Flora Duffy and Taylor Spivey will add yet more spice to an incredible women’s start list for T100 Ibiza next month.
Every single one of the new series’ female contracted stars who are currently racing have been confirmed for what should be a fascinating showdown on Saturday September 28.
2021 Olympic champion Duffy brought down the curtain on a spectacular short-course career with a fifth-place finish behind Cassandre Beaugrand in the French capital. That was a highly creditable swansong after the Bermudian had spent a year out of action with a serious knee injury.
Spivey meanwhile crowned her first Olympic Games with a silver medal on the US Mixed Relay team as they pipped Great Britain for second spot behind winners Germany. She joins Paris team-mate Taylor Knibb in a field which contains a galaxy of swim/bike/run stars.
![Taylor Spivey Olympic Test Event Paris 2023 [Photo credit: World Triathlon / Wagner Araujo]](https://www.tri247.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Taylor-Spivey-Olympic-Test-Event-Paris-2023.jpg)
Gentle to renew Knibb rivalry
Australian superstar Ashleigh Gentle – who heads the 2024 series standings following her recent success in London – is once again in action along with IRONMAN World Champions Lucy Charles-Barclay, Anne Haug and Chelsea Sodaro. It was Germany’s Haug who claimed victory in last year’s race in Ibiza.
Gentle cannot wait to do battle with Knibb again after being put to the sword by the American’s virtuoso performance at T100 San Francisco in June.
She said: “I have huge respect for Taylor and can’t wait to race her again. Competing in two different events at the Olympic Games in Paris (Knibb also raced in cycling’s individual Time Trial) was impressive. But it sounds like she’s looking forward to getting stuck back into the longer T100 series races.
“Her performance in San Francisco has set the standard, especially on the bike, and we need to respond to that level to stay competitive. I was far from my best in California, but I really enjoyed racing in Ibiza last year and I am really excited to be heading back there.”
Britain will send a number of top names into battle in Ibiza, with Charles-Barclay joined by Miami winner India Lee and Kat Matthews (second in San Francisco and third in London). Emma Pallant-Browne and Lucy Byram complete the contingent.
Switzerland’s Imogen Simmonds returns again after her terrific second place in London while Laura Philipp will hope to make the podium this time after losing out in a terrific battle with Matthews in the UK capital.
Canada have a duo of stars bidding for glory in the shape of Paula Findlay and Tamara Jewett, while New Zealand has Amelia Watkinson and Marjolaine Pierre represents France.
T100 Ibiza women’s start list
The contracted female stars on the Ibiza start list are as follows:
- Ashleigh Gentle (AUS)
- India Lee (GBR)
- Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR)
- Imogen Simmonds (SWI)
- Lucy Byram (GBR)
- Kat Matthews (GBR)
- Laura Philipp (GER)
- Paula Findlay (CAN)
- Amelia Watkinson (NZL)
- Taylor Knibb (USA)
- Emma Pallant-Browne (GBR)
- Tamara Jewett (CAN)
- Chelsea Sodaro (USA)
- Anne Haug (GER)
- Marjolaine Pierre (FRA)
- Flora Duffy (BER)
- Taylor Spivey (USA)
Ibiza course and race date
The T100 women’s race (2km swim, 80km bike, 18km run) will get under way at 1030 am local time on Saturday 28 September.
The 100km course will feature a Mediterranean open water swim off Figueretas Beach followed by three bike laps taking athletes across to Santa Eulalia City and back with a combination of testing climbs, technical parts and head-down TT sections. Then things conclude with a flat 7-lap run course around the historic Ibiza Old Town.
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