The final major race before the Paris Olympic Games takes place this weekend at WTCS Hamburg, with athletes set to battle it out over the sprint distance in the iconic German city.
Australian Luke Willian and French rising star Emma Lombardi are the top seeded athletes, with a whole host of other big names also lining up to test themselves ahead of the Olympics.
The race will also feature the Mixed Team Relay World Championship on Sunday, with Great Britain, Germany and the United States just some of the major nations set to go head-to-head.
In our preview piece below, you can find all the information you need on start times, how to watch the races live and who to keep an eye on in the elite men and women’s races.
Start time and how to watch live
The individual races at WTCS Hamburg will take place on Saturday July 13, with the men kicking things off at 13:50 local time. This corresponds to 12:50 UK, 07:50 on the East Coast and 04:50 on the West Coast.
Just over two hours later, the women will race at 15:55 local time. This corresponds to 14:55 UK, 09:55 on the East Coast and 06:55 on the West Coast.
On Sunday July 14, the MTR will begin at 15:00 local time. This corresponds to 14:00 in the UK, 09:00 on the East Coast and 06:00 on the West Coast.
All the action will be available to watch live via BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website, the BBC Sport mobile app and the Red Button in the UK or on Triathlonlive.tv in the rest of the world.
Elite Women
One of the favourites for a medal in Paris, Lombardi will be looking for a second WTCS podium of the season in Hamburg, having finished third behind her compatriot Leonie Periault and American Taylor Knibb at WTCS Yokohama in May.
The 22-year-old also finished fourth at WTCS Cagliari, and as a result currently leads the WTCS rankings for 2024. With three WTCS podiums to her name, the Chambery pro will be chasing a maiden win on Saturday.
Another Paris medal favourite is Beth Potter, the reigning world champion, who is joining Olympic teammate Kate Waugh on the start line in Hamburg, after Great Britain announced their squad for the Games last month.
The pair, who finished 1-2 at the WTCS Finals in Pontevedra last season, finished third and 10th respectively last time out in Cagliari, and will look to feature prominently in their final tuneup race for the big dance.
Other Paris contenders toeing the start line include French favourite Cassandre Beaugrand, the winner in Cagliari, plus home favourite Lisa Tertsch, who finished second behind Beaugrand in Italy after a thrilling sprint finish down the blue carpet.
American trio Katie Zaferes, Gwen Jorgensen and Summer Rappaport, who all missed out on making the Team USA Olympic squad, will be lining up in Hamburg, with Zaferes and Jorgensen recently named as alternates for Paris.
Elite Men
After picking up the first WTCS podium of his career in Yokohama to clinch Olympic selection in style, Willian wears #1 ahead of two-time world champion Vincent Luis, who will race for the first time since missing out on the French Olympic team.
Willian’s fellow Australian Matt Hauser, talked about as a dark horse for a medal in Paris, is another athlete on the start line who will be vying for a podium after finishing second ahead of Willian in Japan two months ago.
Morgan Pearson, the man who beat both Willian and Hauser to the tape in Yokohama, had a disappointing showing in Cagliari, finishing in 40th, but will be one of the favourites for the win over the sprint distance in Hamburg.
The American, who along with Hauser is considered an outside medal contender for the Olympic Games, will likely find himself in a battle for the fastest run split with leading British contender Hugo Milner, who races his third WTCS event of the season.
Frenchman Pierre Le Corre, Jelle Geens of Belgium and Portugal’s Vasco Vilaca are all former WTCS medalists who can contend for the podium in Hamburg, and will all feature later this month on the biggest stage in the French capital.
Finally, keep an eye out for Max Studer, who will be racing his first major triathlon event of the season in Hamburg, having spent most of the season so far focusing on his running. The Swiss star, who recently ran 13:25 for 5km, is also set to compete in Paris.
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