Lievin Indoor Triathlon World Cup 2025: Key Athletes to Watch

Get ready for the fireworks. Get ready for the noise. Get ready for the speed. The Liévin World Indoor Cup is just around the corner, and in less than four weeks, it promises to deliver an event like no other on the sporting calendar.

With multiple world champions and WTCS gold medallists set to line up at the start, this race will be nothing short of a battle royale. Each round will demand absolute precision, and even a single misstep could dash any hopes of medal glory. As the excitement builds, let’s explore who to watch on the start lists and some intriguing stories that are unfolding in the lead-up to this thrilling competition.

Who’s there?

Men

**Hayden Wilde** arrives at this year’s competition already boasting a victory at WTCS Abu Dhabi. This will be his debut in Liévin, and he aims to maintain his unbeaten streak into 2025. Following a remarkable win at WTCS Hamburg in 2023 using the super sprint eliminator format, Wilde has consistently demonstrated his prowess over shorter distances. With speed to spare, he enters as the favourite.

However, Wilde will face formidable rivals from France. The world’s champions **Dorian Coninx** and **Leo Bergere** are also set to make their season debuts and will be keen to deny Wilde the spotlight in front of a home crowd. Coninx, in particular, has proven his mettle in the super sprint format, winning in Montreal back in 2021.

The French squad isn’t just resting on the shoulders of Coninx and Bergere; they are also bolstered by **Yanis Seguin**, a World Cup winner, and **Baptiste Passemard**, a 2023 World U23 Championships medallist. Their collective aim is to seize multiple medals in Liévin.

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**Henry Graf**, who recently secured gold in the Mixed Team Relay at Abu Dhabi and finished a commendable 4th in the individual race, will look to make a significant impact in Liévin. British athlete **Ben Dijkstra**, fresh from an impressive WTCS debut last month, is also one to watch, alongside his talented teammate **Hamish Reilly**, a medallist from the 2022 World U23 Championships.

Meanwhile, Dutch Olympian **Mitch Kolkman** hopes to showcase his swimming prowess once again, having clocked the fastest time in the men’s final last year. Spain’s **Genis Grau**, a World Cup titleholder, is another key contender. Italian athletes **Nicola Azzano** and **Euan De Nigro** arrive with momentum, having recently secured a bronze medal in the Mixed Team Relay World Series in Abu Dhabi.

Women

She’s back. A phrase the elite women’s field dreaded has now become reality—**Cassandre Beaugrand**, the Olympic and world champion, is making her long-awaited season debut. Any anticipation that she may not be in prime condition following an exceptional previous season evaporated with her recent record-setting 5km run. Racing before a home crowd in Liévin, expect an encore reminiscent of her stunning performances at the Paris Olympics.

Competing against Beaugrand will be **Emma Lombardi**, a WTCS medallist, and **Sandra Dodet**, a World Cup champion. Lombardi’s emergence from the shadow of Beaugrand will be particularly captivating. With a slew of French talent poised for victory, a podium sweep is within the realm of possibility.

Germany, neighbours known for their podium prowess, will be out in full force in Liévin. **Laura Lindemann**, a title-holder from last year, returns to defend her gold medal, flanked by the tenacious **Nina Eim**, another medallist from WTCS Abu Dhabi.

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This impressive German contingent also includes WTCS medallists **Annika Koch** and **Lena Meißner**, along with **Tanja Neubert**, who made her mark as the lead in the Abu Dhabi relay and finished 6th individually.

Belgium’s **Jolien Vermeylen** aims to shake things up after clinching her inaugural World Cup win at the end of 2024, while Switzerland’s **Cathia Schär** looks to leverage her phenomenal cycling speed over the short 200m laps. **Celine Senia** could also upset the status quo as she transitions from racing under French colours to representing Spain.

Four talking points

A Franco-German affair

Imagine organising a splendid party, replete with fantastic food, captivating music, and a joyful atmosphere, only for your neighbour to barge in and disrupt the festivities. This analogy aptly captures the tension awaiting the hosts in Liévin.

The French team, armed with three world champions, carries immense medal aspirations, with Wilde standing as a notable spoiler among the men. The solitary New Zealander on the starting line, he may not significantly threaten the overall medal haul. Instead, the Germans appear poised to disrupt the French dominance, flaunting their depth of talent.

The pressing question isn’t whether the French and Germans will win medals—it’s rather which nation will outshine the other on the leaderboard. If France hopes to throw the party they envision in Liévin, they must overcome the German challenge that promises to be far from passive.

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Lindemann with a point to prove?

Does **Laura Lindemann** have anything to prove? Objectively, the answer is no. As a WTCS winner, Olympic gold medallist, and perhaps the most formidable female relay anchor of the past two years, she boasts a level of achievement few can rival. With last year’s gold medal in Liévin under her belt, she expects nothing less than gold once again. Even in the shadow of Beaugrand’s prowess, she remains a formidable contender over short distances.

Lindemann, buoyed by her recent medal at WTCS Abu Dhabi, could face competition from teammate **Nina Eim**, who out-sprinted her in Abu Dhabi and previously triumphed in Liévin in 2022. Lindemann will undoubtedly seek to assert her dominance and quell any threats from her compatriots in Liévin.

Seguin’s audition

With **Vincent Luis** stepping back and both **Leo Bergere** and **Dorian Coninx** at pivotal points in their careers, the landscape of the French men’s team is ripe for change. Enter **Yanis Seguin**, the rising star. After winning the Rome World Cup and claiming runner-up positions at both the World Cup in Samarkand and the European Championships in Vichy, Seguin is poised for stardom. His performance in Liévin could establish him as the leading man for France in the build-up to the next Olympic cycle.

Holding your nerve

The Liévin format demands not just speed, but an abundance of patience. Each round consists of a 200m swim, a 2.8km bike, and a 1km run—rapidity is essential, and previous results indicate that’s not all that matters. Spectacular long-range attacks are likely to falter; the tight finishes we witnessed last year suggest the decisive moves will occur in the final 100m.

Last year’s A and B finals fell to sprint finishes, and more of the same is anticipated this year. If you witnessed **Dorian Coninx**’s breathtaking sprint finish at the WTCS Final in 2023, you’ll back him to do it again. The same goes for Beaugrand, who bested her rivals in electrically charged sprint confrontations last season.

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In the final dash, with competitors jostling for position amid the cacophony of a frenzied crowd, nerves will be tested. While speed is fundamental, the true battle will be to maintain composure when the stakes are at their highest.