Paula Findlay, Tamara Jewett headline Ironman 70.3 worlds for Canada

The Ironman 70.3 World Championship is just a few weeks away, and the pro start lists for the Taupo, New Zealand, race have officially been released. As expected, both the men’s and women’s fields are stacked, with multiple athletes capable of winning in Taupo. Names everyone will be watching are two-time defending 70.3 world champion Taylor Knibb of the U.S. and Olympic silver medallist and hometown favourite Hayden Wilde. In addition to those heavy-hitters, Canadians should keep an eye on Tamara Jewett, Paula Findlay, and Kristen Marchant, the three Canucks who are set to compete in the pro race.

Can Knibb get three straight?

All eyes will be on Knibb in Taupo, as she has been the athlete to beat over middle-distance events in the past few years. She has won the last two Ironman 70.3 world titles and she won every T100 race she entered this year (taking home the T100 world title in the process), so it’s not a question of if she can win (we know she can), but rather if anyone else can stop her.

There is a long list of women who are certainly capable of stealing the win from Knibb, including Kat Matthews and Imogen Simmonds, the other two podium finishers from the 2023 70.3 worlds. Matthews is coming off of a second-place finish at the Ironman World Championship in Nice, and she will be looking to take the next step up the podium for a world title.

Ashleigh Gentle should also be in the fight for a podium spot. She performed well all season in the T100 series, taking wins at the Singapore and London races and a third place at the series finale in Dubai.

A Canadian podium result?

Findlay and Jewett certainly have what it takes to secure a great result in Taupo. Findlay knows what is required to podium at the worlds, as she has a second-place finish on her resume already from the 2022 championship. This season, she has a pair of 70.3 wins (in St. George and Mont Tremblant) and she put on a solid showing in the T100 series, so she definitely has the ability to steal the show in December.

Jewett is often the fastest runner in any race she enters. In 2024, she has only failed to have the fastest run of the day in one race (other than a few events in which she registered a DNF).  For Jewett, it’s just a matter of keeping close to the leaders through the first two legs of the race. If she finds herself within a few minutes of the podium after the bike in Taupo, everyone in front of her should be afraid.

Wilde races on home soil

On the men’s side, Germany’s Rico Bogen will be in Taupo to defend his 70.3 world title. He has had a good season, including a second-place finish at the T100 finale in Dubai behind winner Marten Van Riel. Bogen will be one to watch in December, but a pair of short-course racers in Wilde and France’s Leo Bergere will be looking to ruin his day.

Wilde won Taupo 70.3 back in 2019. Since then, he has won two Olympic medals and only gotten faster. He will be a big favourite on race day, and the crowd will certainly be behind him as a Kiwi star. Bergere is another Olympic medallist, and he certainly has the speed to fly to his first 70.3 world title. He won Ironman 70.3 Valencia by three minutes in April, and it shouldn’t be a surprise if he runs away with the victory in Taupo.