Massively in-form Canadian star Paula Findlay will headline a stacked Vancouver T100 women’s start list.
Findlay could not have started the year in better style – she claimed a hard-fought victory at IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside and then followed that with an emphatic success at 70.3 St George last weekend.
But she is just one of a series of huge names set to line up when the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) returns to Canada for the event on 14-15 June, including three of the top four in the world rankings – Taylor Knibb (USA), Julie Derron (SUI) and Ashleigh Gentle (AUS).
Home advantage
Gentle won the PTO’s inaugural race in Edmonton in 2022 over the 100km distance, before the T100 series began, when Findlay was runner up.
But Findlay is looking to go one better in front of her home fans.
She said: “I’m really excited that Vancouver has been added to the T100 Triathlon World Tour at a fantastic new venue.
“I absolutely love racing in Canada on home soil, which is the roots of where I started the sport as a young kid and gave me the support that has seen me race around the world.
“Competing against the best in the world as well as alongside all of the amateur athletes who can get involved in T100 weekends is the best way to grow the sport in Canada, and I can’t wait to see everyone there!”
And posting on her Instagram channel after her St. George success, Findlay added: “I don’t take for granted how much goes into performing consistently at this level, from being physically prepared, to being in a good headspace, to having perfectly working gear.”
Who else is racing?
Knibb will surely start favourite, despite her eclipse by Kat Matthews at IRONMAN Texas last time out.
For at middle-distance she has been pretty much unbeatable in recent years, including three successive 70.3 World Championships as well as the overall T100 title last year.
Derron though has given her plenty to think about since moving up from Olympic distance, while Gentle is looking to reclaim that T100 / PTO crown.
There will also be a formidable British challenge in Vancouver.
Kate Waugh made everyone sit up and take notice with a brilliant victory on her T100 bow in Singapore in April, where compatriot Lucy Charles-Barclay, the 2023 IRONMAN World Champion, was third. Joining them are Olympic gold medallist Jess Learmonth, India Lee and Lucy Byram in a five-strong raiding party.
Throw in former Olympic champion Flora Duffy (BER) and fellow short-course star Taylor Spivey (USA) and it’s clear this promises to be one of the races of the season.
The full list of contracted women racing – in their T100 Race To Qatar rankings order – is below, with wildcards to be added nearer the time.
- Kate Waugh (GBR)
- Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR)
- Taylor Spivey (USA)
- Ashleigh Gentle (AUS)
- Grace Thek (AUS)
- Julie Derron (SUI)
- Jess Learmonth (GBR)
- Flora Duffy (BER)
- India Lee (GBR)
- Lucy Byram (GBR)
- Ellie Salthouse (AUS)
- Laura Madsen (DEN)
- Paula Findlay (CAN)
- Taylor Knibb (USA)
