This is a preview of the SLT – click on the links to read about Cassandre Beaugrand’s race win and Kate Waugh’s title triumph in the women’s race as Leo Bergere and the Eagles swept the board in the men’s.
The 2023 Super League Triathlon Championship season concludes this coming Saturday with race four, the Grand Finale in Neom, Saudi Arabia.
And there’s absolutely everything to play for with four women and five men within touching distance of the coveted overall trophies, and a significant share of the $1.24m prize pot.
The team competition is also set for a grandstand finish, with the Sharks leading on 296 points but without the injured Beth Potter.
Eagles sit in second on 285 while the Scorpions are also within reach on 278.
Start time and watch live
Racing takes place on Saturday October 21, 2023.
The women’s Enduro starts at 1409 local time (1209 in the UK, 1309 CET, 0709 Eastern Standard Time, 0409 Pacific)
And the men’s Enduro begins at 1519 local time (1319 in the UK, 1419 CET, 0819 Eastern Standard Time, 0519 Pacific)
You can watch the race live via the official Super League Triathlon broadcast below. Eurosport also airs the action in Europe.
The format and venue
The format in Neom is Enduro. In simple terms, this is three back-to-back triathlons (all in swim-bike-run order), with no breaks in between.
Each stage will consist of a 300m swim (one lap), a 4km cycle (also one lap) and a 1.6km run (800m out, 800m back).
The 90-second rule is in play. So any athlete that falls 90 seconds or more off the leader’s pace at the end of any individual lap is shown the yellow elimination flag and is out of the race.
Short chutes are won for a team and awarded to an athlete during the race by their team manager. Short chutes are to be taken on the run in stage 3, with no team allowed to win more than one short chute.
Elite Women racing at SLT Neom
The one big absentee is the aforementioned Potter, which is a significant blow for her title-chasing Sharks team.
Although with Sophie Coldwell, second here last year, and Pontevedra runner-up Kate Waugh they have great strength in depth.
Jeanne Lehair leads the individual standings on 28 points with Emma Lombardi (27) and Waugh (26) in close order. Coldwell (24) needs a bit to go her way, but is certainly not out of it.
For Coldwell to take the Series win she would need to beat Lehair and Lombardi by two places and Waugh by one place.
Injury robbed Cassandre Beaugrand of a shot at the Series win with her absence in Toulouse costing her dearly, but she looks sure to have a huge impact.
She was a class apart last time out in Malibu and if she were to win again then the maths for the others changes. If she were to finish second then it gets very interesting because if Coldwell were to win then she would be champion.
Elite Men racing at SLT Neom
Leo Bergere (29 points), Jonny Brownlee (28), and Hayden Wilde (27), start as favourites – all knowing that a win will land the title.
Just behind them sat level on 25 points are Alex Yee and Henri Schoeman. The chances are they will not only have to win in NEOM but also finish three places ahead of Bergere and two places ahead of Brownlee and Wilde to get their hands on the trophy.
It should be a fascinating battle, with the three in pole position all excelling at the Enduro format – as does Yee who took the win when it was last used in London at the start of this Super League season.
SLT rankings going into Neom
Women
- 1. Jeanne Lehair (Eagles) – 28pts
- 2. Emma Lombardi (Eagles) – 27pts
- 3. Kate Waugh (Sharks) – 26pts
- 4. Beth Potter (Sharks) – 24pts
- 5. Sophie Coldwell (Sharks) – 24pts
Men
- 1. Leo Bergere (Eagles) – 29pts
- 2. Jonny Brownlee (Sharks) – 28pts
- 3. Hayden Wilde (Scorpions) – 27pts
- 4. Alex Yee (Sharks) – 26pts
- 5. Henri Schoeman (Scorpions) – 25pts
Teams
- 1. Sharks – 296pts
- 2. Eagles – 285pts
- 3. Scorpions – 278pts
- 4. Warriors – 185pts
