What is the composition of the French triathlon team?

The high-level French triathletes represent France in international competitions, such as the Mixed Relay Triathlon World Championship or the Olympic Games. How are the participants selected? Who are the key figures in this multisport discipline? Here’s a brief overview of the composition of the French triathlon team and the main national teams.

The French Triathlon Team: For Which Competitions?

The term "French Team" refers to all the top-level triathletes selected to participate in international championships. This national team brings together the best French athletes in the multisport discipline.

The composition of the French triathlon team varies depending on the sporting events. Additionally, several teams are formed according to different categories of events:

• the French team for the Olympic Games;

• the elite French team for short-distance triathlon;

• the elite French team for mixed relay;

• the French U23 team for short-distance triathlon;

• the junior French team;

• the French team for long-distance triathlon;

• the French paratriathlon team.

Quotas are allocated for each competition. In short-distance events, the maximum World Triathlon quota is generally 5 men and 5 women.

The Selection Process for the French Team

Several people are involved in selecting the French teams: the Vice-President, the National Technical Director, the Team Doctor, and the Team Manager. Together, they form the Selection Committee, responsible for ensuring compliance with the selection criteria published by the French Triathlon Federation (FFTRI). However, the final choice of the selected athletes from the current 5,135 French athletes lies with the National Technical Directorate.

Athletes who have achieved the best results during the season will logically have their place in the delegation. Nevertheless, other criteria can tip the balance, such as experience and progression. The conditions for selection are precisely detailed for each event and each sporting season.

The Composition of the French Triathlon Team

The French teams include the big names in French triathlon. Here is the composition of the French team for the main competitions of the 2021 season.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games:

• for women: Cassandre Beaugrand and Léonie Périault;

• for men: Vincent Luis, Léo Bergère, and Dorian Coninx.

Léo Bergère was not part of the quartet selected for the very first mixed relay at the Olympics. The French team secured a respectable bronze medal at the end of a super-sprint consisting of a 300m swim, 6.8km bike ride, and a 2km run. Top favorite, reigning world champion Vincent Luis, finished 13th, ahead of his teammates Coninx (17th) and Bergère (21st).

On the women's side, Léonie Périault achieved a commendable 5th place, while Cassandre Beaugrand had to withdraw due to a flat tire.

The 2021 World Triathlon Championship Series Final:
Three men and one woman participated in the WTS grand final. Léonie Périault stood on the second step of the podium, securing the 7th place in the world rankings. Léo Bergère claimed the bronze medal, Dorian Coninx finished 6th, and Vincent Luis just made it into the top 10.

The 2021 Long Distance Triathlon World Championships:

• For women: the only female representative, Manon Genêt, won silver.

• For men: Antony Costes and Sam Laidlow attempted to excel over unprecedented distances for the Worlds (3.8km swim, 180km bike ride, and 42.195km run). They finished 20th and 28th respectively.

The Main National Teams and their Triathletes

The announced compositions of the nations are those for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics mixed relay event.

The Australian Triathlon Team:

• Emma Jeffcoat;

• Matthew Hauser;

• Ashleigh Gentle;

• Jacob Birtwhistle.

The American Triathlon Team:

• Katie Zaferes;

• Kevin McDowell;

• Taylor Knibb;

• Morgan Pearson.

The British Triathlon Team:

• Jessica Learmonth;

• Jonathan Brownlee;

• Georgia Taylor-Brown;

• Alex Yee.

The Swiss Triathlon Team:

• Jolanda Annen;

• Andrea Salvisberg;

• Nicola Spirig;

• Max Studer.

The German Triathlon Team:

• Laura Lindemann;

• Jonas Schomburg;

• Anabel Knoll;

• Justus Nieschlag.

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