Hot to Go at World Triathlon Championship Series Hamburg

Good morning everyone,

I’ve had a few of you message me - and yes, somehow I made a (very brief) appearance in a Tour de France commercial! 

• I’ll never race in the Tour, so this is as close as it gets! But in all seriousness, I’m pretty excited to be part of something tied to a race I’ve watched for decades.

In today’s edition:

• 🏆 Hot to go at World Triathlon Championship Series Hamburg

• 🦶 Strengthen your feet to unlock your stride.

• 🌾 And are you getting enough fiber?

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

Have a triathlete in your life who can't stop swimming, biking, or running? Fire this off to them. Forwarded from a friend? Sign-up for free.

ONE BIG THING

Hot to Go at World Triathlon Championship Series Hamburg

What is it: This weekend sees the World Triathlon Championship Series return to it’s spiritual home in Hamburg. And the Sprint distance races plus mixed team relay should provide plenty of fireworks for one of the sport’s most electric crowds!

Women’s Race: Heading into Hamburg we’ve had three different winners in each of the WTCS events thus far:

• WTCS Abu Dhabi - Lisa Tertsch (GER)

• WTCS Yokohama - Jeanne Lehair (LUX)

• WTCS Alghero - Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA)

Will we see another new winner in Hamburg?

It would be tough to bet against these three athletes, who between them have few weaknesses. But Hamburg also sees the likes of WTCS podium stalwarts including 2023 World Champion, Beth Potter (GBR), Olympic silver medalist, Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR), and Emma Lombardi (FRA).

• And Hamburg also sees the return of 2025’s breakout T100 star, Kate Waugh (GBR).

Full start lists

Men’s Race: Like the women, every men’s WTCS this year has seen a new winner. Matt Hauser (AUS), the Yokohama champion, and Miguel Hidalgo (BRA), the winner of Alghero, will both be on the start line in Hamburg.

They’ll be met by a full field of talent including Vasco Vilaca (POR) - second last year in Hamburg - who will no doubt be looking for the upgrade.

• Dorian Coninx (FRA) - the 2023 World Champion - will be looking to find the top step once again.

• And Csongor Lehmann (HUN) is fresh off a win at last weekend’s World Cup in Tiszaújváros.

Full start list

Mixed Team Relay: With an Olympic Gold Medal in their pocket from Paris, the German team will be out for blood, especially with the famous Hamburg home crowd.

• France, always in the hunt for the win, will be looking to turn the page on the infamous Paris plummet that certainly cost them an Olympic medal.

And Great Britain is also bringing plenty of WTCS and Olympic medals to their team. Simply making the four-person roster could be harder than the actual race!

• Other serious podium threats include Team USA (🥈 in Paris), Switzerland, Brazil, Australia, and Canada.

Full start list

Tempo’s take: As a triathlete its an unfortunate truth that there aren’t many opportunities to experience a crowd similar to a major pro sport - but there are exceptions. WTCS Hamburg being one of them.

• In my short course triathlon career I never really had a great race in Hamburg, but I'll never forget the feeling of racing in front of over 100,000 screaming fans!

It’s a special race on the World Triathlon circuit, and this year’s edition will be no different. And although it’s only a sprint, both individual races have the chance to see swim/bike breakaways. More intrigue in an incredible race atmosphere? Sign us up!

• And Hamburg also sees the return of the female-led Mixed Team Relay, which also provides ample opportunity for an early breakaway!

FAVORITES

🌾 Fiber for you: Fiber isn’t just for digestion. It supports your energy levels, recovery, and proper gut health. But are you getting enough to perform at your best? Find out here! [SportFuel]

🦶 Strengthen your feet: Your foot strength fuels speed, balance, and injury prevention. And this article explains why strengthening your feet, with a few easy exercises, can build a better foundation and unlock more power in every stride! [TrainingPeaks]

📱 RaceRanger data: World Triathlon is piloting an app built by RaceRanger to crack down on drafting with real-time data, digital penalties, and faster officiating. Has a new era of fair racing begun? [InsideTheGames]

🌴 Kona considerations: So, what can we expect from IRONMAN’s new qualification system? According to this age grouper’s recent experience, at least a few surprise qualifiers. Find out more from this interesting first-person account! [Slowtwitch]

👑 A champion returns: Former IRONMAN World Champion Anne Haug (GER) is back on the start line this weekend looking to validate her World Championships slot, and show she can still go toe to toe with the best! [TRI247]

TOGETHER WITH BLUESEVENTY

From Flaws to Fast: A Pro Triathlete’s Swim Rebuild, Explained (Part 2)

Greg Harper is an NCAA swimming champion and current professional triathlete. He had the fastest swim split at last year’s IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships.

• Greg recently returned from a week of intense swim coaching with one of the best triathletes in the World, Sam Long. He gives us the inside scoop on how the camp went, and the secrets that will level up your swim!

• If you missed it, part 1 of our interview is here! 

What were Sam’s three biggest areas of opportunity? Are they similar for most age group athletes?

Sam's biggest areas of improvement was his breath timing, rotation, and just breathing/tension.

I think applying tension in the right ways and being relaxed on recovery, etc is very important. Age groupers can get very caught up with overthinking while swimming (also something Sam has done). You see the tips on Instagram, etc and try to control everything.

• Picking one thing, cue, skill to develop at a time is pretty important. And learning to be relaxed in the mind can also lead to being relaxed in the body.

We did quite a bit of body position kick to work on Sam's head position, and sculling to find that elusive "feel for the water." By the end of the camp I will say, we were both mentally fatigued.

Balancing the mind load of hyper focused sessions while trying not to have Sam overthink things was a unique challenge! He's one of the best triathletes in the world for a reason. He is a smart guy and incredibly analytical. Swimming is a balance of relaxation and tension, in both the mind and body. 

Use the gear that Greg, and the best swimmers trust - Blueseventy! And save 20% with code “TEMPO20” at checkout!

Not all athletes can work with Greg in a fully immersive camp. So what interventions do you think provide the most value for athletes looking to improve their swim?

I learned a lot doing this immersive camp with Sam and some things I can apply to more of the athletes I work with.

Skill building in the pool in a remote setting can be challenging, but with persistence and a well rounded program, it can absolutely be achieved.

• I think utilizing some gear more can be effective, however only if used very strategically and with a purpose. Triathletes tend to just use gear to get through the workout, instead of with direction!

For example, using a band on your ankles might cause you to swim a little flatter. If you over rotate, then it can be a useful tool to utilize. If you swim too flat, it might not be the best for you. Having a coach see you swim and properly prescribe gear usage for skill building is super important.

I got to explore so many things I've wanted to try with Sam. One thing we used was band assisted swimming (I would pull him across the pool with speed) which I think helped him feel drag much better. The higher the speed, the more a swimmer can experience drag. It's a tool to help a swimmer learn and not just talk at them.

• It's my job as a coach to force the swimmer to feel change or force change instead of just tell them to "do this with your arm." 

Did this coaching experience teach you something new about how triathletes approach swimming - or how you can coach them?

All in all, I think technical skill building is an expertise that is missing in the triathlon world. Everyone chases fitness instead of technique, efficiency, and speed, which all go hand in hand.

Forcing triathletes to develop skills like efficient breathing (paddle cap drill) or breath timing (one-arm can be effective) or increasing stroke rate or stroke length aren't quite approached in the correct way.

• Streamlining off the wall in a good streamline can be an effective mobility tool for tight triathletes, compounded wall after wall for weeks on end.

• Sculling and kicking in different positions forces balance and body awareness in the water.

If triathletes can improve upon their fundamental skills (even floating exercises), they can express their fitness easier and learn to apply force and energy to promote propulsion forwards through the water. 

REEL TIME

Have you ever experienced this? And gotta ask, why is that guy turning around?!?

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QUICK NEWS

Supertri streaming: Supertri has signed a broadcast deal with Warner Bros. Discovery for live coverage of this year’s Supertri League series. Supertri will continue to be shown live across Europe on Eurosport and on TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland. Streaming will be available on HBO Max and discovery+. [Broadcast Now]

Iceland ick: Is it something in the water? Unconfirmed. But what is confirmed are the 12 athletes who became sick after competing in the Laugarvatn Triathlon held this past weekend. [Iceland Monitor]

Safesport stipulation: Want to access transition but you’re not an athlete? You may have to complete Safesport training if a new USA Triathlon rule is confirmed. [Slowtwitch]

RIP Robert: Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Robert Lamothe, a beloved triathlete and teacher who tragically passed away while on a bike ride. [WJAR]

National Games athletes: Four spots are still left to be decided for the National Games squad this November, and the competition is fierce! [GB Code]

WEEKEND RACES

IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz

The last race for the professional Women to earn a World Championship slot sees former IRONMAN World Champion Anne Haug (GER), Olympic silver medalist Julie Derron (SUI), and recent World Triathlon Long Distance World Champion Marjolaine Pierre (FRA) battle it out!

Full start list

IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea

The latest IRONMAN Pro Series race sees 2024 Pro Series winner, Kat Matthews (GBR), and Kristian Høgenhaug (DEN) take on strong fields.

Full start lists

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