Having taken the plunge into middle-distance competition, Sam Dickinson is keen to see where he stacks up against the very best in the world of triathlon.
His debut season on the T100 Triathlon World Tour was certainly a steep learning curve for the 28-year-old Brit as he bounced into the 100km competition after achieving bronze medal success at the Paris Olympics, but with lessons learned, he is back again in 2026 and ready to test himself once again.
Dickinson started last year with four IRONMAN 70.3 races in Jesolo, Pays d’Aix, Sweden and Swansea, finishing fourth in all of them bar Sweden, where he was runner-up to German Fabian Kraft.
Podium finish on French Riviera debut
Moving across to T100 brought an immediate podium finish on the French Riviera as he finished third behind Hayden Wilde and Jelle Geens, before then securing a series of top ten places in Spain, Wollongong, Dubai and Qatar to finish the campaign eighth in the final 2025 rankings.
While pleased with his efforts, he knows there is more in the tank for him to improve on those performances as he heads into a new season in Singapore this weekend.
“I believe that my potential’s a bit higher than what I’ve been showing so far. If you want to be the best in the world, you’ve got to race the best in the world,” he said.
“I wanted to really find out where I was compared to those guys. I was like, ‘There’s no reason why I can’t be in the mix with these boys,’ and just go out there and see what happens.
“I learnt a lot last year – whether that was heat, nutrition, or execution. All of that knowledge I’ve put into my training, and now it’s about maximising it this season.”
‘It’s really not my forte…’
Singapore will mark Dickinson’s first appearance at the event, where the heat and humidity present a unique challenge even for seasoned athletes. Yet the Brit has leaned into preparation, focusing heavily on heat adaptation to ensure he arrives ready to compete.
“It’s not really my forte on paper being a pasty ginger,” he joked. “But I respond really well to heat prep. If I do that properly, I should not be disadvantaged on the start line.
“The best way to describe it is unpleasant. But you’ve got to respect the environment. You can’t push the same power or speeds, so it’s about understanding that, taking your medicine early, and hopefully finishing stronger.”
Despite the intensity of the challenge, Dickinson, who was part of the Team GB bronze medal-winning mixed relay quartet at the Paris Olympics alongside Alex Yee, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Beth Potter, remains focused on process over pressure.
‘Singapore is where we find out’
“The pressure has to come from within,” he said. “It’s about executing my race plan and being dialled into what I need to do.
“There are nerves – you don’t know who’s had a good winter or who’s going to set a new bar. But that’s exciting. Singapore is where we find out.”
More than 7,000 amateur participants of all ages and abilities are expected in Singapore this weekend, with the PTO announcing that, for the first time, Olympic (1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run) and Sprint (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) distance triathlons will be included with a new Youth Aquathlon (400m swim & 3km run for 14-18 year olds).
This will all take place alongside the returning 100km triathlon and the ‘Long’ (9km run, 64km bike, 9km run) and ‘Standard’ (6km run, 32km bike, 3km run) distance duathlons, and 5km Music Run.
- For our pre-race preview ahead of Singapore, click HERE.
- For more details on the Singapore weekend, visit HERE.
