Kathrin Muller returns as the reigning Cross Triathlon World Champion after collecting her first title in Zittau last year. Her victory came after she dominated and stole the crown over the two-time Cross Triathlon World Champion Helena Erbenova. This year, with Erbenova off the start list, it is Muller’s race to lose as she vies for a back-to-back title.
Lining up second against Muller is Flora Duffy, who earned Silver last year. While Duffy hasn’t been as steadfast on the XTERRA circuit as compared to last year, she did win the XTERRA Mountain Championship in July. While she has been focusing on the World Triathlon Series and qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games this season, the strong cyclist is still a name to look out for.
Renata Bucher won the 2015 Schluchsee ETU TNatura Cross Triathlon European Championships and can be expected to carry that momentum into Sardegna in the hopes of improving from her seventh-place finish in Zittau last year.
No stranger to the sport, Jacqueline Slack nears the top of the women’s elite start list. Finishing sixth in the World Championships last year, she competed in the 2015 Snowy Mountains OTU Cross Triathlon Oceania Championships and took home the silver medal.
Another name making headlines in the multisport world is Elisabetta Curridori. Taking the European market by storm, she earned the silver in the Revine Lago - Tarzo ETU TNatura Cross Triathlon European Cup, right before she went on to be crowned victor at the Schluchsee ETU TNatura Cross Triathlon European Championships in the 20-24 Age Group Sport Class.
Ranked third in the XTERRA European Elite rankings is Carina Wasle. She earned the bronze medal in Schluchsee and will without a doubt be looking to get within the top field in Sardegna.
A newcomer to the Cross Triathlon World, Barbara Riveros enters the field with enough credits to her roster to rightfully give her the respect to crossover to the discipline. She made the rounds in the WTS circuit and earned the Gold Medal at the Toronto Pan American Games, but will have to prove that she can handle the tough Cross Triathlon course.
This weekend will showcase one of the muddiest disciplines in Triathlon with the 2015 Sardegna ITU Cross Triathlon World Championship. Set over a 1.5km swim, 31km off terrain Bike and 9.6km Cross Country Run, athletes will grind it out for a chance to call themselves the World’s best. With a challenging course that offers technical turns, sandy sections and off road tracks, this race is not for the faint of heart.
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