Georgia Taylor-Brown is targeting victory in Dubai to seize top spot in the T100 Triathlon standings, with the Grand Final in Qatar looming next month. The Manchester-born athlete trails current leader Julie Derron by just three points with two races remaining, and the pair are set to go head-to-head in Dubai in search of a slim advantage before the double-points finale.
Taylor-Brown has already won in Pamplona this season back in May, before finishing third behind Derron and compatriot Kate Waugh in Vancouver three months ago. The 32-year-old is focused on returning to the top of the podium and believes she is in good shape to do so in Dubai.
Taylor-Brown's title ambitions
"I'm definitely thinking about the result here," she said. "It would be nice to lead into the Grand Final, or at least be a little bit closer. There's a few points between me and Julie, so I would like to slim that down a little bit, if not be in front of her."
"Let's see where I'm at. We've still got the two races to go, so things can still happen but I do feel physically and mentally like I'm in a really good place. I'm still super motivated."
The Dubai race could shape up to be another battle between the top three from Vancouver, with Derron the one to beat after her victory in Canada. Derron was the winner in Dubai last year en route to finishing second overall, and the Swiss star knows she cannot start thinking about the Grand Final in Qatar if she wants to go one better this time around.
Derron and Waugh in contention
"I want to do well, but I see this race as an individual race," said Derron. "I do this one, I check it off, and then I look towards the next one."
"I can't control where Georgia [Taylor-Brown] ends up. If I beat her, that's an advantage for me but if she beats me, that's good for her. I think it will be exciting until the end of the year."
A third threat to the title in Dubai could be 2025 champion Kate Waugh, after her impressive second-place finish in Vancouver. Waugh's early season has been beset by injuries, leaving her 10th in the overall standings, but the 27-year-old wants to continue competing at the sharp end of races even if the overall title may be out of reach.
She said: "I think I'm in pretty good shape now. I've managed to put together a good few weeks of training. I'm pretty happy with where I'm at. I kind of let go of the title chase a long time ago, so I just want to come and put down the best possible result."
Men's race: Wilde leads the pack
On the men's side, reigning champion Hayden Wilde will look to continue his control of the overall standings. The Kiwi sits 38 points clear at the top courtesy of wins in France and Singapore, and a third win of the season would give him a huge advantage heading to Qatar.
Wilde is set for a busy weekend as he takes on the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) Abu Dhabi Sprint race on Friday ahead of the weekend's T100 contest, but the born competitor is embracing a hectic schedule of racing.
"I'm looking forward to getting back to racing," said Wilde. "I enjoy coming to Dubai to train and race. There's a chance to have a crack at both the WTCS Abu Dhabi and Dubai T100, so I'm all in. Doing the shorter race first should help. On the French Riviera last year it was the other way around."
Wilde faces competition from German duo Rico Bogen and Mika Noodt, with the latter keen to bounce back from a crash in July. Noodt collided with an ambulance in Swansea while leading the IRONMAN 70.3 in Wales but avoided a head-on collision and has fought his way back to the Dubai start line.
He said: "I'm back to normal training and also back to a normal training routine, and that definitely helps. I don't feel like an injured guy again doing rehab all the time, but feel like an athlete again. That's why I'm just excited to get out there and race."
