ITU Grande Finale – U23’s : Who Will Come Out On Top? Birtwhistle, Viain, Benson, McDowell

The U23’s will be first up at this years Grande Finale.  In a few rare cases, some of these athletes will miss out on an opportunity to qualify for the Olympic Games by participating in this race instead of in the Elite category.  No need to look for 21 year old Canadian Tyler Mislawchuck who is opting to compete in the Elite category.

American Kevin McDowell however will be at the U23 start line.  In this pre-Olympic year, we expected many more athletes to opt out of the U23 race.  The start list however list proves otherwise.  This race should be of a very high calibre.

The Importance Of The World Champion Title?

Let us have a look at the past.  Since the creation of the WTS past champions include  Dorian Coninx (2014), Pierre Le Corre (2013), Aaron Royle (2012), Sharp (2011), J. Brownlee (2010) and Loeschke (2009). Only Sharp and Loeschke will be missing from this years edition of the Grand Finale.  Winning the title is generally a good indicator of things to come since 4 of the 6 athletes listed here have gone on to place in the top 5 on the WTS circuit.

Why Not U21?  And How About Coninx?

Certain federations are of the opinion that a 22 or 23 year old athlete should already by competitive with the elites in WTS racing.  Following this way of thinking, champions aged 20 or 21 simply never stick around to defend their titles, choosing to compete with the big boys the following year.  Dorian Coninx is one of these athletes.  He will be racing with the elites even though he is still eligible to race U23 for the next 3 years.

A Matter Of Experience?

The U23 race is always quite particular because it includes both WTS experienced athletes and unknown athletes with very little experience in big time races.  On a technical course, this will definitely come into play.

Furthermore, the bigger names and favorites are expected to be protagonists in the race.  We can expect WTS experienced athletes to set the tone in this one..

The Swim ?

Contrary to prior years, there are no swimmers that are a cut above the rest.  Canadian Alexis Lepage is quite possible to swim out front and to be part of the lead group.  No athletes taking the start of the race are dominant in all three sports (unlike Coninx in 2014).  We are expecting to see a separated field entering T1.

The Bike?  Invisible Efforts.  

The bike course has no apparent difficulties.  That said, it features 40 hair-pin turns over its 8 lap circuit.  These accelerations will surely take their toll on many of the athletes.  To think that a selection will not be made on the bike would be a big mistake indeed.

The All Around Athlete vs. The Pure Runner

As a direct effect of recent years in WTS racing, the new generation of athletes is comprised of high end runners very well equipped to hold their own vs the likes of the Brownlees and Mola.  Aussie Jacob Birtwhistle quickly comes to mind in this regard.  Having finished second behind Raphael Montoya – who will be absent this year – in the Junior race in 2014, Birtwhistle is poised to make a splash as a U23 this year.

Even if countrymen Declan Wilson has been unable to reach his potential over the last few seasons, we must keep him in the conversation of possible winners given his profile as a quality runner.

American Lukas Verzbicas also merits mention.  As an ex World Champion and holder of more or less every collegiate record in athletics, Lukas would love nothing more than the sweet taste of victory following a rather serious accident.  As a disciple of Brett Sutton, we expect him to make a splash this weekend.

Among ex Junior Champions, South Africa’s Sullwald Wian should also be part of the conversation.  Having recently battled numerous injuries, he’s finally healthy and back on track.  His recent top 5 finish in Edmonton has surely given him an extra bit of confidence.  Sullwald is an excellent swimmer who will rely on tactical skills to try and win this race.

As always, we will have to look out for Brits such as Gordon Benson who has shown his form this season by winning the European Games.  Surprisingly however, the defending bronze medalist in this race is not included in the Olympic Games qualifying process.  Third in line for the brits continues to be an untouchable posting.

Marc Austin, silver medalist in 2014 has had a disappointing season.  After battling injuries early in the season, he may just be finding his form at the right time.

What About The French?

Simon Viain will be the only French representative.  4th in 2014, the Montpellier resident has had a strong season, somewhat making his mark on the WTS circuit.  Winner of the Grand Prix d’Embrun, Viain should be able to impose his will on the bike.

Ron Darmon, who has a French double citizenship will also take part in the race.

Young Canadians Who Want To Make Their Mark.

Alexis Lepage is the only Canadian to take part in the race with prior experience at this level. He competed in last years edition while all the others are at their first year of eligibility.

Lepage, who has twice reached the podium in a Continental Cup, has without doubt the potential to make a splash this weekend in Chicago and improve on his 7th place finish in 2014.

Rusell Pennock and Xavier Grenier Talavera are two other athletes who are still in the learning process when it comes to the olympic distance.  Both complete athletes, a lot will depend on the quality of their run this weekend.

Twin brothers Taylor et Austen Forbes might be able to surprise a few if they’re able to limit the damages on the swim.

Other athletes to look out for are francophones  Rodolphe Von Berg (USA), Sylvain Fridelance, Christophe de Keyser (BEL) and Bob Haller (LUX).

Race start is Thursday at 7 am (8am Eastern Time Zone, 2pm France).  Trimes and Triathlon Québec will cover the race via Periscope (video)