Reigning champion Taylor Knibb says the standard of competition in this year’s T100 Triathlon Tour will only add to her hunger for more success – and has also revealed a change in diet which she hopes will help her going forward.
Having lost her 100% record in San Francisco at the weekend, the 27-year-old American athlete admitted that while she was ‘missing a few gears’, there was still a long way to go in the season.
Olympic silver medalist Julie Derron (SUI) produced a stunning race to finally get the better of last year’s T100 champion, having lost out to her nemesis Knibb in three of last year’s races.
‘There is a very long way to go’
But Knibb, who has won the last three 70.3 Worlds and been pretty much unbeatable at middle distance in the last few years, is not about to press the panic button just yet.
“I’m actually pretty happy with the execution,” she said after San Francisco. “I feel like I’m just missing a few gears, and so it’s early season, and I’m grateful to be here and I’m grateful to be racing, and I’ll take it. Success for me is having the best race that I can on the day. You can’t control your competitors, and Julie put on a phenomenal performance.
“I trust my coach, and we are doing the best we can, and that’s all you can ask for. I mean, I have a lot of work to do, I think that shows, but I’m thrilled for Julie, and I’m excited for the rest of the race calendar. We have six-and-a-half months. There is a very long way to go.
“I see the challenges (in the field), it’s getting more and more competitive. I’m excited, so, I don’t think there’s anything more to say. We compete to bring the best out of ourselves and this is definitely gonna make me hungry.”
