Can you believe the new World Triathlon Championship Series is already well underway?!
Abu Dhabi was set to kick the season off on 8-9 March 2024, but unfortunately the event had to be cancelled.
Next up, though, is Yokohama, which is set to take place this weekend, and there's some strong talent on show as athletes battle for Olympic qualification.
Keep on reading to find out what happened in the series in 2023, who's racing in Yokohama and what the rest of the short-course season looks like...
What happened in the 2023 WTCS?
The first round in Abu Dhabi on 3 March saw double GB gold, as Beth Potter notched up her first-ever WTCS win and Alex Yee put in a masterclass performance to take his fifth WTCS victory.
The second-round spoils in Yokohama went to Potter's teammate Sophie Coldwell – her first WTCS victory – and NZ's Hayden Wilde.
The third round in Cagliari, Sardinia, was yet another Brit double as Georgia Taylor Brown rediscovered that world-beating form to take her first win of the season and Yee once again got the better of the field to make it two wins from two race starts.
Montreal hosted the fourth round where Potter reigned supreme yet again. In a slightly depleted men's field, Aussie Matt Hauser took his first-ever WTCS win.
Round five took place in a familiar venue but with an entirely new format for the German city of Hamburg – the eliminator, which has so far only been contested in Montreal. The race also acted as the first-ever World Super Sprint Champs.
Taking the top honours were Hayden Wilde and Cassandre Beaugrand, for their second and first wins of the season, respectively.
The penultimate race took place in Sunderland, UK, for what could be the last WTCS outing for some time on UK shores.
But back on the race course it was a French sweep as Pierre Le Corre beat teammate Leo Bergere in a sprint to take his first WTCS win; Cassandre Beaugrand made it two in a row; and Team France outshone the field to win the Mixed Team Relay.
Pontevedra, Spain, hosted the Grand Final, with Alex Yee leading the rankings and poised to become the first British world champion since Jonny Brownlee back in 2012. However, a terrible swim for the Brit saw him eventually finish in 29th place and fifth in the overall standings.
Taking the spoils was Dorian Coninx, a surprise victory for the Frenchmen who had been in fifth place heading into the Final.
For the women, Beth Potter started as No.1 and finished No.1, leading from almost start to finish to take her first world title.
When and where is WTCS Yokohama taking place?
The second round of the 2024 WTCS takes place in Yokohama, Japan, on Saturday 11 May.
Which events are taking place in Yokohama?
As well as age-group races, Yokohama will be hosting the elite paratriathlon racing, plus the elite men's and women's Olympic-distance WTCS.
Which athletes are racing in Yokohama?
With only two WTCS races to go within the Olympic qualification window (the other being Cagliari), Yokohama will be fielding many of the top Olympic-distance names.
That includes reigning world champion Coninx, plus current Olympic champions Kristian Blummenfelt and Flora Duffy, the latter making her long-awaited return from injury.
Joining them will be a host of top talent, including French stars Leo Bergere and Emma Lombardi, and a strong contingent from Britain.
There's no Potter or Yee, who've both already secured their spots for Paris, but we will be seeing the likes of Jonny Brownlee, Hugo Milner, Kate Waugh and Vicky Holland, the latter continuing her return to the sport following the birth of her daughter in early 2023.
Other notable absentees include Taylor-Brown and Coldwell, though British Triathlon Performance Director Mike Cavendish told us that's not surprising, as the organisation has told athletes that WTCS Cagliari is the race its going to put the most weight behind when choosing the final Olympic team.
Also racing in Yokohama will be Taylor Knibb, who continues to show her versatility with a recent win at Ironman 70.3 Oceanside, and a strong contingent of other American women including Taylor Spivey, Summer Rappaport and Rio Olympic champion Gwen Jorgensen.
The male start list also includes the likes of Vasco Vilaca, Matt Hauser, Jelle Geens and Morgan Pearson.
Full start lists can be found here.
The 2024 WTCS Yokohama course
The elite races are Olympic distance, and start with a two-lap 1,500m swim with a pontoon start.
After a short run to T1, athletes hit the nine-lap, 40km bike course around some of the city's streets.
From T2 they start the four-lap, 10km run in the same area before sprint finish.
The 2024 Para Cup Yokohama course
The Paratriathlon Championship races start with a one-lap, 750m swim before they hit a four-lap, 20km bike leg.
It's then a three-lap 5km run around the park before making the finishing straight.
How can I watch the 2024 WTCS Yokohama?
You can watch all races live on TriathlonLive.tv, while UK audiences can also stream live coverage via BBC Sport, the BBC Sport app and the BBC Red Button.
When do the 2024 WTCS Yokohama events start*?
*All times are local, which is 8hrs ahead of the UK.
Saturday 11 May
6.50am – Para Championship Series racing begins (10.50pm on Friday 10 May, British time)
10.15am – Elite women's Olympic-distance race (2.15am British time)
1pm – Elite men's Olympic-distance race (5am British time)
2024 World Triathlon Championship Series
The 2024 series will have visited six different locations during the season, starting in Abu Dhabi in March and culminating at the Grand Final in Malaga, Spain, in October.
WTCS 2024 overview
- 8-9 March: WTCS Abu Dhabi, UAE (sprint and mixed relay)
- 11 May: WTCS Yokohama Japan (standard)
- 25-26 May: WTCS Cagliari, Italy (standard)
- 13-14 July: WTCS Hamburg, Germany (sprint and mixed relay)
- 14-15 September: WTCS Montreal, Canada (sprint and mixed relay)
- 17-20 October: World Triathlon Grand Final Malaga, Spain (standard)
Paris 2024 Olympics
- 30, 31 July & 5 August: Paris, France (standard & mixed relay)
Paratriathlon
- 8 March: Para Cup Abu Dhabi, UAE
- 16-17 March: WTPS Devonport, Australia
- 13 May: WTPS Yokohama, Japan
- 18-19 May: Para Cup Samarkand, Uzbekistan
- 15-16 June: Para Cup Besançon, France
- 22-23 June: WTPS Swansea, Wales
- 29-30 June: WTPS Montreal, Canada
- 20-21 July: Para Cup Long Beach, USA
- 1-2 September: Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, France
- 17-20 October: World Triathlon Para Championships Malaga, Spain
Top image credit: Janos Schmidt/World Triathlon
