Brea Roderick has been called into NZL’s elite relay squad for races in Montreal, Hamburg and Sunderland. Photo: Delly Carr/Triathlon Australia
By Triathlon.kiwi
Two new names for Montreal and cast of familiar faces for Hamburg and Sunderland feature as Tri NZ ramps up preparations for a critical series of Mixed Relay races with an eye to next year’s Paris Olympic Games.
Brea Roderick and Kyle Smith have been called into the sextuple for the relay at World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) Montreal on June 25, replacing the unavailable Olivia Thornbury and Hayden Wilde respectively.
Cantabrian Roderick and Taupo’s Girona-based Smith join Nicole van der Kaay, Ainsley Thorpe, Tayler Reid and Dylan McCullough for the relay in Canada with the six to be whittled to four, at the discretion of the Tri NZ selection panel, following the individual WTCS races in Montreal the previous day.
All but Smith, who is on the waitlist, have confirmed starts in the individual sprint races (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) on June 24.
Wilde, fresh from gold and silver medal performances at WTCS Yokohama and Cagliari respectively, is in the midst of a new training block with an eye to WTCS Hamburg from July 13-16. The German round of the triathlon’s preeminent series doubles as the World Triathlon Sprint and Relay Championships where Wilde, Reid, McCullough, van der Kaay, Thorpe and Roderick will attempt to seal New Zealand’s Olympic selection in the July 16 relay.
With a team spot for Paris ‘24, and two female and two male individual starts as a result, available in Germany, Tri NZ has long targeted WTCS Hamburg as one of the key dates of 2023.
France, as hosts, and Great Britain have already qualified for the Olympic Mixed Relay meaning New Zealand must finish best of the rest – even if that is third behind France and GBR – to secure the spot.
The same Kiwi six – Wilde, Reid, McCullough, van der Kaay, Thorpe and Roderick – have been selected for the relay at WTCS Sunderland (July 29-30). Sunderland, and the relay at the Paris Olympic test event from August 17-20, offers further ranking point opportunities should New Zealand not secure the automatic Hamburg spot.
The six-strong squad for Paris has not yet been selected.
There is also be a U23/Junior relay in Hamburg in July. Roderick, Tauranga’s Hannah Knighton, McCullough, Canterbury’s Saxon Morgan and Cambridge-based Lachlan Haycock have been named to that squad.
NZL squads for World Triathlon 2023 Mixed Relay races
WTCS Montreal – June 25
Female (3): Ainsley Thorpe, Brea Roderick, Nicole van der Kaay
Male (3): Dylan McCullough, Kyle Smith, Tayler Reid
WTCS Hamburg (World Triathlon Sprint & Relay Championship) – July 16
Female (3): Ainsley Thorpe, Brea Roderick, Nicole van der Kaay
Male (3): Dylan McCullough, Hayden Wilde, Tayler Reid
Junior & U23 MR World Championships – July 16
Female (2): Brea Roderick, Hannah Knighton
Male (3): Dylan McCullough, Saxon Morgan, Lachlan Haycock
WTCS Sunderland – July 30
Female (3): Ainsley Thorpe, Brea Roderick, Nicole van der Kaay
Male (3): Dylan McCullough, Hayden Wilde, Tayler Reid
