As the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) made its penultimate stop in the coastal town of Weihai, China, the absence of many top names left an opportunity for others to step into the spotlight.
Women’s Race: Beth Potter Ties for Top of Series Leaderboard, Ridenour Shines
Beth Potter has built her career on calculated aggression. In Weihai, it was on full display – but not before Canada’s Desirae Ridenour offered a stirring reminder of how dreams can take shape one bold move at a time.
The women’s race started with a large front swim pack including all three Canadians: Desirae Ridenour, Sophia Howell, and Emy Legault. Ridenour and Howell made the first bike pack, while Legault worked with chasers not far behind – a group that ultimately bridged up, forming one large lead pack all the way into T2.
Then came Ridenour’s moment. In the opening stretch of the run, the 25-year-old from Cowichan Bay took the lead. The young Canadian was leading a WTCS field ahead of Olympic medallists, seasoned veterans, and other rising stars. It didn’t last, but that wasn’t the point. It was a spark of boldness, and further evidence that she belongs at the front.
Potter, meanwhile, had her own agenda. When she made her move, it was decisive. By mid-way through lap one, she had begun to drop the field, and only extended her lead as the race progressed.
With Potter clear for the win, the battle shifted to second place, where Germany’s Lisa Tertsch edged out compatriot Tanja Neubert in the final stages. American Taylor Spivey, coming off a near-win in Karlovy Vary, finished fourth.
And Ridenour? She crossed the line in an impressive eighth place, the best result of her WTCS career. Sophia Howell and Emy Legault rounded out the Canadian performances in 15th and 17th, respectively.
With her victory, Potter moves into a tie atop the WTCS standings with reigning Olympic champion Cassandre Beaugrand, setting up a dramatic final showdown in Wollongong, Australia, on October 19th.
Men’s Race: Max Studer’s Moment at Last
Max Studer, coached by the renowned Brett Sutton, has largely been a name outside the spotlight, but that changed in Weihai. In a race that opened the door for fresh faces, Studer didn’t just walk through it – he stormed through with a statement win that surprised many, perhaps even himself.
After a tight, tactical bike leg that saw multiple attempted breakaways reeled back in, it was on the final lap that Studer and Austria’s Tjebbe Kaindl launched a move that stuck. Germany’s Henry Graf and American Darr Smith followed, with the four arriving in T2 25 seconds ahead of the rest of the field.
Studer wasted no time asserting himself on the run, noting in a post-race interview that the run is his strength. By the end of the first of four laps, he had already built a 24-second lead, and that margin continued to grow.
Crossing the line visibly emotional, Studer paid tribute to the long arc of persistence that brought him to this moment: “It’s quite emotional…my family…my girlfriend, and everyone around me who supported me through the tough times…to be able to pull something off like this is just unbelievable.”
It was his first Championship Series race of the season, his first win at this level, and a statement that echoed far beyond Weihai.
Behind him, Henry Graf secured second place, another strong result in a breakout season, and American John Reed claimed his first-ever WTCS podium in third.
For Canada, Martin Sobey finished 29th, and Liam Donnelly, in his WTCS debut, placed 35th.
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