Lucy Charles-Barclay confirms dual-goals of T100 and Ironman world championships as she leads the field into London

After the shock announcement that she would compete at the Ironman World Championship in Nice this September, reigning Ironman World Champion Lucy Charles Barclay appeared to be changing course slightly after she’d said earlier this year that she was 100 per cent committed to the T100 Triathlon World Tour. Based on her comments in a new video posted on her YouTube channel (see below), it would appear that the British star’s ambitious new plan includes both the Ironman World Championship and the T100 series. She remains uncertain on whether she’ll compete at the 70.3 worlds in Taupo, though.

The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) today announced the list of 15 contracted athletes who will be competing at the next race in the T100 Series on London – Charles-Barclay, who is leading the series, will head the field.

The London event will come closer to including all of the big names who have committed to the T100 series, but will be short the signed athletes competing at the Olympics (including T100 San Francisco winner Taylor Knibb), which will be happening just a few days after the London race.

“I’m still fully committed to the T100 Series, the next one being in London,” Charles-Barclay said. “We have the Grand Final at the end of November, which is a huge goal of mine. I am currently leading the standings, so I definitely want to keep performing over that distance.”

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Charles-Barclay says she’ll “see how things go” towards the end of the season as she decides on whether or not she’ll compete in Taupo.

Strong women’s field for London

Charles-Barclay will wear race #1 in London, but she’ll be facing a strong field. Here’s the initial start list (of the contracted athletes) for the T100 London race.

1. Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR)
2. Ashleigh Gentle (AUS)
3. India Lee (GBR)
4. Paula Findlay (CAN)
5. Lucy Byram (GBR)
6. Amelia Watkinson (NZL)
7. Kat Matthews (GBR)
8. Imogen Simmonds (SUI)
9. Laura Philipp (GER)
10. Emma Pallant-Browne (GBR)
11. Daniela Ryf (SUI)
12. Tamara Jewett (CAN)
13. Chelsea Sodaro (USA)
14. Marjolaine Pierre (FRA)
15. Anne Haug (GER)

The field includes a number of women who area rounding into top form. Kat Matthews was the only woman able to finish within four minutes of Taylor Knibb in San Francisco (third-place Laura Philipp was over seven minutes down). Findlay is coming off a big win at Ironman 70.3 Mont-Tremblant, while Tamara Jewett continues to get her season back in order thanks to a runner-up finish in Quebec. Gentle typically excels in warm weather races, so it comes as no surprise that the conditions in San Francisco weren’t to her liking. A warmer day in London will most likely see her in the mix for another 100-km distance win. The field also includes the first T100 appearance for Anne Haug, who competed in the 70.3 race in Nice.

After two runner-up finishes in the series so far (in Miami and Singapore), Charles-Barclay would dearly love to win in her home town. A win in London would also set her up nicely for a run at the overall T100 title, too.