PRIZE POT: WHO COULD EARN WHAT AT THE 2023 CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES GRAND FINAL IN NEOM?

One good performance could yield the biggest pay day of their careers for a host of athletes with titles and cash on the line heading into the Grand Final of the 2023 Super League Triathlon Championship Series.

Some of the Series headliners could secure six-figure pay cheques for their efforts, while even some of those who have been out of the overall spotlight could still cash in with Discipline Leaderboard prize up for grabs.

And all this is BEFORE you even take into account the prize money that will be handed out to Teams – with a cool $300,000 set to be awarded.

Here’s a look at some of the most significant sums on the line:

Jeanne Lehair could scoop $135,000 – plus Teams money

Jeanne Lehair has been a standout performer in the 2023 Championship Series, having really established herself as a growing force on the world stage last year.

She already has $35,000 secured via her win in London and second place in Malibu. If she wins NEOM then she will not only add another $20,000 to that total but also $50,000 for the Series title.

Lehair is also the heavy favourite to take the run leaderboard – which carries with it an extra $15,000 in prize money, and if she has the perfect day could also grab the bike leaderboard as well.

She is also a member of the Santara Tech Eagles, who expect to battle it out for the $120,000 top prize in the Teams Leaderboard, which would inflate her earnings well above $135,000.

Léo Bergere sniffs $125,000 for three day’s work

Like Lehair, Léo Bergere has been in imperious form in the 2023 Championship Series. He didn’t race in London but a win in Toulouse and second place in Malibu has already bagged him $35,000.

Again, as per Lehair, a win in NEOM also wins him the Series, and those two combined is worth an additional $70,000 – and that would total $125,000.

Bergere is only in contention for one Discipline Leaderboard, which is the bike. It is a long shot as he would need to win it and hope Emil Holm doesn’t finish in the top three. That would put an additional $15,000 in his account.

As a Lehair teammate, he also knows all of this will be inflated by Teams prize money as well, and potentially very handsomely so.

One bike lap for $15,000

The women’s bike Discipline Leaderboard is one of the most hotly contested things up for grabs in NEOM.

Nobody has dominated at all in the Series, with the three winners – Cathia Schar, Jess Fullagar and Taylor Spivey – not having picked up any additional points so all sat tied on eight. Only Jeanne Lehair and Leonie Periault, who are two points back, can realistically figure, but they would probably need to win on the day.

NEOM boasts a one-lap course. So it really is 4k for $15k.

Men ready to swim for the cash

It’s basically a two away swim-off in the men’s between Max Stapley and Hwenri Schoeman. They both sit level on 12 points heading to NEOM, and you would be hugely surprised if neither scored, which is the only way the door opens for Chase McQueen.

Therefore, the duo will have two goes at 300m, both knowing they have to outpace the other to bag the $15,000 bonus.

Reese’s running rewards

Reese Vannerson is a very young athlete getting the chance to be around the best athletes in the world and get the kind of experience and learnings most can only dream of.

While he has been soaking it all in, he has also been quietly contributing to the RTS Warriors and used his killer run speed to put himself into a position to win a huge sum of money for such a young triathlete.

Vannerson may have been eliminated in all three races, but he is one strong run away from taking the $15,000 and, incredibly, contributing 28 points to the Warriors.