Luke Willian of Australia has emerged victorious in the elite men’s event at the World Triathlon Cup 2024 in Wollongong, Australia. Willian clinched the gold medal with an impressive overall time of 52 minutes and 51 seconds. In second place was Jamie Riddle from South Africa, who clocked 53 minutes and 14 seconds, while Diego Moya of Chile claimed third place just fractions of a second behind Riddle.
Among the Australian competitors, Callum McClusky finished fifth and Jacob Birtwhistle came in sixth. Bradley Course finished eighth, and Brandon Copeland came in tenth. This win marks Willian’s first World Triathlon Cup victory in five years and enhances his chances for the Paris 2024 Olympics. However, selection is not guaranteed.
Luke Willian expressed his determination to secure a spot in the upcoming Olympic Games after missing out on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to a food poisoning incident that sidelined top contender Ben Dijkstra from Great Britain. The absence of Matt Hauser, the only Australian confirmed for the Paris 2024 Olympics triathlon team, provided Willian with an opportunity to shine on home soil.
In the women’s elite event, Ellie Hoitnik finished seventh with a time of 1 hour and 52 seconds. Tilda Mansson from Sweden won the event in a time of 1 hour and 39 seconds. Australia is set to field two men and two women in both individual and mixed relay triathlons at the Paris Olympics, with hopes high for a strong showing from the Australian triathlon team.
