TRIATHLON Preview: Will Katie Zaferes sprint away from the women’s field in Hamburg?

The Hamburg Triathlon, the world's largest!

American Katie Zaferes has been just about unstoppable this season, winning four of the five races so far and taking both sprints, in Hamburg and Montreal. Another week, another sprint, another win?

The sixth of the eight stages of the 2019 World Series is in Hamburg (GER), one of the great triathlons in the world, with a sprint event for the second consecutive race. The course features a 750 m swim, 21 km bike phase (six laps) and 5 km run (two laps). The series leaders:

Men:
1. 3,282 Fernando Alarza (ESP)
2. 3,200 Vincent Luis (FRA)
3. 3,108 Javier Gomez Noya (ESP)
4. 2,905 Henri Schoeman (RSA)
5. 2,377 Jacob Birtwhistle (AUS)

Women:
1. 4,925 Katie Zaferes (USA)
2. 4,170 Jessica learmonth (GBR)
3. 3,925 Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR)
4. 3,249 Taylor Spivey (USA)
5. 2,435 Non Stanford (GBR)

Only Zaferes has won a medal in every race this season, but Learmonth has four medals so far. Last year in Hamburg, the surprise winning was France’s Cassandre Beaugrand, followed by home favorite Laura Lindemann (GER) with Zaferes third.

The men’s season has been one of confusion, with five different winners in the five races held so far. Defending World Series champ Mario Mola won the opener in Abu Dhabi, but then hit a slump with three finishes in the 20s before last week’s second in Montreal. He’s won at Hamburg for three straight years, and is looking for a fourth this weekend.

He finished ahead of 2019’s no. 2-ranked triathlete, Vincent Luis of France, who was also the last other than Mola to win in Hamburg, back in 2015. Spain’s Fernando Alarza, who has finished 3-9-6-9-6 in his five races this season, jumped back into the Series lead after Montreal.

The balance in the men’s racing her been so severe so far that only Mola (2) and Javier Gomez (ESP: 2) have won more than a single medal in the first half of the season.

A Mixed Relay will be held on Sunday. Look for start lists and results here.