As we count down the final days until the triathlon events of the 2024 Olympic Games take place, there are several ‘magic’ numbers to keep an eye on. Here are some of the most important ones to know for when the racing begins.
The field
A total of 42 National Olympic Committees qualified at least one of the 110 athletes lining up for the triathlon events at Paris 2024, the joint-highest number of countries in Olympic triathlon history (Rio 2016 also had 42 qualifying NOCs). Looking back to the sport’s first Olympic appearance at the Sydney Games in 2000, which had 34 NOCs, the progress of the sport’s global growth is clear.
In Paris, 3 countries will be making their Olympic triathlon debuts: Togo, Iceland and Guam. Eloi Ajdavon (TOG) and Edda Hannesdottir (ISL) received Universality places while Manami Iijima (GUM) became the first woman ever to earn the Oceania New Flag spot at the Games.
Another number to note is 50. In Paris, the gender ratio of triathlon officials will be 50%. While the athlete representation has long since enjoyed gender parity, this will be the first time the same has been true for those that make the racing possible.
Superstitious minds
Athletes can be a superstitious bunch. Luckily for those starting in Paris, there are plenty of ways to conceptualise the simple matter of race numbers as omens for how the racing might unfold. The first number to pay attention to on this front is 15. This was the race number and pontoon position of both the Tokyo 2020 champions, Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) and Flora Duffy (BER). This year, Alberto Gonzalez Garcia (ESP) and Natalie Van Coevorden (AUS) will wear 15 and will hope it remains an auspicious number.
How about number 34? Athletes wearing 34 have won more medals than any other number at the Games; they have claimed 1 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals. If we look to Paris, more hardware could be in store as Emma Lombardi (FRA), the current Series leader in the women’s WTCS, wears 34. On the men’s side, Diego Moya (CHI) will hope he could add his name to the success of number 34.
Turning 30 may be a scary proposition for some, but having an Olympic starting number in the 30s is a very different prospect. Six individual gold medals have been won by athletes wearing numbers between 29 and 39 at the Games. Considering there have only been twelve individual gold medals available in the entirety of Olympic triathlon history, that makes it a 50-50 chance that an athlete with a number between 29 and 39 has won gold.
If we turn to the start list, there are a couple of names that might just fancy adding to that history. Lombardi will be one, as will her WTCS gold medallist teammates Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) and Leonie Periault (FRA). WTCS winner Laura Lindemann (GER), who also medalled at the Paris Test Event, is another to fall into this group, as is Lisa Tertsch (GER), one of the in-form women in the triathlon world after back-to-back WTCS silver medals. On the men’s side, Pierre Le Corre (FRA) is one of three WTCS race winners, alongside Morgan Pearson (USA) and Tim Hellwig (GER), with race numbers in the 29-39 range.
The WTCS stats
As the highest level of the sport, the WTCS provides the best indicators for who might perform at the Olympic Games. The Series also offers a few handy numbers to bear in mind.
With 7 WTCS gold medals since the Tokyo Games, including his most recent triumph in Cagliari, Alex Yee (GBR) has enjoyed the most success in terms of wins. Note, this also includes his win at the Paris Test Event as it counted towards the 2023 Series.
Two women have won 5 WTCS medals since Tokyo: Beaugrand and Duffy. Given that Beaugrand has won in her last two Series outings whereas Duffy’s last gold came at the WTCS Final in 2022, perhaps the French athlete will be the individual to watch. However, it would certainly be remiss to overlook the reigning Olympic champion. While Duffy and Beaugrand have won the most golds, the reigning women’s world champion Beth Potter (GBR) leads the way in terms of total WTCS medals. She has 10 medals to her name since Tokyo, the most of any man or woman.
To zoom out to the national level, France remains the country to beat. The Olympic hosts have had the most different WTCS race winners of any country since Tokyo – 6 is the number to note – and boast a wealth of talent. Great Britain has the next most race winners with 4. As it happens, France and Britain are also the only countries able to leave a WTCS race winner from the current Olympic cycle at home.
Getting down to business
When it comes to the Games themselves, there are a few important points to note. Duffy and Blummenfelt are the only triathletes to have won Olympic gold and the world title in the same year. In addition, Duffy won Bermuda’s first ever Olympic gold medal across all sports.
Duffy is also set to make further Olympic history in Paris. This will be her fifth Olympic Games, putting her level with Nicola Spirig’s record for appearances. Should she win, she could also draw level with Alistair Brownlee as the only triathlete to win two Olympic gold medals. Of course, Blummenfelt has the same possibility of joining the double gold club.
When it comes to the most medals, Jonathan Brownlee holds the top position with 3 medals across his three Games. After each winning two medals in Tokyo, Yee and Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR) could equal or even overtake their compatriot this summer. Outside of Yee and Taylor-Brown, no one else starting in Paris has multiple Olympic medals to their name.
Many numbers could come into play in Paris. Olympic history, WTCS records and plain old superstition will all compete to be the most significant but it won’t be until all is said and done that we’ll know which numbers truly mattered.
