Beth Potter: Background, career highlights, quotes
Beth Potter has only been racing triathlon for a few years, but she's already world champion and a double Olympic bronze medallist. Here's what you need to know about the Scottish runner-turned-triathlete
With several big wins to her name – including a word title and two Olympic bronze medals – and a string of impressive performances, former track runner Beth Potter quickly established herself as the one to beat.
Here, we delve into her background, career highlights and take a look at what’s next.
Who is Beth Potter?
A late convert to multisport, Beth Potter was a notable track runner before moving across to triathlon. Representing Scotland at both 5,000m and 10,000m at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, she came fifth in the latter.
Two years later, she was part of Team GB at the Rio Olympics, pulling on the national jersey to compete in the 10,000m.
The following year, 2017, saw Potter make her conversion. It seemed like a natural move; she’d been a competitive swimmer before pulling on her spikes in search of an athletics career.
Triathlon success came quickly for the Glaswegian, winning a European Cup sprint race in Funchal on the Portuguese island of Madeira that same year.
By May 2019, Potter was a European champion, taking gold with consummate ease in Weert in the Netherlands.
Over the next couple of COVID-interrupted seasons, she scored victories in both the World Cup and Super League Triathlon, as well as scooping bronze medals at both the world sprint championships and the Commonwealth Games.
By now, Potter was making great waves on the World Triathlon Championship Series circuit too. A silver in Hamburg in 2022 was followed by a maiden victory in the first race of this season.
What followed was a standout year, notching up more wins in Montreal and at the Olympic test event in Paris, a silver in the world sprint championships in Hamburg, before heading to the Grand Final in Pontevedra, Spain, as No.2, just a few points behind leader Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA).
A masterclass performance saw the Scot lift the world championship trophy, and with it qualify for her first Olympics in triathlon.
In Paris, expectations were high for the Scott to take individual gold, but she had no answer for the home side’s Beaugrand who took gold and a surprise performance by Switzerland’s Julie Derron for silver.
A brilliant bronze is then doubled when the reigning Olympic champions Team GB finish third in the mixed team relay just five days later.
How old is Beth Potter?
Beth Potter was born on 27 December 1991 and is 32 years old.
Beth Potter’s career highlights
September 2017: An early victory
In her first season in triathlon, Potter makes a near-instant impression on the sport, and hints at what’s to come, when she takes victory in a European Cup race on the island of Madeira in what is only her second international race.
June 2018: World Cup silver in Belgium’s diamond capital
After returning to Europe in the wake of representing Scotland at the Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast, Potter takes an impressive silver in Antwerp to register her first podium finish in a World Cup race.
May 2019: Champion of Europe
Having come 27th at the European Championships the previous August in her hometown of Glasgow, Potter majorly upgrades when she takes gold in Weert in the Netherlands, finishing almost a minute ahead of the field.
Fewer than two years after taking up the sport, Potter is crowned European champion. Her moment has truly arrived.
November 2020: World Cup gold in Valencia
After the pandemic disrupted her upwardly mobile triathlon career, Potter returns to winning ways in Valencia, having taken second place in a World Cup race in Arzachena in Sardinia the previous month.
In Spain, she takes World Cup glory by holding off the legend Nicola Spirig by just three seconds.
October 2021: Double glory in South Korea
Potter travels to South Korea to compete in – and win – back-to-back World Cup races in Haeundae and Tongyeong, seven days apart. In both races, she holds off the challenge of compatriot Kate Waugh, who takes double silver.
November 2021: A maiden WTCS top-10 finish
After her numerous World Cup successes, it’s time for Potter to make a proper impression on the WTCS circuit. This happens in Abu Dhabi where she finishes seventh, one of six Brits in the top 10.
Among her scalps are former world champions Non Stanford, Vicky Holland and Lucy Charles-Barclay.
April-May 2022: Becomes the first-ever sports champion
At the Munich leg of the innovative Arena Games series, Potter takes a commanding victory, which she follows up with silvers as the series makes stopovers in both London and Singapore, to claim the overall title.
June 2022: World champs bronze
Having achieved her first top-five WTCS finish in Leeds a fortnight earlier, Potter travels to Montreal for the world sprint championship, from which she brings home a bronze medal in her luggage, having finished behind Cassandre Beaugrand and Georgia Taylor-Brown.
July 2022: WTCS silver and Commonwealth bronze
Potter’s medal haul continues to grow, with two significant additions to the trophy cabinet this month during this particularly fecund summer. Her maiden appearance on a WTCS podium comes in Hamburg where she finishes just six seconds down on winner Flora Duffy.
Duffy is the Scot’s nemesis three weeks later at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The Bermudan takes gold and England-representing Taylor-Brown scoops silver, but Potter secures a comfortable bronze in the colours of Scotland.
March 2023: That elusive first WTCS triumph arrives
It’s a perfect start to the season for Potter as she scores her maiden victory in the WTCS series in Abu Dhabi, leaving a strong field – one that includes Sophie Coldwell, Taylor Spivey, Summer Rapaport and Cassandre Beaugrand – trailing in her wake.
A month later, Potter takes gold at the Arena Games Finals in London.
June 2023: Further WTCS glory
In a tight finish with France’s Léonie Périault in Montreal, Potter takes a second win in this season’s series, putting her at the top of the 2023 standings.
The following month, she has to be content with silver at the world sprint championships in Hamburg, losing out to her great rival Beaugrand.
August 2023: Perfect prep for Paris 2024
At the Olympic test event in the French capital, Potter’s rivalry with Beaugrand continues to develop, with the Scot returning to winning ways, a victory that places her at the top of the world rankings.
Three days later she anchors Team GB to silver in the mixed relay test event.
September 2023: Wins the world title
A dominant display in Pontevedra, Spain, sees Potter cruise to victory with 18secs in hand over teammate Kate Waugh (herself collecting her first WTCS medal).
The win, ahead of pre-race series leader Beaugrand in third, secures Potter the world title and a berth at her first Olympics in triathlon next year.
April 2024: Powers to second esports world title
Starts her season with victory at the supertri E World Triathlon Championships in London, taking first blood over Paris rival Beaugrand.
May 2024: Bronze in Cagliari
Not exactly a highlight for Potter but a podium in her first WTCS race of the year still shows great form. Annoyingly, Paris Test Event silver medallist Beaugrand tops the podium.
July-August 2024: Two bronzes for Potter in Paris
A solid swim and bike leg positions Potter at the pointy end of the run for her most powerful discipline, but she doesn’t have enough in the tank to overtake Switzerland’s Julie Derron and France’s Beaugrand. She’s still rightly made up with a medal in her first Olympic triathlon event, though.
Five days later and Team GB are leading the mixed team relay, but a stronger run from Germany’s Laura Lindemann sees the reigning world champions snatch victory. A photo finish initially awards Team GB the silver before the decision is reversed and Team USA take their second consecutive Olympic runner-up spot.
Beth Potter quotes
Speaking ahead of WTCS Yokohama 2021: “Whatever result it is, I try and either celebrate or grieve it for a day and then get back to the grind.”
On winning the Super League Arena Games in London in 2021: “Coming from a run background and not having swum for 10 years is hard, but having the pandemic has given me the time to put my head down and work hard.”
On winning triathlon bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games: “I’m just happy that I could deliver on the day. I think I was one of the ones to watch coming into this, so to get a medal on almost home soil is pretty good.”
After winning her first WTCS race at the Abu Dhabi 2023 event:“Jonny [Brownlee] text me this morning and said ‘you’re going to win’. I didn’t quite believe it. I was like, yeah, yeah, I’ll just do my best!”
On winning her first world title and qualifying for Paris 2024: “It’s just been a dream season, I’m lost for words to be honest. I just believed in all my training and trusted my abilities today.”
What’s next for Beth Potter?
A well deserved rest before possibly challenging for world title No.2.
Top image credit: Bertrand Guay/Pool/AFP/via Getty Images
Nige Tassell
Freelance sportswriter 
