Lisa Tertsch gets the better of the Brits in Weihai World Series race

Germany’s Lisa Tertsch led from gun to tape to take her debut World Triathlon Championship Series win today. The Paris Olympics mixed relay gold medallist was first out of the water, first out of the bike and first on the finish line in the first-ever Weihai WTCS, the penultimate round of the 2024 season.

Statistically, the two-time WTCS runner-up could also win her first world title next month in Torremolinos, Spain, although the battle certainly won’t be easy.

The British duo of Beth Potter and Georgia Taylor-Brown, finished second and third, respectively.

What happened in the women’s race?

It was a small but mighty field that lined up on the start line of the first-ever Olympic-distance WTCS event in Weihai, China, this morning, with no fewer than five Olympic medallists on the pontoon – Potter, Taylor-Brown, Tertsch, fellow mixed relay gold medallist Laura Lindemann and Rio champion Gwen Jorgensen.

Tertsch took the reins from the first few meters of the swim before extending it on the second of two 750m swim laps, but as they charged into T2 just 10secs separated the top 10.

By the time they all jumped on their bikes, it was one massive group with almost everyone negotiating the first turns together and heading up the infamous Weihai climb for the first time.

As in the men’s race, though, not all of them made it to the top together. And as the eight laps counted down, the group steadily reduced in number, losing the likes of Lindemann, Kirsten Kasper (USA), Anna Godoy Contreras (ESP) and Erika Ackerlund (USA).

Up front, Tertsch, Potter, Kate Waugh (GBR), Taylor-Brown, Jeanne Lehair (LUX) and Alice Betto (ITA) took solid turns up front, with Jorgensen, Gina Sereno, Tanja Neubert (GER), Annika Koch (GER) and Xinyu Lin (CHN) never losing contact with the leaders.

Tertsch led the pack into and out of T2, looking remarkably fresh after that punishing bike leg. Indeed, she once again set the fastest run split – 33:24 – as she has done almost every race this year.

Behind her, Potter and Taylor-Brown started the chase together, but with a little over one lap to go, the Paris Olympic bronze medallist decided that she was going on the chase solo. But Tertsch was on the hunt for crucial championship points, finding an extra gear in the last 500m to keep Potter out of sight and cross the finish line in first place.

Neubert managed an impressive fourth place, a best-ever result on the WTCS circuit for the German, while Waugh had a fabulous sprint at the end to finish in fifth place, followed by an extremely happy Jorgensen, only eight weeks after surgery to fix a broken collarbone.

Lisa Tertsch quotes from Weihai WTCS 2024

“You always have to assess the situation and everyone tries to have a good second transition,” added Tertsch. “Sometimes it works, like for me today, sometimes it doesn’t. You have to look at who is around you the first kilometre and when I saw nobody was around me I thought, ‘okay, I guess it is time to push!’

“I was lucky I got some practice in Valencia running on my own… 10km on your own is tough mentally with no one to take turns and there was always wind on the back side and that was a first on my own… so this race was a lot of firsts, including my first time in China!

“I’ve been working hard on my swim and it has started to show,” continued Tertsch. “The bike was tough, but I thought it was tough for all so I told myself that everyone was suffering, we all had to get up that hill together.

“When you’re at the front you are the one who is hunted and you have no idea how the person behind is doing or feeling. I thought if there was ever a time to dig deep, that was it.

“We’ll see [about winning a world title]. I focus on the process and not looking too far ahead and pressure and expectation can come easily and stop performing at your best. Today I had a free mind and wanted to show what I’m capable of and I’m glad I did that today.”

Beth Potter quotes from Weihai WTCS 2024

Potter claimed a valuable silver medal that puts her in second place of the Series rankings behind Paris champion Cassandre Beaugrand.

“I actually really enjoyed that,” admitted reigning world champion Potter at the line. “Probably the first time I enjoyed a triathlon since Pontevedra last year and that was my main goal today. It’s been hard, I’ve know it has been there in training and I haven’t quite found it in the race, but that was a really interesting course and good fun and played to some of my strengths.

“I believed [I could get to Lisa] and backed myself and probably could have made a move a bit earlier on but I’m really happy with everything I executed today. It’s not over until it’s over, so I’ll go to Malaga in a pretty strong position and fight for the title again.”

Georgia Taylor-Brown quotes from Weihai WTCS 2024

Taylor-Brown claimed bronze showing that her excellent run form is back.

“I said to myself I’d be so happy to just get back on that podium and prove to myself that I can still do it,” explained Tokyo silver medallist Taylor-Brown. “It’s been a bit rough and I’ve been disappointed since the Olympics [where she finished sixth in the individual race] and not felt in my groove and rhythm, but super happy with that performance today.

“It was such a big bike group and nobody wanted to pull turns, so a gap would form on the uphill then on the flat section no one wanted to do anything, so I had to sit with that and realise it was probably going to be a running race and try and find some legs. It has been a long road getting back to fitness and feeling like myself and I’m just happy to be racing not sat at home watching!”

Top 5 men’s results – Weihai WTCS

1 Lisa Tertsch, GER 2:04:42
2 Beth Potter, GBR 2:04:59
3 Georgia Taylor-Brown, GBR 2:05:40
4 Tanja Neubert, GER 2:05:55
5 Kate Waugh, GBR 2:06:00