The WTCS season will once again get underway in Abu Dhabi this year, as the Yas Marina circuit hosts the first test of the season on March 8-9.
On the women’s side, the field is stacked, with reigning world champion Beth Potter taking on some top names, including a few surprise starters.
Whilst the start list is always subject to change, with athletes dropping off and rolling on in the weeks leading up to the race, we take a look at who is currently set to compete in the UAE.
Big names get season underway
Having already been confirmed as a member of the British Olympic Team for Paris this summer, Potter will have the freedom to pick and choose her races leading up to the Olympic Games.
However, for her teammates looking to secure a spot on the squad, planning their race schedules may prove to be trickier. Despite this, three of the top contenders have chosen to race in Abu Dhabi.
Lining up alongside Potter from Great Britain will be WTCS winners Georgia Taylor-Brown and Sophie Coldwell, plus last year’s Super League Triathlon Championship Series winner Kate Waugh.
This quartet all have the ability to wind up on the podium next month but will face stiff competition from a number of top athletes, especially from the ranks of the French and German teams.
French star Cassandre Beaugrand is along with Potter one of the favourites to win this summer in Paris, with her compatriot Emma Lombardi also emerging as a real medal contender over the past couple of seasons.
![Cassandre Beaugrand podium Paris Test Event 2023 [Photo credit: World Triathlon / Wagner Araujo]](https://www.tri247.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Cassandre-Beaugrand-podium-Paris-Test-Event-2023.jpg)
From the German team, Test Event podium finisher Laura Lindemann can never be counted out, whilst her teammates Annika Koch, Nina Eim, Lisa Tertsch and Marlene Gomez-Goggel are all remarkably ranked in the Olympic Rankings Top 30.
Taylor Knibb leads American threat
From across the Atlantic, Team USA will be bringing the heat in Abu Dhabi, with five established stars looking to secure their spot on the Olympic team alongside two-time IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion Taylor Knibb.
Knibb, who will be racing her first short course event since August 2023, leads the way in a talented team that also includes Olympic gold medalist Gwen Jorgensen and WTCS star Taylor Spivey.
In the absence of Olympic medalist Katie Zaferes, Kirsten Kasper and Summer Rappaport will also look to impress as each member of the team aside from Knibb seek to improve their ranking ahead of WTCS Yokohama.
Outside of the fearsome American team, podium contenders come from the likes of veteran Dutch athlete Rachel Klamer and her teammate Maya Kingma, with WTCS medalist Rosa Maria Tapia Vidal of Mexico another strong name on the start list.
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