TRIATHLON – Ironman 70.3 Bahrain 2025 champions Vincent Luis from France and Georgia Taylor-Brown from Britain take their talents to Qatar this week for the T100 Triathlon World Championship Final.
Luis is one of four Bahrain Victorious 13 superstars who are set to compete in the event.
The three-time elite men’s champion in the kingdom’s Ironman spectacle will be racing alongside teammates Jelle Geens and Marten Van Riel, both from Belgium.
India Lee from Britain, also part of the Bahrain Victorious 13 contingent, will be running in the women’s event along with Taylor-Brown, who is a team alumnus and is the elite women’s back-to-back winner from last weekend’s Ironman 70.3 Bahrain.
T100 Triathlon championship leaders Hayden Wilde and Kate Waugh, both Bahrain Victorious 13 alumni, head to Qatar this week after completing their final preparations in Abu Dhabi.
New Zealand’s Wilde and Britain’s Waugh have spent the past three weeks training in the UAE capital following the Dubai T100 in mid-November – a strategic decision that has allowed both title favourites to acclimatise to Gulf conditions ahead of Friday’s season-defining finale in Lusail.
Wilde – winner of five consecutive T100 races this season in Singapore, London, the French Riviera, Spain and Wollongong – used Abu Dhabi as his base for the final phase of preparation.
His dominant run is all the more remarkable given the horror bike crash he suffered in Japan at the start of May, which punctured his lung, broke six ribs, and left him needing surgery on his left scapula.
“Abu Dhabi offered everything I needed for this crucial period of training,” said Wilde.
“The facilities are absolutely world-class – from the swimming pools to the cycling routes and running tracks. Everything is set up to support athletes at the highest level, which was exactly what I needed heading into the biggest race of the season.”
Waugh, who finished second in Dubai to Julie Derron but retained her lead in the Race to Qatar standings, also found Abu Dhabi’s environment ideal for her world championship preparation.
“Abu Dhabi has been the perfect base for me,” said Waugh. “After racing in Dubai in November, it made complete sense to come here and continue my preparation. The training facilities are second to none, everything an elite triathlete needs is right here.
“Training in Abu Dhabi’s conditions means I’m already acclimatised to what we’ll face in Qatar. There’s no temperature shock, no adjustment period needed – I can arrive in Lusail ready to perform at my best from day one. That’s a significant advantage heading into a race of this magnitude.”
Both Wilde and Waugh head to Qatar with commanding leads in their respective championships, but nothing is assured.
The Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final carries increased points weighting – with 55 points for first place compared to 35 in regular races – meaning the titles could still be decided on race day.
Wilde enters the final with maximum points from his best four races. Waugh, who has yet to finish off the podium in five T100 starts this season, leads the women’s standings but faces strong challenges from Switzerland’s Derron, who leaped to second in the standings with her Dubai victory, and two-time Ironman world champion Lucy Charles-Barclay.
The Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final will unfold against the backdrop of Lusail’s stunning waterfront, with a two-km swim in the Arabian Gulf, an 80km bike through Lusail’s iconic streets, and an 18km run through Lusail Plaza and Boulevard.
The professional races take place on Friday, followed by amateur events on Saturday, including the T100 Age-Group World Championships, the 100km open-entry race, and sprint-distance triathlon.
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