This is a preview of the event – click on the names to read how Olympic champions Cassandre Beaugrand and Alex Yee came out on top in dramatic style.
It’s the supertri Grand Final on Sunday, with the event kicking off the NEOM Beach Games in Saudi Arabia.
After four rounds of frantic racing in Boston, Chicago, London, and Toulouse it is Georgia Taylor-Brown and Hayden Wilde who are in prime position for the overall individual titles.
But there’s an increased emphasis on the teams this year – with huge prize money up for grabs – so there’s something to play for pretty much across the board, especially with increased points on offer.
Cassandre Beaugrand and Alex Yee, who have both added a world title to their Olympic crowns since supertri Toulouse, are racing – as are the vast majority of the medal winners in Paris. It promises to be a stunning finale – read on to find out more…
Start time and how to watch live
Racing takes place on Sunday November 3, 2024 and start times are as follows:
Women’s race: 14:08 local, that’s 11:08 UK, 12:08 CET, 06:08 Eastern Time or 03:08 Pacific.
Men’s race: 15:20 local, that’s 12:20 UK, 13:20 CET, 07:20 Eastern Time or 04:20 Pacific.
You can sign up to watch the races for free on the supertri website here and this page also gives full details of broadcasters in your region.
Pro Women – who is racing?
Georgia Taylor-Brown will become the first athlete to win three supertri League titles if she can extend the form which has seen her win three races back-to-back since Chicago. A podium place will be enough, whatever anyone else does.
But there are 20 points available for the winner of this event (as opposed to the normal 15), and Jeanne Lehair and Taylor Spivey are her two biggest challengers, each six points back (the full standings are lower down).
The simplest way for Lehair or Spivey to win is they need a victory in Neom and for Taylor-Brown to finish fourth or lower.
Georgia Taylor Brown takes the win in Toulouse [Photo credit: supertri]
There are three team changes compared to the last race in Toulouse – Olivia Mathias is in for Miriam Casillas Garcia at Brownlee Racing while Kirsten Kasper and Nina Eim take over from Emma Lombardi and the now-retired Katie Zaferes at Stars & Stripes.
Teams (bib numbers in brackets):
Brownlee Racing: Beth Potter (15), Olivia Mathias (14), Jess Fullagar (12) and Alice Betto (11).
Crown Racing: Cassandre Beaugrand (21), Georgia Taylor-Brown (23), Kate Waugh (24) and Barbara De Koning (22)
Podium Racing: Jeanne Lehair (31), Fanni Szalai (34), Vittória Lopes (32) and Léonie Périault (33)
Stars & Stripes: Taylor Spivey (43), Cathia Schär (42), Kirsten Kasper and Nina Eim (46)
Pro Men – who is racing?
Hayden Wilde leads the standings and is poised to take home his second supertri title. Like GTB he needs to place in the first three to ensure the trophy will be his again. Challengers Léo Bergere, Tim Hellwig, and Vasco Vilaca are still in contention and hoping for a dramatic finish.
Defending champion Bergere, who won in Neom last year, needs a repeat and for Wilde to finish fourth or lower. Hellwig would need to win and for Wilde to finish fifth or lower, while it’s another victory required for Toulouse hero Vilaca and sixth or lower for Wilde.
What a season it’s been for Hayden Wilde and Alex Yee [Photo credit supertri]
And Neom is also notable for being two-time Super League champion Vincent Luis ’ last shor-course race before he moves up in distance.
There are some significant team changes from Toulouse for the men – Alex Yee missed that race because of jury duty and since then he’s added a first world title to his Olympic crown and returns for Brownlee Racing in place of Jack Willis – and primed to resume his great rivalry with Wilde.
Unfortunately Matt Hauser was injured in a bike crash in the WTCS finale in Torremolinos and he and Emil Holm miss out for Podium Racing, with French pair Dorian Coninx and Yanis Seguin stepping in.
Teams (bib numbers in brackets):
Brownlee Racing: Alex Yee (16), Jonny Brownlee (13), Connor Bentley (12), Sergio Baxter Cabrera (11).
Crown Racing: Hayden Wilde (24), Vincent Luis (22), Max Stapley (23) and Vetle Bergsvik Thorn (21)
Podium Racing: Dorian Coninx (32), Léo Bergere (31), Kenji Nener (35) and Yanis Seguin (37)
Stars & Stripes: Chase McQueen (42), Pierre Le Corre (46), Vasco Vilaça (44) and Tim Hellwig (41).
Format and course
The format in Neom – and all supertri races this season – is ENDURO.
In simple terms, this is three back-to-back triathlons (all in swim-bike-run order), with no breaks in between. The distances are 300m for the swim, 4km on the bike and a 1.6km run.
Not everyone will make it to the finish though, because should an athlete fall more than 90 seconds behind the race leader at any point, they will be eliminated.
Neom’s spectacular desert landscape provides a dramatic backdrop for the final of the supertri season with heat, sand, a sea swim and wind all coming into the mix.
The backdrop to the bike course in Neom [Photo credit: Super League]
Beginner’s guide to supertri
‘Normal’ rules do not apply in supertri and a small short cut, aka ‘Short Chute’, can be earned during the racing for being first across the line at various points.
You can earn a Short Chute in Neom as follows:
the first athlete across the mount line after the swim on Stage 1
the first across the mount line after the bike on Stage 1 (i.e. after T2)
the first across the dismount line after the run on Stage 1
Short Chutes are won for a team and awarded to an athlete during the race by their team manager. No team can win more than one Short Chute.
Latest standings
Individual and team titles are on the line along with more than $1 million prize money up for grabs.
The first team receives $375,000 and the individual titles are each worth $80,000.
And it’s tight at the top of the teams standings heading into the finale, with Crown Racing 14 points ahead of Podium Racing. Stars & Stripes enjoyed a great day in Toulouse to move well clear of Brownlee Racing in third.
Updated team standings
1. Crown Racing – 323pts
2. Podium Racing – 309pts
3. Stars & Stripes – 271pts
4. Brownlee Racing – 226pts
And the individual standings are as follows:
[Graphic from supertri]
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