Beth Potter continued her imperious late-season form with a commanding victory at WTCS Weihai, her second consecutive triumph on the World Triathlon Championship Series circuit.
Fresh from an emotional win in Karlovy Vary, the Brit wasted no time asserting herself on the run. Deploying her trademark surge early in the 10km, she quickly dropped her rivals and extended the gap with every stride. By the finish line, she had carved out a decisive 16-second cushion over German duo Lisa Tertsch and Tanja Neubert.
The victory carries added weight in the championship battle. Olympic champion Cassandre Beaugrand skipped the trip to China, meaning Potter now draws level with her at the top of the overall standings. The stage is set for a blockbuster showdown between the last two world champions at the Grand Final in Wollongong in three weeks’ time, with Jeanne Lehair holding third place in the rankings.
The final regular-season WTCS event featured a compact 28-athlete field, with Potter the only previous winner on the start list.
Air temperatures soared to 29 degrees by midday and the water was choppy, but Bianca Seregni was unfazed. The Italian looked smooth as ever, leading through both 750m laps. Kanae Takenaka, Márta Kropkó and Tertsch followed closely, while Taylor Spivey and Potter stayed well in touch inside the top 10. Just seven seconds separated the top 10 coming out of the water, underlining how tightly bunched the field was.
Unlike the hilly challenge of Weihai in 2024, this year’s course featured eight flat 5km laps along the seafront. An initial front pack of 12 soon absorbed the chasers, swelling to 24 riders by lap three. With the remainder of the field adrift, the big group rolled steadily to T2.
Mexico’s Rosa Maria Tapia Vidal found a couple of seconds to claim the honor of hitting transition first, but the real racing was yet to come.
Canada’s Desirae Ridenour and Britain’s Sophie Alden initially set the tempo out of T2, but Potter wasted no time in taking control. Surging to the front with authority, she immediately opened daylight and never looked back.
At the end of lap one, her lead was already 12 seconds. By halfway she had doubled it, leaving only Tertsch and Neubert with faint hopes of reeling her in. Behind them, Spivey, Alden, and Gina Sereno formed the next chase group.
Potter was able to relax slightly in the closing stages, yet still finished 16 seconds clear. Tertsch edged Neubert in a sprint for second and third, while Spivey crossed in fourth. Alden impressed on WTCS debut but was overhauled late by Diana Isakova, who claimed fifth.