Bahrain Victorious Scorpions have assembled an all-star squad to try and defend their Teams title at Super League Triathlon’s 2023 Championship Series including athletes who have secured three of the previous individual crowns and recorded 11 Series race wins between them.
Defending champion Hayden Wilde joins a men’s line-up that also features two-time Series winner Vincent Luis and Arena Games World Champion Henri Schoeman while Cassandre Beaugrand, favourite for a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, leads the women’s squad.
Team manager Chris McCormack and assistant Michael Gilliam have also added strength in depth by signing up a host of international athletes with big reputations including Tayler Reid, Shachar Sagiv, Leonie Periault and Verena Steinhauser.
Bahrain Victorious Scorpions
Women: Cassandre Beaugrand, Leonie Periault, Nicole van der Kaay, Barbara De Koning, Verena Steinhauser, Alice Betto
Men: Hayden Wilde, Vincent Luis, Henri Schoeman, Roberto Sanchez Mantecon, Tayler Reid, Shachar Sagiv, Vitalii Vorontsov
The loss of Georgia Taylor-Brown through injury will undoubtedly hit the Scorpions. Taylor-Brown was hoping to become the first three-time back-to-back Championship Series winner, and her absence will be felt in the points tally. Thankfully for the Scorpions, they still have a bonafide superstar of the sport in Cassandre Beaugrand to lead their women’s line-up.
Beaugrand’s French compatriot, Leonie Periault, is coming back to back to her best after injury issues, and if she can hit top form then boasts huge firepower. Verena Steinhauser was a bit of an unsung star in 2022, Nicole van der Kaay has SLT experience, as does Alice Betto. Barbara De Koning is an exciting young talent who has the support of such a strong team to help her perform.
It’s a powerhouse men’s line-up with two athletes who between them boast three of the four SLT Championship Series titles. Hayden Wilde, last year’s champion and one of the sport’s current stars, is the big headliner, having been recruited by Bahrain Victorious over the winter.
Vincent Luis has had more than his fair share of injury problems of late, but the two-time Series winner expects to be ready to go, and given his Paris Olympics vision knows he has little time to waste. Henri Schoeman, who so often battled Luis for Super League race wins, is making a big comeback, and already has an Arena Games World Championship title to his name this year.
There is a hint that the squad will be rotated given the Scorpions have named seven male athletes, but even their supporting cast is strong. Tayler Reid has proven himself and his swim is massive, Shachar Sagiv hoovered up bike discipline points and collected a podium finish in 2022, while debutants Roberto Sanchez Mantecon and Vitalii Vorontsov also feature.
The Super League Triathlon 2023 Championship Series is:
- August 27: London, UK
- September 3: Toulouse, France
- September 30: Malibu, USA
- October 21: NEOM, Saudi Arabia
The Bahrain Victorious Scorpions are the final team revealed for the 2023 Championship Series after the Santara Tech Eagles, RTP Sharks and RTS Warriors.
