Everything You Need To Know: Super League Triathlon London

Super League Triathlon’s 2022 Championship Series has arrived – and is set for a blockbuster opener in London.

The best of the best are once again lining up for triathlon’s most exciting race Series, with the kick-off at West India Quay on Sunday set to be enjoyed by thousands of spectators who will take their chance to watch the legends of the sport for free.

With so much going on, it can be hard to keep track, so here’s Super League’s guide to some of the things to watch out for:

Rivalries

Let the battle recommence. Yee v Wilde. Taylor-Brown v Beaugrand…and plenty more besides.

The race for glory will be fierce and intense.

Alex Yee may be a Wildcard for the London race, but he has revenge on his mind after Hayden Wilde spoiled his homecoming party by taking the win in London last year.

Yee is performing a few miles from where he grew up in front of family and friends. Will 2022 be any different?

Teams are back

After a strong debut season, SLT Teams return. Athletes have moved teams, some teams have changed completely and a few rule changes have moved the dynamic still further.

How will it all play out? Nobody is quite sure. That’s the beauty of Super League. There is always intrigue and mystery, and the result unwinds in a matter of hectic, chaotic, exciting minutes.

But with $320,000 up for grabs for the Teams alone, there are a lot of reasons to try and figure it out.

Short Chute changes

This is a big one. Earning them is still the same in terms of mechanics – first across the mount line following the swim, first across the mount line after the first bike and first to finish the Stage 1 run.

BUT, an athlete now wins them for their team. And the Team Managers will decide live during the racing which athlete from their team gets to take it.

No team can take more than one Short Chute, even if they hold all three.

It puts so much more pressure on Team Managers, and there will be so much to learn in terms of tactics.

Just to add to it all, Short Chutes can now only be taken on lap 1 of the run on Stage 3, giving chasing athletes a chance to catch.

London calling

The crowds at West India Quay were immense in 2021, and the same is expected in 2022. The chance to watch the best athletes in the world at such close quarters, and for free, is too good to turn down.

However, the course has changed. The start and finish are at the opposite end of the Quay, and the bike and run courses run in the reverse direction.

It’s the same, but so, so different.