This is a preview – click on the names to read about thrilling victories for Matt Hauser and Tilda Månsson.

It’s one of the most celebrated venues on the WTCS circuit and Yokohama takes centre stage once again this weekend.

This race has often heralded the start of an Olympic qualifying cycle but the window doesn’t open this year until just after.

And that must be a factor in plenty of athletes electing not to make the trip this time – but we’ve still got a host of star names including the return of Olympic champion Alex Yee (GBR) and reigning WTCS champ Matt Hauser (AUS) on the men’s side.

While the women’s field is topped by Beth Potter (GBR), who landed the WTCS season-opener in Samarkand in great style last month. Up against her is compatriot Kate Waugh who enjoyed such a stellar year in the T100 in 2025.

The events take place in the regular venue of Yamashita Park, with the elite women and men both racing over the Olympic distance on Saturday May 16 2026.

In our preview below, you can find all the information you need on start times, how to watch live and a rundown of the leading athletes.

Start time, how to watch live and course

The women will race first in Yokohama, with the gun going off at 10:15 local time. This corresponds to 02:15 in the UK, 21:15 on the East Coast and 18:15 on the West Coast (those last two are Friday May 16).

For the men, the race will begin at 13:00 local time. This corresponds to 05:00 in the UK, 00:00 on the East Coast and 21:00 on the West Coast on Friday.

All the action will be available to watch live via Triathlonlive.tv

Athletes will complete two laps of 750m for the 1500m swim in the Port of Yokohama near the International Passenger Terminal, before heading out on the bike for what this year will be 10 laps of 4km. And they will finish with a 10km run consisting of four laps of 2.5km – and this is a race that often boils down to a run battle.

In Yokohama, both the bike and the run take in the beauty of Yamashita Park, with the bike course also passing monuments such as the Akarenga Soko and Kanagawa Prefectural Government Office.

The forecast is for a dry and sunny day (it was torrential rain last year), with the temperatures nudging 25 degrees Celsius.

WTCS Yokohama – Elite Women

There have been a few changes since the initial start list was published and the most significant of those is the fact that American star Taylor Knibb doesn’t make her short course return here – that will now come at WTCS Alghero later in the month.

Wearing bib #1 will be Britain’s Beth Potter who started the season in such impressive style with her victory at WTCS Samarkand when she outkicked Leonie Periault after a terrific run battle.

Jeanne Lehair (LUX) was third in that race and has fond memories of Yokohama as this was the scene of her first WTCS triumph 12 months ago, with Potter in second place and eventual world champion Lisa Tertsch (GER) in third.

In fact the first six from last year all return – with Gwen Jorgensen (USA), Annika Koch (GER) and Diana Isakova (AIN) the others in question.

Jorgensen, the 2016 Olympic champion who turned 40 last month, is a multiple Yokohama winner, the first of those successes coming back in 2013.

Heavy rain made it a tough day on the bike here in 2025, with reigning Olympic champion Cassandre Beaugrand crashing out and she doesn’t make a return trip, with Emma Lombardi the only French athlete in the women’s race.

That contrasts sharply with a six-strong German party, headed by Tertsch and Laura Lindemann, fresh from her win in last weekend’s World Cup race in Chengdu.

That event also saw the comeback after injury of T100 World Champion Kate Waugh (GBR) who just missed out in a thrilling three-way sprint finish.

WTCS Yokohama – Elite Men

Two of the ‘big three’ to miss the season opener in Samarkand return here – Olympic champion Alex Yee (GBR) and last year’s overall WTCS overall winner Matt Hauser (AUS).

They have to be the overwhelming favourites even though it’s hard to know exactly what form either will be in – Yee returns to triathlon after pacing duties in what was an historic London Marathon as the two-hour barrier was broken, while Hauser made his T100 debut the same weekend in Singapore.

That event – like most T100s – was won in dominant fashion by Hayden Wilde but the Kiwi has now elected to sit this one out.

So too has WTCS Samarkand winner Vasco Vilaca, who was outsprinted here 12 months ago by Hauser.

Indeed not a single one of the top 12 from Samarkand have travelled to Japan, meaning that it’s 13th-placed Tom Hellwig (GER) who will wear the #1 bib, with home favourite Kenji Nener (JPN) in #2.

Miguel Hidalgo (BRZ) was third here last year and must have strong claims after a campaign which saw him become Brazil’s first-ever men’s WTCS winner thanks to his Alghero triumph.

And Luke Willian (AUS) heads here in winning form after his World Cup success in Chengdu.

But the tactics will be fascinating – no one wanted to be in a run battle against Yee before his marathon ‘sabbatical’ and now he’s even stronger at that discipline. However this isn’t a course that traditionally boosts the chances of a bike breakaway so maybe the fireworks will start early in the swim.

WTCS Yokohama previous winners

Few races have the history of Yokohama as the list of previous winners below illustrates:

• 2025: Jeanne Lehair (LUX) / Matt Hauser (AUS)
• 2024: Leonie Periault (FRA) / Morgan Pearson (USA)
• 2023: Sophie Coldwell (GBR) / Hayden Wilde (NZL)
• 2022: Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR) / Alex Yee (GBR)
• 2021: Taylor Knibb (USA) / Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR)
• 2019: Katie Zaferes (USA) / Vincent Luis (FRA)
• 2018: Flora Duffy (BER) / Mario Mola (ESP)
• 2017: Flora Duffy (BER) / Mario Mola (ESP)
• 2016: Gwen Jorgensen (USA) / Mario Mola (ESP)
• 2015: Gwen Jorgensen (USA) / Javier Gomez (ESP)
• 2014: Gwen Jorgensen (USA) / Javier Gomez (ESP)
• 2013: Gwen Jorgensen (USA) / Jonny Brownlee (GBR)
• 2012: Lisa Norden (SWE) / Joao Silva (POR)
• 2011: Andrea Hewitt (NZL) / Joao Silva (POR)
• 2009: Lisa Norden (SWE) / Jan Frodeno (GER)