>>> World Triathlon Series lands in Leeds

Nearly 4,000 entries have now been sold according to organisers, with more than half of them being Olympic distance spots. Just a small number of Sprint and Beginner distance entries remain.

World Triathlon Leeds will be held on 11-12 June 2016, and spectators can watch the action for free.

Olympic bronze medallist and Leeds native Jonny Brownlee has been involved in designing the course, which for the elite races will include as many as six city centre bike laps and four run laps.

“I want this event to be really special, and the way to achieve that is by lots of people coming out to watch,” said Jonny. “Anyone can enter and do the race on the same course. You will literally be running down the same finishing straight.”

Jonny Brownlee racing WTS London 2015

The course is set to feature multiple city-centre laps passing key parts of the city including Millennium Square, the Town Hall and Headrow, which will all be focal points for spectators.

World Triathlon Leeds will mark the last time that people can watch Britain’s top triathletes – including Jonny and elder brother Alistair – race on home soil before Rio 2016.

To bag one of the final spots at World Triathlon Leeds, head to http://leeds.triathlon.org.

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UPDATE 18/9/15: Due to harsh weather conditions expected on Friday, significant changes have been made to today’s schedule. See changes in full below. 

>>> World Triathlon Chicago 2015 preview: who’s racing?

220’s Liz Barrett arrived in the Windy City a few days ago and kicked off our on-the-ground coverage with the Aquathlon World Champs. She also attended the Parade of Nations:

Spot anyone you know? Parade of Nations #WTSChicago pic.twitter.com/AftacIhfcI

— 220Triathlon (@220Triathlon) September 16, 2015

So what’s in store? Here’s the full schedule….

Wednesday 16th September

Aquathon Men – 10am local time (4pm UK time). Start list.
Aquathon Women – 10:05am local time (4:05pm UK time). Start list.

Thursday 17th September

Under23 Men – 7am local time (1pm UK time). Start list.
Age group sprint – 10am local time (4pm UK time). Start list.
Junior Men – 4:30pm local time (10:30pm UK time). Start list.
Paratriathlon – 7am local time (1pm UK time). Start list.

Friday 18th September

Elite Paratriathlon – 7am local time (1pm UK time. Continues as originally planned)

Under 23 women – 11.30am local time (5.30pm UK time. Same time, please note the race will be a sprint with a deep water start). Start list.

Elite Women – 1pm local time (7pm UK time. Note time change, but original course). Start list.

Junior Women – 3.30pm local time (9.30pm UK time. Note time change, but original course). Start list.

The Age-Group Standard Distance World Championships bike/transition check-in has been cancelled for Friday. All age-group athletes will now check in their bikes on Saturday from 6-9:20am local time. 

Currently the schedule for packet pick-up has not changed and will still take place from 10am to 8pm local time. However, athletes are strongly advised to arrive early in the day to avoid any weather-related delays or cancellations.

Saturday 19th September

Age group standard – 10:10am local time (4.10pm UK time). Start list.
Elite Men – 5pm local time (11pm UK time). Start list.

Javier Gomez, Gwen Jorgensen and Mario Mola at 2015’s WTS Grand Final in Chicago

If you’re looking for TV coverage of the non-elite races and are based in the UK then it’s not good news – the BBC are only offering live coverage of the elite male and female races, on BBC Two. Same goes for the ITU’s online video service triathlonlive.tv. BT Sport subscribers can also watch the elite races live. 

We’ll be covering all the action live from Chicago over the next few days – keep an eye on the 220 website and our Twitter feed for all the latest news and results.

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>>> 2015 World Triathlon Chicago schedule – what’s happening, and when?

So here’s our rundown of the names and events to watch out for….

Under23 Preview

The men’s and women’s Under23 World Championship start lists are overflowing with talent that have already been making headlines amongst the elites this year. The U23 athletes will compete on the same standard distance course as the elites, with the men taking off on Thursday, while the women race on Friday in Chicago. 

Britain is putting a lot of talent into the field with Baku European Games winner Gordon Benson lining up next to Marc Austin. Wian Sullwald will be representing South Africa after winning the 2012 Junior World Championship title.

On the women’s side, expect France’s Audrey Merle to feature as she took bronze in the women’s Junior World Championship last year and gained valuable international experience at the elite level as a member of the gold medal winning Mixed Relay World Championship team earlier this year.

Junior preview

Our future Junior triathlon stars will feature on the first day of triathlon racing later today (Thursday 17th September), with the men and Friday with the women racing for glory over the sprint distance course 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run.

What makes the junior field a must-watch competition is the vast representation from across the globe that will be going head-to-head on the course. Countries that are showing an up-and-coming growth for the sport are bringing their best to vie for a title.

Paratriathlon preview

The world of paratriathlon has been more exciting than ever, with just under a year to go until the sport makes its debut in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games.

Competition has been high and some elites have shown this year that they will be the names to look out for as the countdown continues to next summer, in which men’s PT1,2,4 and women’s PT2,4,5 will show the planet what the sport is made of.

Bill Chaffey (AUS) also drives for five world titles in the men’s PT1 while Lauren Steadman (GBR) pushes to continue her undefeated season.

Elite Women’s preview

The women’s ITU World Championship title will be decided in a heated battle on Friday at the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Chicago with only 300 points separating the first two women – both Americans. Gwen Jorgensen (USA) returns to retain her reign as the world’s fastest female triathlete, and will do so in front of practically a home crowd as she hails from nearby Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

While she’s the heavy favourite, having gone undefeated in the last 11 WTS races, it’s her own compatriots that could stand in her way, as Katie Zaferes (USA) is her strongest competition at second in the Columbia Threadneedle Rankings with Sarah True (USA) third.

Javier Gomez, Gwen Jorgensen and Mario Mola

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Elite Men’s preview

The race for the men’s elite World Championship title is one of the closest to be contested since the start of the ITU World Triathlon Series, with only 530 points separating the top four men in the Columbia Threadneedle Rankings.  

The final race of the four-day Grand Final, Spaniards Javier Gomez Noya and Mario Mola will line up as the men to beat, followed by France’s Vincent Luis and South Africa’s Richard Murray on Saturday in Chicago. This week in Chicago, Gomez could become the first athlete to win five Olympic distance World Championship titles.  

Jonny Brownlee (GBR) is also back from injury and while he’s out of the World Championship contest, he could become the third male to win a Grand Final race after just his brother Alistair and Gomez.

(Images: Delly Carr / ITU)

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But the second day of competition started with a disappointing result for GB hopeful Gordon Benson, in the men’s U23 race. The 2015 European Games victor was in the lead quintet heading onto the final 10km, but couldn’t hang on as the pace kicked up, finishing fifth and affording the win to last year’s world junior silver medallist, Jacob Birtwhistle (AUS). Benson’s teammates Chris Perham and Marc Austin finished 26th and 33rd, respectively.

GB’s luck soon turned, though, as a field of 313 of the county’s best athletes over the 750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run race set off on the medal hunt. First to trouble the podium was M25-29 athlete and 2015 European AG champ Edward Castro, who dropped two places from last year’s Sprint Champs to finish in third.

The sole gold for the Team GB squad was afforded to Alan Bremner in the M55-59 category, whose previous best in this group was third at July’s European Champs.

The union flag was raised twice at the men’s 30-34 medal ceremony, with Benjamin Terry (fourth in yesterday’s Aquathlon AG Champs) mounting the step to take silver ahead of last year’s second-place finisher Paul Ryman.

Early results showed Lena Poulton in bronze position for F40-44 AG before a later refresh saw her bumped up to silver, which will go nicely with her bronze from the 2015 Europeans. Teammate and regular podium botherer Georgina Jennings joined her in her silver-medal winning ways in the 70-74 category with a time of 1:38:18.

Last to cross the line to take a medal home to the UK was recent 220 podcast profilee, Dafne Belt. More use to racing longer distances, the Kona finisher picked up bronze in a race she described as a “warm-up before Saturday’s race”, when she will be hoping to retain her Olympic-distance age-group title. [Dafne will be reporting from both events in the November issue of 220.]

At time of print, the Men’s Junior Champs were postponed due to a “fast approaching thunderstorm with high probability of lightning.” We will provide updates and race action as soon as it gets the green light.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s championship action, which, hopefully, will include the Paratriathlon, U23 Women’s, Junior Women’s and the Elite Women’s.

GB Sprint Medallists
Gold

Alan Bremner, M55-59          1:06:08

Silver

Benjamin Terry, M30-34       1:02:39

Elizabeth Bullivant, F35-39    1:07:16

Lena Poulton, F40-44 1:09:06

Georgina Jennings, F70-74     1:38:18

Bronze

Edward Castro, M25-29         1:01:10

Paul Ryman, M30-34 1:02:46

Christopher Owens, M60-64 1:13:07

Emma Fisher, F45-49 1:11:41

Daphne Belt, F75-79  2:09:00

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(Photo credit: David Pearce)

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Once let loose, the 65-strong field of junior men ran together for almost the entirety of the first lap of the two-lap, 5km run. Hitting T1, 24 men were separated by just 5secs.

With slippy conditions for the 20km, four-lap bike leg, the strongest cyclists prevailed, whittling down those 24 to just 14 at the start of the final 2.5km run.

But at the tape it was Brazil’s Manoel Messias who clocked his biggest win of his short career to date, jumping five places from his sixth-place finish at the 2014 Junior Worlds in Edmonton to win with a time of 51:50mins. In a sprint for the line, Messias just pipped Germany’s Peer Sönksen by 1sec, before France’s Léo Bergere followed them in 10secs later.

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Last issue’s cover star and 2014 Youth Olympic Champ Ben Dijkstra (GB) had raced with the leaders throughout, but losing time on the final run he crossed the line for eventual eighth with a time of 52:20mins. Talking with 220 at the line, he commented:

“It was such a tough race. I just tried to stay safe on the bike, especially after that first run it was a decent pace. But it just didn’t quite happen in the end and credit to the guys who won, they had a great race. I just didn’t quite have it in the last 2.5km and I just had to work my way to the end. It wasn’t a perfect race but I’m pleased with my performance, being a first world junior, and we’ll see where it goes from now.”

Teammates George Goodwin and Jimmy Kershaw finished 20th and 58th, respectively.

For a full list of results from the ITU World Junior Men’s Champs head to: http://www.triathlon.org/results/result/2015_itu_world_triathlon_grand_final_chicago/272184

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Photo credit: David Pearce

>>> 2015 World Triathlon Chicago: what’s happening, when?

But much like the storm clouds heading in our direction, as we catch a brief chat between BBC filming commitments and swim practice, the 2015 season has been somewhat turbulent for the 2012 ITU World Champion.

“Turbulent’s a good way of describing it actually. I had a slow start to the year in Abu Dhabi, one of the best races of my life in Auckland. I really shouldn’t have won that race. And then the puncture in London [where Jonny would finish 42nd]. And I think I really could have taken it to [winner] Alistair there.”

With injury grounding all the top GB contenders, both male and female, at various points throughout this season, it was Jonny’s turn in August when a hairline fracture in his femur reared its badly-timed head, curtailing his chance to tick off part one of the two-part GB Olympic qualification process at the Rio Test Event. He must have been climbing the walls… 

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“I wasn’t too bad actually. When I know exactly what I need to do I’m pretty good at sticking to it. And it meant I got to do loads of things I wouldn’t usually do – I went to watch Wimbledon, saw Leeds Rhinos, visited my parents in Spain, played FIFA Manager and Call of Duty…”

On the flip side, this enforced mid-season break has meant he’s now seriously short on run volume. “These guys [racing this weekend] have probably done more in the last week than I have in the last few months,” he admits.

So Brownlee fans, brace yourselves. If you’re expecting a resplendent comeback of the kind more frequently demonstrated by the more injury-prone of the two brothers, Alistair, then you could be sadly disappointed come Saturday. Expectations are low for the forthcoming Grand Final race. Currently 13th in the rankings, and with Alistair out following ankle surgery, the world title will not be returning to Yorkshire in 2015.

Then again, we could have just witnessed the best poker face ever played. But knowing Jonny he’s nothing if not self-deprecatingly honest. “You know how much I like to plan, and I’m always prepared for races. But for this one, I just don’t know how it will go.”

He’s also decided the race, and therefore the title, is reigning champ Javier Gomez’s. “I’ll help him get it with a swim-bike break if I can.”

Even if he doesn’t mount the podium this weekend, it’s still grand to have him back.  

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To find out how he gets on follow us live on Twitter, and for full race feedback and interviews head straight here to the 220 website post race. The race starts at 5pm local time, 11pm UK time.

PT4 GB athlete Lauren Steadman hasn’t lost a race since May 2014, and having won the Olympic test event in August the reigning world champ went in to the final with a sizeable target on her back. Never one to play it safe, however, Steadman pushed hard to guarantee her 10th consecutive win.

“That was probably my toughest race yet, said Steadman. “Obviously the standard has risen a lot since last year. I didn’t have the best swim, on the bike I was holding, I wasn’t getting further away and then my head coach and my father said ‘look, you’ve got to have the best 5k of your life.’ [US National Paratri champion and eventual silver medallist] Grace Norman is a track runner and has the ability to outrun me easily. I just focused on my form and it took me home.

“This is a stepping stone for next year and again I’ve got to up my game 10 times as much because next year they’re going to come at me twice as hard.”

Second at last year’s champs and third in the Rio test event, Faye McClelland followed Steadman through in fourth place.

“I’m a bit gutted about that but I’ve got to be pleased because I’ve had a bit of an up-and-down season with injury and niggles,” said McClelland. “But I had a solid race. The swim I was on my own so I didn’t have anyone’s feet to catch and I knew I was playing catch-up. I went out to go as hard as possible on the bike but I started fatiguing on the second lap. I kept pushing and I was pleased it was consistent. Then the run has been causing me issues for some months but all in all my run was fine and I was making some ground on third place, but it just wasn’t enough. It’s great points for next year but I’m disappointed to not medal for the first time.”

Relative newcomer to the sport, PT2 athlete Ryan Taylor has been slowly making his way up the top 10 since his first ITU race last May. With a win at the Detroit Paratri event in August, the Worlds were always going to be a tougher challenge for the 22-year-old. But running through the line for bronze, Taylor had a grin as wide as the 46sec gap to fourth place: “I had a decent swim, fell off on the first corner on the bike, so basically I was on catch-up on the bike to get back to the group. But I know my run isn’t the strongest so I just ran into third. I’m really happy, really happy! Such a great result for me. Even with a mistake on the bike I now know I can run through the field.”

Teammate and fellow PT2er Andy Lewis crossed the line in a disappointing 10th, having done one too many laps of the bike leg.

“I was third on the bike and then I just stupidly did an extra lap,” he lamented. “I made up another three or four places on the run, but still, to come to a world champs and mess it up… but it’s a learning curve. I was having a really good race up until then.”

Reigning PT5 champ Alison Patrick and guide Hazel Smith faced new competitors in the shape of Aussies Katie Kelly and guide Michellie Jones. Yes, that Michellie Jones, former ITU and Ironman world champion and Olympian. But crossing the line in second, Patrick and Smith couldn’t have been more pleased:

“We had a really hard swim and a solid bike, taking the first lap a little cautiously cause it was wet,” said a Patrick post-race. “We were in the lead going into the bike but they [Kelly and Jones] caught us up, and then we were just catching on the run. But we’re actually really excited because that gives us something to drive for for next year. I’ve not been pushed on the run this year, this is the first race and it’s exciting. It just means that next year we’re going to have to be better.”

Teammate and reigning silver medallists Melissa Reid and her guide Nicole Walters had a day to forget following a puncture during the bike leg. But they still managed a top-10 finish with a sixth place.

“It was at the furthest point from the wheel stop possible!” said Reid. “We were second at that point, going really well. But there’s nothing you can do and you just stick back in as soon as you can. At least it happened today and not next year [in Rio]. It’s disappointing but there are plenty of positives to be taken from today.”

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George Peasgood (PT4) was in fine shape at the end of the bike leg, exiting T2 in fourth place. But with the run his biggest weakness, he was soon chased down before finishing in ninth place, two places behind teammate David Hill, who was racing only his second event of the year due to injury.

“This whole experience has been an absolute bonus this year,” admitted Hill at the line. “I was ready to put my head down and begin a very tough 12 months’ training in the lead-up to Rio. I was really hoping to be in the top 10 today, so a really solid performance. I executed my race plan pretty much to perfection and then just really hunted people down on that run.”

“Straight away it was hard, a straight point-to-point swim, and then on the bike I just tried to hold it in there,” said Peasgood at the finish. “Then as soon as I got to the run it just wasn’t quite my day again. For me, it’s been really challenging this year, but overall I think it’s been a really good season.”

The last wave to come through was PT1. Phil Hogg was the first Brit male over the line in sixth, followed by Joe Townsend in seventh.

“Tough race,” said Hogg at the line. “I had to put some demons to bed after my poor performance in Rio [Phil had been ill in the lead-up and had to seek medial attention at the end of the race, but still finished sixth]. But all my race processes went really well. I’m happy with my performance, but I know I couldn’t have gone any harder. The swim was just amazing. The bike was strong and the run took a lap to get into it, just cause I’d gone so hard on the bike. But I’m pretty happy.”

Lizzie Tench, racing in PT1, took the team’s final medal of the day with a bronze. A regular podium visitor in the wheelchair category, Tench sadly won’t be attending the Games as women’s PT1 isn’t featuring. For the women, Rio will host PT2, PT4 and PT5, and for the men it’s PT1, PT2 and PT4. 

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For a full list of 2015 Worlds times and finishing positions, head to www.triathlon.org/results/event/2015_itu_world_triathlon_grand_final_chicago

The crowd was no doubt hoping for a US 1-2-3 with athletes Katie Zaferes and Sarah True ranked second and third heading into the final event. But GB’s Non Stanford and Vicky Holland had other ideas, sticking with Jorgensen for the majority of the 10k run, before crossing the line for silver and bronze and bagging their slots for Rio in the process.

THE RACE

A 74-strong field lined up at the start of the 2015 WTS Women’s Grand Final in Chicago, where medals, titles and Olympic qualification slots were on offer.

Local attention was unsurprisingly on the trio of American women leading the 2015 rankings at the start of final event of the 10-race Series. Unbeaten over 13 consecutive races, it was Jorgensen’s race to lose. But with double points on offer, the title could still be claimed by teammates Zaferes and True. With Gorgensen and True having already booked their Olympic seat in Rio, Zaferes had to finish in the top seven to claim the final US women’s birth.

Out to spoil their and the crowd’s day were GB’s Non Stanford and Vicky Holland, fresh from a respective silver-bronze sweep at the Rio Test Event in August. With the GB Olympic qualification process requiring two podiums in both Rio and Chicago, their focus was clear.

As befits a Grand Final, all five were on form in and out of the 1.5km swim. With Zaferes stopping the clock at 17:50mins, her heels were the ones being hotted on, as she led in a group of approx. 12 women. While Stanford was a little slower out of T1, she quickly caught the lead pack and played her part in guiding the group of 22 around the streets of the drizzly city. By the end of lap four of nine, the group had swelled to 29, and included two more Brits – a lady with a point to prove, Helen Jenkins, having pulled out in Rio after being knocked unconscious in the swim, and Commonwealth gold medallist Jodie Stimpson, who suffered from an Achilles injury earlier in the year and was also on a mission to impress the Olympic selectors.

Midway on the bike, the chase group of 18 was 35secs down on the leaders. A small group of five were a further 34secs back before a third group were bringing up the rear over 2mins down on the front pack. British newbie to the WTS this year India Lee was mixing it in this final group which also contained London Olympic bronze medallist Erin Densham.

Stanford had a brief wobble on one corner during the fifth lap, but her months of training in the Yorkshire hills with bike-handling specialists the Brownlees, meant she quickly righted herself.

Little changed over the 40km bike, with the gap remaining consistent between the leaders and first chase group at around 50secs.

Straight out of T2 and it was a re-run of the Rio Test Event, with Stanford and Holland setting the initial pace, before slowly but precisely being joined by Jorgensen. The trio ran together over the first three laps of four before Jorgensen eventually made her move on the final lap, clocking a 32:43 10k split to cross the line as race and title winner. But it wasn’t as easy as it looked…

“The first lap of the swim, I got out and go ‘oh no, this is not the way I wanted to start.’ I felt I was too far back,” she admitted. “On the bike I just couldn’t maintain a good position, and on the run I just didn’t feel amazing. ”

Stanford followed in 29secs later for silver, before welcoming teammate Holland for bronze a further 15secs back.

“Maybe this was a reflection that the three of us are really strong at the minute when it comes down to the run,” said Stanford post-race. “It was a hard race, I found the swim long. I worked my arse off to get back up to the front bike pack. Vicky said that when I rolled up I tried to get straight to the front and she could hear how hard I was breathing. But as the race went on I came into myself a bit. I think I’m still recovering from Edmonton a few weeks ago, the conditions were really hard there. But I’ve done it, I’ve qualified for the Olympics! I can take a massive sigh of relief now. Go on holiday!”

“That was Rio part two,” said Holland at the line. “That was what we came here to do. I don’t want to sound defeatist but realistically I came here to get on the podium. This is absolutely what this whole year has been about. I’m just delighted that it’s now done. Box ticked.

“We knew Gwen would break like that today. The only thing that was in the back of mind was with over 120 corners and dead turns if you haven’t prepared really well you are really going to feel that drain in the legs. That said, it was an unlikely scenario with Gwen. I was doing okay with Non setting the pace and then when Gwen went I knew it was going to be a long last 2k. We had no response. But we’ve got a year to work on it!”

True, who ran on her own for most of the 10k, bridging the gap between the lead trio and a chasing trio of Andrea Hewitt (NZL), Stimpson and Rachel Klamer (NED), came in for seventh.

Having had a phenomenal season to date, Zaferes soon dropped through the field at the start of the run, eventually finishing 24th and fifth overall. Her result also helped propel Andrea Hewitt, fourth at the line, into silver-medal winning position in the overall Series, while True remained in third.

Stimpson broke into the top 10 with sixth, while Jenkins just missed out in 11th. 

For full results head to http://www.triathlon.org/results/result/2015_itu_world_triathlon_grand_final_chicago/272182

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PHOTO CREDIT: David Pearce

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For 2013 ITU World Champion Stanford, who finished in silver position at both qualification events, Rio will be her first Olympic Games. Having missed the entire 2014 season due to injury, Stanford has visited the podium three times in 2015, all three behind Gwen and all three with teammate and housemate Holland.

“This race [Chicago] was a reflection that the three of us are really strong at the minute when it comes down to the run,” said Stanford post-race. “Gwen’s kick was phenomenal today. I was sort of waiting for it. If I’m honest, it sounds defeatist but I was racing Andrea [Hewitt] who was in fourth. It was only on the last lap that I allowed myself to think we’re safe. I had one fleeting thought where I realized I might be going to the Olympics, but I knew I couldn’t think about that until I actually crossed the line.”

For Holland this will be her second Games, having raced in London alongside Lucy Hall to help an unbeknown-at-the-time injured Helen Jenkins to the podium. Jenkins managed fifth, Britain’s highest female Olympic finishing position to date. In Rio, based purely on their current form, both girls should be racing for themselves. But having gone through one Olympic process already, what did the two-time WTS winner make of this year’s selection policy?

“Initially, it was a ‘okay, this one’s going to be stiff’, but it was stiff for a reason,” Holland told 220. “It was set hard but two athletes have done it [Jonny and Alistair Brownlee], that’s a testament to the nation that we are and how strong we are. You don’t want to set a soft criteria and have one of your best athletes to have an off day and get someone else in there. You want the criteria to be set so high that you have to be one of the very best in the world to be going to the Olympic Games. And you want to be qualified knowing that you’re then in with a shot of a medal, and I think that’s reasonable and that’s what both myself and Non have now done.”

Despite being blighted by the GB injury curse at the very start of the year, forcing a five-month break from running, Commonwealth bronze medallist Holland has had one of her most consistent seasons to date.

“To get two wins out of the world series is something I wouldn’t have dreamed I’d get this year, ” said Holland. “The consistency I’ve had with every race on the podium, bar London which was fifth, I couldn’t have really asked for anything more this year. But the two races that mattered were Rio and here [Chicago]. This is absolutely what this whole year has been about. I’m just delighted that it’s now done. Box ticked.”

In the two most important races this year, the podium has been filled by Holland, Stanford and one Gwen Jorgensen, who yesterday retained her world title and clocked her 12th consecutive WTS win. Racing until the final run lap as a trio at both events, it’s that final 2k that, at present, is ensuring gold for Team USA.

“We had no response to her run,” admitted Holland. “But we’ve got a year to work on it without, hopefully, injury problems. And maybe that’s going to be something that’s going to help both me and Non make a difference and start bringing that gap down bit by bit into the next year.”

The final GB women’s Olympic spot is yet to filled, with neither Jodie Stimpson nor Helen Jenkins (10th and DNF in Rio; 6th and 11th in Chicago, respectively) having met the initial selection criteria. Who fills that third spot will now be based on performances at the Rio Test Event, Chicago and a 2016 Assessment Race (to be confirmed within 14 days of the ITU publishing the 2016 WTS race calendar).  

No GB man has met, or will meet, the Automatic Qualification criteria, so team selection will again be based on performances at the above three events and previous Games results. The men’s 2015 WTS Grand Final starts at 5pm local time (11pm UK time) today. Tune into Twitter for live updates, photos and video. 

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PHOTO CREDIT: triathlon.org/Delly Carr

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