A dream season for the Scot
Beth Potter, a former physics teacher and long-distance runner, has achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the world triathlon champion and securing a place at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 31-year-old Scot won the final race of the World Triathlon Championship Series in Pontevedra, Spain, on Saturday, beating her British team-mate Kate Waugh and France’s Cassandre Beaugrand. Potter, who only took up triathlon six years ago after competing in the 10,000 metres at the Rio Olympics, said: “This has been a dream season and I’m a bit lost for words. I backed myself and believed in all my training and trusted my ability in that last 10k.”
A dramatic victory in Pontevedra
Potter started the race in second place in the standings, narrowly behind Beaugrand, who had won the previous two races in Montreal and Hamburg. Potter faced a tough challenge after emerging from the swim 16 seconds behind the leading group, but she clawed back into contention on the bike before striking out to win the race ahead of Waugh, who claimed her first podium finish. Beaugrand had to settle for bronze, while Potter finished top of the overall standings with 4,559 points ahead of the French duo of Beaugrand (4,411) and Emma Lombardi (3,793).
A historic achievement for British triathlon
Potter’s victory in Pontevedra was her first-ever win in an Olympic-distance race, which consists of a 1.5km swim, a 40km bike and a 10km run. She had previously won two sprint-distance races (half the distance) in Leeds and Yokohama earlier this year. Potter is the first British woman to win the world triathlon title since Vicky Holland in 2018, and the fourth overall after Helen Jenkins (2008 and 2011) and Non Stanford (2013). She is also the first British triathlete to qualify for Paris 2024, as the winner of the World Triathlon Championship Series automatically earns a spot at the next Olympics.
A remarkable transition from running to triathlon
Potter’s success in triathlon is even more impressive considering her background in running. She was a full-time physics teacher who did long-distance running out of term time. In the summer of 2016, she represented Great Britain at the Rio Olympics in the 10,000m, finishing 34th. She then decided to switch to triathlon in 2017 and moved to Leeds to train alongside Jonny and Alistair Brownlee, who have five Olympic medals between them. Potter said after her win in Pontevedra: “The Olympics in Paris was the goal and winning the World Championships is a bonus.”
A future star of triathlon and athletics
Potter’s achievements in triathlon are not the only reason why she is one of the most exciting athletes in Britain. She is also a world-class runner who broke the 5km road world record in April this year, clocking 14 minutes and 41 seconds at a race in Lancashire. However, her record was not ratified by World Athletics because she did not undergo drug testing or wear approved shoes. Potter also ran a personal best of 31 minutes and eight seconds in the 10,000m at an Olympic trial event in Birmingham in June, but missed out on qualifying for Tokyo by just eight seconds. Potter has not given up on her running ambitions and plans to compete at both triathlon and athletics events in Paris 2024.
