Sophie Coldwell: Background, career highlights, quotes
British triathlete Sophie Coldwell may well be the most talented triathlete never to have raced the Olympics. Here's her turbulent career to date…
The competition to represent Britain’s women at major championships is extremely tough, and they’ve never been tougher for Sophie Coldwell.
Having missed out on competing at the Tokyo Olympics, her strong showing throughout the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) landed her a berth in Team England’s Commonwealth Games squad where she finished fourth.
Paris was understandably in her crosshairs, but again, it wasn’t to be.
But who is Sophie Coldwell? And what’s her background? It’s time to find out…
Who is Sophie Coldwell?
Had she been born at another time, or in another country, Sophie Coldwell would have had more opportunities – and thus be in receipt of more adoration – than she has. With the terrifically high standard of, and fierce competition between, Britain’s elite women, Coldwell hasn’t always been able to match those around her.
But in most other countries, her results record – containing World Cup victories and WTCS podium places – would mean she would be an undisputed number one.
Raised in Nottingham and now based in Loughborough, Coldwell has nonetheless made her own mark on the sport after a highly decorated junior career. Not in possession of Olympic golds or MBEs like certain contemporaries, her tenacity has seen her rise to challenge, and often beat, the very best in the world.
She finished the 2021 WTCS series in fifth overall, casting her fellow Brits into the shade.
While obviously disappointed at not being selected for the Tokyo Olympics (as a reserve, she still had to travel to Japan and was therefore part of the Team GB set-up), Coldwell was selected for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where she finished an agonising fourth.
Two years later, however, and she got the biggest blow to her career – it’s a controversial no for Paris despite several rounds of appeal. She will go to France as a reserve, as she did in Tokyo.
How old is Sophie Coldwell?
Sophie Coldwell was born on 25 February 1995, making her 29 years old.
Sophie Coldwell’s career highlights
July 2015: Coldwell’s first senior national title
Holding off the spirited challenges of Emma Pallant-Browne and Jess Learmonth, Coldwell wins the Sprint Triathlon National Championships in Liverpool. She is just 20 years old.
April 2018: Just misses a top-five finish at the Commonwealth Games
Although Bermuda’s Flora Duffy takes gold, Britain’s women dominate the top 10. While Coldwell finishes a very promising sixth, Learmonth takes silver, Vicky Holland comes fourth and former world champion Non Stanford finishes eighth.
July 2018: Double joy in eastern Europe
It proves to be a terrific month for Coldwell as she registers two highly significant victories on her travels. The first comes in Hungary with a win at the Tiszaújváros World Cup race.
Twelve days later, Coldwell breaks the tape first at the ETU Triathlon European Championships in Tartu in Estonia.
June 2019: Flawless foursome cruise to victory
Alongside Georgia Taylor-Brown, Ben Dijkstra and Alex Yee, Coldwell is part of the victorious British quartet at the Accenture Wold Triathlon Mixed Relay on her home turf of Nottingham, the city she grew up in.
June 2021: Coldwell breaks her WTCS podium duck
In front of a customarily exuberant crowd in Leeds, Coldwell achieves her maiden top-three finish in the WTCS series behind the Netherlands’ Maya Kingma and Jess Learmonth. Among Coldwell’s scalps are Flora Duffy and Taylor Spivey.
August 2021: Highest-placed Brit in the WTCS series
A seventh place at the WTCS Grand Final in Edmonton is enough to confirm that Coldwell has achieved a career-best fifth overall for the series. As such, and despite the exceedingly high calibre of her compatriots, she is the highest-placed British woman.
June 2022: Parties in the park
Wins individual bronze and mixed relay silver at the Leeds WTCS event and follows it up two weeks later with another mixed team relay silver in Montreal.
July 2022: The worst and best in Brum
An unusual-for-her poor swim leaves Coldwell playing catch-up for the entire sprint-distance Commonwealth Games race in Birmingham. A fourth place is still highly commendable but she was of course hoping for a podium.
Two days later and a medal is hers as she collects gold in the mixed relay.
September 2022: Bronze in the SLT
Has a stellar end-of-season showing in the 2022 Super League Series, with a fourth, two seconds and a third to finish in bronze position overall.
In November, she finishes 11th in the Grand Final to end the Series in overall sixth place.
March 2023: Takes her first WTCS silver
At the first WTCS race of the season in Abu Dhabi, Coldwell has her best result to date with silver behind teammate Beth Potter.
May 2023: Wins her first WTCS race
Has a near-perfect race in the Olympic-distance Yokohama to take her first WTCS title. She also leads the series’ rankings.
August 2023: Silver in London
Finishes second at the first round of the 2023 Super League Series in Canary Wharf, London.
September 2023: Finishes fifth in the world
Despite not revisiting another WTCS podium in 2023 (13th in Montreal, 14th in Hamburg, 20th at the Paris Test Event), Coldwell finishes seventh in the Grand Final to end the year in fifth place overall.
April 2024: Begins with bronze
Finishes third at the Melilla European Cup in Spain, behind compatriot Kate Waugh and France’s Emma Lombardi.
May 2024: Seventh in Sardinia
Finishes third Brit behind Potter in third and Taylor-Brown in sixth, at the WTCS Cagliari race.
Sophie Coldwell quotes
On her first WTCS podium, in Leeds in 2021: “Coming off the bike, I was so conscious of getting on the podium that it didn’t matter whether I won or finished third. To finally tick that box was amazing.”
On being a reserve at the Tokyo Olympics: “Being from Great Britain has its pros and cons … It’s tough thinking you should be on the start list, but because you’re from the strongest nation, you’re not.”
On her Super League experience: “Racing back-to-back weekends showed I’m not an athlete who can do everything. I got worse every week and fell off a cliff by the end of it.”
On her fourth place at the 2022 Commonwealth Games: “I’m pretty gutted with that. Just not my day – three better people on the day, not much more to say really.”
On her first WTCS silver in Abu Dhabi, 2023: “I wasn’t even planning on racing this early. I was just coming back from a training camp in Australia and thought, well it’s on the way home so may as well stop off. So to come second, I’m literally lost for words, I can’t believe it.”
On missing out on a place for Paris: “I’m disappointed, l’m sad but above all I’m angry at my federation. […] This was never a personal attack against other athletes but one against a federation who ultimately decides who’s [sic] dreams are made or not, and unfortunately I wasn’t on the right side of the decision. After reading the second selection meeting notes, I’m even more angry and disappointed in the federation, 19 pages of lip service.”
What’s next for Sophie Coldwell?
Having missed on Team GB selection again, Sophie will be a reserve for the Paris 2024 squad. Beyond that, proving her detractors very wrong.
Top image credit: World Triathlon
Nige Tassell
Freelance sportswriter 
