁓ So ⁓ it's also difficult predict the amount of points. that someone is going to get. in the men's races, there's probably less dist less time between first place and place finishing versus in the women's racing, where there could be ⁓ much more time. So ⁓ there's men who maybe finish further back, say like Hanson, who are accumulating points when the races are close. Mardi: Yep, totally. And I think that will make these upcoming races so much more important for not losing time on that pro series standing. In third, there's Sam Long, one of our babes. ⁓ he's had a good season so far. He was a little bit dis probably pretty disappointed with fifteenth in Texas as the full Iron Man, second in Happy Valley. Jaclyn: ⁓ Mardi: who's had a pretty good season so far. He's naturally one who always does a lot of back-to-back racing. always quite intensive on his season, pro series or not. ⁓ Then Rudy Von Berg, another American, and Ben Knut. I really think that top five, as you said, such competitive racing in the men's. Like, that top five. Jaclyn: Mm. Mardi: Slash the whole top ten could move very rapidly in the next two races. Jaclyn: I agree. On the women's side, as we said, we've got Soveg Lovseth in first place. so she has won Iron Man Texas, Iron Man Hamburg, and second in Oceanside. ⁓ in second place is Kat Matthews. ⁓ so she won Iron as I said, one Iron Man New Zealand, 70.3 Geelong and Elsinore. But she's now down in Iron Man. So, in the overall pro series. So she's got probably 70.3 niece and corona ⁓ world champs to go. So it'll be interesting to see what happens in that kind of realm. But I think the interesting ones for the women are the next couple ⁓ down the list. Like Lottie Wilms is in second place. ⁓ and you and I spoke about this during the week. Like she probably also doesn't get the airtime that she deserves. ⁓ she doesn't seem to win races particularly often, but ⁓ she finished third in New Zealand, sixth in Hamburg and seventh in Ausanot. She's always kind of in the mix. Mardi: Yep, totally. And she is a particularly strong swim biker. I'm not actually sure she's done under a three hour marathon in a full before, but she is just really consistently out there on the swim and the bike. And so I think really has an has an impact in those races, has an impact on the dynamic. But as you say, like probably doesn't get the airtime or the sort of profile that some of the other athletes do. Jaclyn: Mm. Yeah. Further down the list we've got Finella Langridge in fourth. Again, another one who's just kind of in the mix. like in the mix with these races, showing up, racing well, finishing close enough to the first person, earning enough points. and I would say she's having a particularly great season after having surgery last year. then we've Hannah Berry ⁓ and Grace Tech ⁓ the list and then ⁓ I thought I'd just pop a special mention in there for Jackie Herring, she's in thirteenth. But I re but eraser, so like she could move up quite quickly as well. Mardi: Yeah. And Hannah did really well. Yeah, absolutely. And I know Hannah Berry did really well in the Iron Man pro series last year. She bagged some really great races, including Cairns, which was a good pro series podium. Grace is having such a good season. I think focusing on the 70.3 and Iron Man distances is suiting her really, really well this year. And definitely gonna be one to watch coming into both World Championships. It just makes it back into the season so exciting, like the pro series and the championship races. ⁓ How it all could pan out. Jaclyn: And I think this is where Iron Man is making up for what T one hundred has kind of lost me on. Like frequent racing, changes in the pro series standing, exciting racing, invested. I I want that ⁓ want season narrative from Iron Man that I'm not getting from T100 at the moment. there are some Pro Series races coming up ⁓ week. So Iron Man Frankfurt, ⁓ ⁓ to the heat wave over in Europe, the race has been shortened. So the swim is normal, sweat 3.8 K's. ⁓ The has been shortened to 125 Ks, ⁓ and run has been shortened to a half marathon, so 21.1 ⁓ K's. Mardi: percent. Mm. This is gonna make so this is just a men's pro race because Hamburg was just the women's pro race, both German races. think that's gonna change the dynamic a bit because it makes it strong for the swim bikers. There's less chance of the fast runners to kind of catch ⁓ through the run. On the start list is Caspar Stronner, as like we mentioned, Gustav Eden, s another member of the Norwegian Hype Train, ⁓ Magnus Stitlev ⁓ and Werf, the Australian, who also raced at Western Sydney. Jaclyn: For sure. Mardi: As well as Jamie Riddle, one of our faves, ⁓ who did bag his spot for Nice World Champs Denmark Jaclyn: ⁓ there's seventy men on the start list ⁓ for this ⁓ So much. And I'm to see How the changes in race distances change the dynamics. Mardi: This is a lot. Yeah, totally. I would Yeah, and I would like love to see Camworth do really well at this race. I know his swim form can be like either really good or really off the mark, but if he can have a really smashing bike, like the chance of him losing as much on the run is probably a little bit less with the shortened distances. So I think it'd be interesting. It's gonna change the dynamic. I also would say, like, probably like some of the other races we've had in Europe, like some of the 70.3s in France. Jaclyn: ⁓ Mardi: And in Denmark, there's a lot of names on the start list that we don't see on the world circuit that probably race exclusively in Europe, yet are very fit and very good. So I'll be really interested to like similar to to that seventy point three in France a few weeks ago, like just Cs of names are in the top ten that I do not n recognise and may not see at other races. Jaclyn: ⁓ for sure. We also then have ⁓ seventy point three Swansea coming up. the twelfth of July, so a couple of weeks away and we can cover that ⁓ closer. Mardi: we've got Frankfurt this week. ⁓ Next week is Challenge Roth, which is yeah, the full distance Iron Man that you mentioned. Jaclyn: Challenge Roth. Yeah. Mardi: We are going to have Grace Tech on the podcast in a couple of weeks. You if you follow Trathon, you will know that Grace did her first full distance at Challengeroth last year and finished on the podium, which was such an achievement. But there's so much to that race in terms of the culture, the history, the vibe, and we're really looking forward to watching that and also hearing about that from Grace and her experience there. I think Kat Matthews has been targeting this race for a really long time, and that has been Probably because she didn't finish Texas, it's probably impacting her chances in the pro series this year. But such an iconic race and definitely on the bucket list for all athletes to do. Laura Phillip was gonna be, who is a German athlete, was gonna be doing that race. She won the race last year. She's actually done an Instagram post this week that she won't be racing. that her health isn't a hundred percent perhaps coming off ⁓ Hamburg a few weeks ago. ⁓ ⁓ really a shame because like a cat and Laura battle. Would have been really, really cool to see at that race. Jaclyn: Yeah, for sure. There's also Caroline Pole and Vanella Langridge on the start list and a couple of Aussie girls, Chloe Hartnett and Jazz Brown. Mardi: Yeah, and Katie Redman as well. Yeah. Jaclyn: Katie Redmond as well. Yeah, absolutely. On the men's side, there's some pretty big names on the men's start list. Christian Blumenfeld, ⁓ Jonas Schoenberg, Rico Bogan, Frederick Funk, Patrick Lang, Christian Hoganhag. yeah. Quite a quite a few big names on this start. Sam Laidlaw. Mardi: ⁓ Sam and KB have had a lot of banter this race because both of them, ⁓ well K B hasn't done this race before, Sam won it last year. ⁓ and they're both just like really fun online commenting on each other's stuff. So there's some really, really good banter leading into this race. ⁓ yeah. Jaclyn: Yeah. Cool. Well, that is on the fifth of July. ⁓ this podcast will probably come out just before. ⁓ any predictions? Mardi: Or so there's there was talk I feel like with Laura and Kat on the women's start list about whether we could have women breaking the eight hour barrier at Challenge Roth this year. I think they came pretty close last year, but I don't know. It's so hard to predict whether it will happen or not. I feel like Kat is such a great independent racer that she doesn't necessarily need someone to push her along for her to have a good race, but I feel like that'll be really based around the conditions. Jaclyn: Yeah. Mardi: I'm interested in the men's race, ⁓ for this one I think. I think Kat is probably the favourite, like should be my pick for the for the win on the women's side, just because I'd say some of the other athletes probably aren't as competitive with her as they are with each other. Jaclyn: Mm. Mardi: But then on the men's side, like yeah, to have Sam, K B and a couple of those other names all in one race is pretty exciting. Jaclyn: Yeah, I agree. I think my pick would definitely be cat on the women's side. I I I wouldn't even try to pick something on the men's side. so we'll just have to wait and see how that one plays out. Mardi: Mm. Yeah, definitely. And then the next few weeks is gonna be seventy point three Boise, like Placid, Swansea, then a build to seventy point three worlds, Kona. I feel like we're at a really, really great like midpoint of the season, about to run into that really exciting back half, and there has never been a more exciting time to follow Pro Triathon. Jaclyn: I agree. I can't wait for the next few months and I'm super excited for Lake Placid. one of my favourites, Paula Finlay is lining up for her first IMM, but we will chat about that much closer to the date. Mardi: Mm, totally. And I am probably most excited about seventy point three worlds because I'll be there in person. They'll have the men's and women's races on two different days. So we'll be able to spectate not only our age group friends, but also the pros on the Sunday. Jaclyn: Amazing. Well, what have you got coming up this week? ⁓ are you starting your build to Nice? What does that look like? Mardi: Yeah, I feel like I I'm trying to like mentally slowly start the build to Nice, not sort of dive straight into it. I did like our group message for Nice on Monday, we were sort of going off a bit on Monday morning as like day one, like we've had the week off from Cannes. Today feels like day one and it did and it it very much does feel like the first week. But I think having pushed myself quite a bit in the last sort of twelve weeks with three races, I'm really just trying to like mentally not dive straight into that race specific mindset. and just really enjoy this training block. Jaclyn: some yeah you've got plenty of time lean into that a little bit yeah let's book let's aim for that this week ⁓ perfect all right well I think that is it for this week we will be back in your ears next week Mardi: Plenty of time. And I need to book my flights, so maybe I should do that. Let's start with that. Start with that. Yeah.