 and World Triathlon have confirmed a powerful line up for the April 13-14 Singapore T100 triathlon, the second stop on the new eight-leg T100 Triathlon World Tour, including some of the world’s top 20 male and female athletes. Women’s defending champion Ashleigh Gentle has confirmed her return to the Republic, while the Men’s Pro Race will see a new champion crowned in place of Kristian Blummenfelt who is focusing on his upcoming Olympic title defence. Instead, another Olympic triathlon champion will take the start line at the 100km triathlon in Marina Bay – London 2012 and Rio 2016 gold medallist Alistair Brownlee.){kind=link}
SINGAPORE, 21 MARCH 2024 – The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) and World Triathlon have confirmed a powerful line up for the April 13-14 Singapore T100 triathlon, the second stop on the new eight-leg T100 Triathlon World Tour, including some of the world’s top 20 male and female athletes.
Women’s defending champion Ashleigh Gentle has confirmed her return to the Republic, making the Singapore T100 her first World Tour appearance this year after she gave the season opener in Miami a miss. Alongside her will be recent Miami T100 champion India Lee and American Chelsea Sodaro, who finished third at the inaugural PTO Asian Open last year.
The Men’s Pro Race will see a new champion crowned in place of Kristian Blummenfelt who is focusing on his upcoming Olympic title defence. Instead, another Olympic triathlon champion will take the start line at the 100km triathlon in Marina Bay – London 2012 and Rio 2016 gold medallist Alistair Brownlee. He will be joined by Miami T100 men’s winner Magnus Ditlev and runner-up Sam Long as well as 2023 PTO Asian Open podium finishers Pieter Heemeryck and Jason West.
After finishing fifth in Miami, Brownlee said: “I can go away (from Miami) and prepare specifically for Singapore and be competitive there. I’ve taken a lot of confidence that I can get that engine capacity back swimming and especially riding really fast. After three weeks of training, from being pretty unfit to being able to race at this level – I’m pretty happy with that. (For) running, I can’t rush. But I’ll spend another four weeks or so of the same, trying to prepare specifically for the heat.”
Gentle, 33, has been going full steam ahead preparing for her title defence. Speaking to Slowtwitch.com, she said: “(Training has) been a bit of a slog, but there’s been a few days which have been a bit more bearable and I kind of can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I can see the work that I’ve put in over the course of the months. I can see that the work is paying off and I think when it cools down a bit (in Brisbane where she’s been training) and I’ve got a bit of freshness, I’ll see the work that I’ve been doing and know that it’s starting to add up.
“The thing right now more than ever is there’s no room for weakness. One of my big goals is to try and keep all three disciplines at a really high level and that’s always just such a hard part of our sport. (But) I suppose that’s kind of the magic of being able to race consistently is to make sure you don’t have those weaknesses.
“You’ve got to be prepared to be a robust, smart, and dynamic racer who can respond to different forms of attacks from different people literally all year – and it’s going to be exhausting. I know that I can’t be in top form in February and at my best at the grand finale at the end of November. Physically, for me it’s not possible. I have to be smart and accept that, yeah, there might be some races where I’m not 100 per cent firing on all cylinders, but I can still put together really, really good performances at a more controlled level and pick those battles where I know that I am at 100 per cent and have a chance to win.”
Lee will be looking to pick up where she left off in Florida at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, where she ran down fellow Brit Lucy Charles-Barclay to clinch her maiden T100 win. Lee did not have high expectations entering the season than to “see how her winter had gone, with no pressure”.
Her winter preparation proved fruitful and her victory in Miami has catapulted the British star into the PTO World Top Ten for the first time. Speaking about what the win meant to her, the new PTO World No. 8 said: “It means a lot. I worked really hard. Mostly on my own, with a small team. I’m just a bog-standard person who puts in the work and I’m a bit overwhelmed it’s turned into this.
“I’ve never won a race like this against these girls. They are world champions. I never thought that I would be capable of putting together a race like that, when it matters, against quality competition. To beat them I had to have a really good day and I guess last Saturday was a really good day.”
Reigning men’s and women’s Ironman World Champions Sam Laidlow and Charles-Barclay had earlier announced they will be returning to the Republic for the Singapore T100.
Charles-Barclay, 30, said: “My first visit to Singapore last August left a strong impression and I’m excited to be returning. The city felt like stepping into the future. Its cleanliness, greenery, and friendly people stood out. Despite not performing my best, the supportive crowds and the battle made it one of my favourite race locations.
“The course was super challenging. The conditions were hot and humid and I thought the 13 per cent bike climb onto the highway created significant gaps in the field and made for a fairer competition, highlighting athletes’ strengths and weaknesses. I’m eager to return and am looking forward to the Singapore T100 next month.”
Laidlow, 25, will also be looking to build on his Ironman triumph and complete the Singapore T100 after he did not finish last year’s Pro Men’s Race.
The Frenchman, the youngest male Ironman world champion, said: “Singapore is a beautiful city and it’s a pity I didn’t get to enjoy much of the scenery along the route last year, so I’m glad I have a second chance. I’m looking forward to racing in Singapore again. It was well-organised and I hope I can properly take in the sights of Marina Bay this time. I know it’ll be hot and humid but I also know the fans will be there every step of the way encouraging us so I’m counting on them for that extra boost of energy.”
The full line up for the Singapore T100 can be found here.
Besides the professional races, the Singapore T100 will also feature a 100km triathlon (2km Swim/80km Bike/18km Run) for experienced amateurs and two duathlon races – Standard (5km Run/32km Cycle/5km Run) and Long (10km Run/64km Cycle/10km Run). The course will be very similar to the one the professionals raced last August, including a unique opportunity to swim in the iconic Marina Bay and then bike and run around the Marina Bay Financial District in the heart of the Lion City.
For more information on the course and the amateur events that will take place over the weekend, visit https://t100triathlon.com/singapore/participate.
For more information on the T100 Triathlon World Tour, visit www.T100Triathlon.com.
About the Professional Triathletes Organisation
The PTO is a sports body that is co-owned by its professional athletes, which is seeking to elevate and grow the sport of triathlon and take it to the next level. The T100 Triathlon World Tour is the new name for the PTO Tour and will feature a season-long schedule of eight T100 races during 2024 that will be raced over 100km (2km swim, 80km bike and 18km run) and feature the world’s best triathletes going head-to-head on a consistent basis in iconic locations around the world. Including: Miami T100 @ CLASH Endurance Miami (9 March); Singapore T100 (13-14 April); California T100 (8-9 June); London T100 (27-28 July); Ibiza T100 (28-29 Sept); Lake Las Vegas T100 (19-20 Oct); Dubai T100 (16-17 Nov); and the Grand Final (29-30 Nov). The broadcast will follow the 2023 PTO Tour approach which showed races live around the world in 195+ territories, courtesy of the PTO’s partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery as well as a range of other international, regional and local broadcasters.
Credit: Professional Triathletes Organisation