The World Triathlon Podcast

The newly crowned European Sprint Triathlon Champion, Belgium's Jolien Vermeylen is one of the sport's great characters, and heads to Istanbul at the end of August chasing a huge continental double with the Olympic Distance title.On episode 105, the 31-year-old opens up about having her post-Paris 2024 words twisted and the pain of a resulting social media pile-on, putting her 70.3 ambitions on hold to chase a career-best Series ranking in 2025 and soaking in the arc of taking up the sport after reading the Brownlee book on holiday in Corfu and then winning supertri gold for Brownlee Racing in Toronto a decade later."You can read subtitles on my face. If I like something I show it and if I don’t you’ll know it. But maybe for racing I need it!"

In recovery after suffering a bad bike crash at WTCS Hamburg in mid-July, Roksana Slupek is our guest this week, and the Poland number one shares her reflections on the highs and lows of her journey to the Paris 2024 Olympic start line.From attacks of self doubt and depression to ultimately qualifying for her life’s dream, and the harsh realities of racing on – and crashing out of – the world’s biggest triathlon series, the 26-year-old shares an eye-opening hour of life as an elite athlete, and how recent events have made her re-evaluate her attitude towards her fellow competitors on the World Triathlon Championships Series.

A second individual gold in the 2025 World Triathlon Championship Series strengthened Matt Hauser's grip on the Series Rankings after WTCS Hamburg marked the halfway point of the season. The 27-year-old followed it up with one of the greatest Mixed Relay legs you will see as he reeled in a 20-second deficit to 2023 World Champion Dorian Coninx and helped secure Australia their first World title since 2017.Now it's all eyes on France and the WTCS French Riviera at the end of August to see if he can take the maximum 3000 points into a home Championship Finals in Wollongong, Australia, in October, where he will look to become the country's first men's world champion for 20 years.MIXED RELAY HIGHLIGHTS MEN'S HIGHLIGHTSWOMEN'S HIGHLIGHTS

The first Brazilian to win a World Triathon Championship Series gold in the modern era, Miguel Hidalgo now has his sights set on a first World Championship title, but knows all too well just how far there is still to go if he is to be challenging in October's finals in Wollongong, Australia, against the likes of home favourite Matt Hauser.

Alex Yee, an Olympic and World Champion triathlete, shares his journey of completing his first marathon in London, finishing an impressive 14th. He discusses the emotional significance of the marathon start line and the different pain experiences between marathon running and triathlons. Yee reflects on seeking purpose after his Olympic success, his intense training regimen of up to 600km a month, and maintaining a positive mindset following a severe crash in 2017. His humble perspective and ambition shine through as he embraces new challenges.

A very special guest joins the podcast to mark the 100th episode, the Paris 2024 Olympic Triathlon Champion Cassandre Beaugrand!It is a deeply honest hour in the company of our Olympic and World Champion, each story revealing a little more about just where all the grit, determination and competitive spirit that has taken the 27-year-old to the very top of the sport came from.Cass explains why she so cherished the support of teammate Leonie Periault, even when she was being ‘a nightmare’ to train with, why she was so envious of the cool, calm spirit of Andrea Hewitt, and why she threw up all over her feet next to Georgia Taylor Brown in Paris.SHOW NOTES02:20 – 'All change' - Why she is joining coach Glenn Poleunis in Girona and saying goodbye to Loughborough13:17 – ‘How success feels’ - Releasing the pressure, the 5km French record and Lievin19:40 – ‘Early years’ - Growing up in Paris, losing her mum, moving to Antibes23:50 – ‘All change’ - Leaving her father as coach and moving to Montpelier27:45 – ‘Bad mindset’ - Being hard to coach and pushing too much in training31:37 – ‘Good people’ – Support of Stephanie Gros and Leonie Periault33:25 – 'Christmas present’ – Being the youngest woman at Rio 201637:20 – 'Shattered dreams' – The trouble with Tokyo41:40 – 'I need a plan' – The move to Loughborough45:26 – 'Pain threshold' – Pain and gains in WTCS Cagliari52:08 – 'Paris panic' – The rain returns on Olympics day57:00 – 'Lost at sea' – Turning it around in Torremolinos

A new perspective with World Triathlon's Kris Gemmell.Welcome to the start of a revealing new series that takes a wider look at the World Triathlon ecosystem as we head towards the LA 2028 Olympic Games, with insights from New Zealand Olympian turned Head of Commercial at World Triathlon, Kris Gemmell.Just days after winning the first new-look T1 Indoor World Cup, we cover the rise and rise of Cassandre Beaugrand to becoming the best triathlete in the world, what could be the irresistible lure of a home Games for Taylor Knibb and USA Triathlon, rules, regulations and something of a 2025 Championship Series exclusive...PODCAST #100 INCOMING WITH CASSANDRE BEAUGRANDDon't forget to email podcast@triathlon.org with any questions for the Olympic and World Champion, our very special guest on podcast #100, for a chance to win a year subscription to TriathlonLive.tv.--LINKS & RESOURCESWATCH CASSANDRE BEAUGRAND WIN IN LIEVIN over on the World Triathlon YouTube channelWhere you will also find the channel's most watched video featuring a certain Kris Gemmell.Before Beth Potter and Cassandre Beaugrand go toe-to-toe for the first time this year at the supertri E World Triathlon Championships, watch back the highlights of their 2024 battle!--Sign up to TriathlonLive.tv and never miss a minute of the action!Email the podcast via podcast@triathlon.orgSign up to THE APEX - World Triathlon's weekly newsletter - for more news and views from around the sport, straight to your inbox every Friday!

Olympic triathletes Hayden Wilde from New Zealand and Morgan Pearson from the USA dive into their excitement for the upcoming WTCS Abu Dhabi. They discuss the unique challenges of the course, including speed and crosswinds. The duo shares insights on their training adjustments and coaching strategies as they gear up for the Olympic cycle. They humorously reflect on the intimidating world of triathlon and the importance of camaraderie among competitors. Listeners can also expect thrilling new talents and strategies shaping the future of the sport.

In this installment, 20-year-old Swedish triathlete Tilda Mansson, a 2022 Junior World Champion, shares her rapid rise to Olympic contention. She discusses her triumphs in World Cup races and the pivotal training leading to the Championship Finals in Torremolinos. Tilda opens up about overcoming challenges in the swim segment, emphasizing family support during tough moments. She reflects on her journey from playful triathlete to serious competitor, and her excitement for the future, especially with the Paris 2024 Olympics on the horizon.

John Reed, a rising star in USA Triathlon and a contender for the U23 World Championships, shares his thrilling journey towards the LA 2028 Olympics. He opens up about his impressive World Cup victory in Karlovy Vary and reflects on the importance of camaraderie among his training group. Reed discusses the psychological challenges faced during competitions, emphasizing mental resilience, and shares amusing anecdotes from his travels in China, including culinary adventures and bartering escapades.