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MOLVENO, TRENTINO, ITALY – The 2024 XTERRA World Championship kicks off live with the Short Track Triathlon on September 26 as the penultimate race of the 2024 XTERRA World Cup Series.
Set beneath the Dolomites on the southern section of the Alps in Northeast Italy, this made-for-TV event brings the world’s best off-road triathletes through a spectator-friendly course in the heart of Molveno's race village.
The livestream begins Thursday at 2:00 pm (GMT +2), with the fourth and final Short Track event of the year, offering crucial points to impact the 2024 XTERRA World Cup rankings. Designed to deliver pure action for racers and spectators alike, the swim, bike, and run sections are transformed into a high-intensity race lasting just under 40 minutes. With 75 points awarded to the winners in both the women's and men's races contributing to the overall World Cup Elite Prize Purse of €100,000, every section must be mastered, every corner counts, and the win could be decided by mere fractions of a second.
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Swim (0.4K): The race starts with a 2-lap, 400-meter swim, with an Australian exit between laps in Lake Molveno, noted for being one of the cleanest, most beautiful lakes in all of Italy. The women will be the first to race, with the men starting an hour behind them.
Bike (8K): Transitioning from the swim, a 4-lap, 8-kilometer mountain bike course threads through the race village featuring steep bridges, varied surface changes, and abrupt gradient shifts. Challenging even the world's best riders when tackled at full speed, the slight elevation gain of 168 meters emphasizes full-gas, with athletes pushing maximum watts throughout.
Run (3K): The race concludes with a 2-lap, 3-kilometer run over the slightly shortened bike loop. With low technicality at elevation gains of 66 meters, this segment is more of an all-out sprint where endurance at full speed is the ultimate decider as athletes push their hardest toward the finish line.
Anna Zehnder (CHE): “There is no time to settle into the race. Pay more attention to a quick Australian exit and smooth, well planned transitions as mistakes can cost you valuable seconds or help you catch a competitor.”
Aneta Grabmüller (CZE): “What I like the best about Short Track is that there is no strategy, you just go all out from the start to the finish line.”
Michele Bonacina (ITA): “It’s a very fast race, with an all-out swim, and then it’s about staying in front for as long as possible. I think the course isn’t too technical, but it’s fast and fun.”
Solenne Billouin (FRA) has dominated the Short Track in 2024, winning all three races so far in the seven-stop XTERRA World Cup Series. The French have been unstoppable, with Arthur Serrières (FRA) and Felix Forissier (FRA) also securing key victories in the men’s races.
At Stop #2, XTERRA Oak Mountain, Billouin and Serrières took top honors, for Stop #5 at XTERRA Québec, Billouin and Forissier continued the French sweep. The pattern held at Stop #6 at XTERRA Czech, where both claimed victory again, tightening their grip at the top of the World Cup standings.
Last year at the 2023 XTERRA World Championship in Molveno, Billouin took the women’s Short Track title, while Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (DNK) won the men’s race. All eyes are on the Start List and Top Contenders for 2024 to see if Billouin’s streak will be threatened and if Sloth Nielsen can repeat his win on this course or if a dark horse like Sullivan Middaugh (USA), who placed third in 2023, can sweep in and steal the victory.
2024 XTERRA Short Track Triathlon Start List Located Here.
(Name, Country, World Cup Points)
Stop #3 (XTERRA Oak Mountain Short Track): 1st place
Stop #5 (XTERRA Québec Short Track): 1st place
Stop #6 (XTERRA Czech Short Track): 1st place
“I think the Short Track opens the body up quite well, and if I have a good race, I’ll be in good timing for the World Championship on Saturday. I’m going to go for it, recover well, and not overthink it.”
Stop #3 (XTERRA Oak Mountain Short Track): 6th place
Stop #5 (XTERRA Québec Short Track): 4th place
Stop #6 (XTERRA Czech Short Track): 7th place
"I love the atmosphere at the Short Track in Molveno. As an Italian, everyone knows me, and it’s super cool to have the opportunity to race in front of the home crowd.”
Stop #3 (XTERRA Oak Mountain Short Track): 3rd place
Stop #5 (XTERRA Québec Short Track): 2nd place
Stop #6 (XTERRA Czech Short Track): 2nd place
“The Short Track is fun and it’s like a little décrassage (warm-up) before Saturday. I enjoy this kind of race.”
Stop #3 (XTERRA Oak Mountain Short Track): 5th place
Stop #5 (XTERRA Québec Short Track): 3rd place
Stop #6 (XTERRA Czech Short Track): 5th place
“I love Short Track racing as the shorter bike leg plays into my hands at the moment. The explosiveness and alertness that is needed from the gun excites me. It’s a demanding, fast and furious race where you can seriously raise lactate levels.”
Stop #3 (XTERRA Oak Mountain Short Track): 4th place
Stop #5 (XTERRA Québec Short Track): 3rd place
Stop #6 (XTERRA Czech Short Track): 6th place
“Short track racing is so fast, but I am not a Short Track specialist, but it is an awesome way to open up for the big race on Saturday!”
(Name, Country, World Cup Points)
Stop #3 (XTERRA Oak Mountain Short Track): 2nd place
Stop #5 (XTERRA Québec Short Track): 1st place
Stop #6 (XTERRA Czech Short Track: 1st place
“The most memorable moment of 2024 was the Short Track at XTERRA Czech with the sprint finish with Arthur Serrières to claim victory and the shared satisfaction between us pushing ourselves to the limit.”
Stop #3 (XTERRA Oak Mountain Short Track): 4th place
Stop #5 (XTERRA Québec Short Track): 2nd place
Stop #6 (XTERRA Czech Short Track: 3rd place
"I have high expectations. I haven’t won one this year yet, so this could be the one. It’s a great venue, and I love that there’s always a lot of people around for it. There’s a lot of prestige in winning this specific Short Track in Molveno because it’s the World Champs."
Stop #3 (XTERRA Oak Mountain Short Track): 1st place
Stop #5 (XTERRA Québec Short Track): 19th place
Stop #6 (XTERRA Czech Short Track): 2nd place
Despite a spill on his bike at XTERRA Québec’s Short Track, Serrières displayed the resilience to overcome it and finish the race. For this Short Track finale, Serrières simply notes, “The Short Track will just serve to me as an activation for Saturday’s World Championship.”
Stop #3 (XTERRA Oak Mountain Short Track): 5th place
Stop #5 (XTERRA Québec Short Track): 8th place
Stop #6 (XTERRA Czech Short Track): 5th place
“With the World Cup rankings nearly set, the Short Track will feel like an appetizer—a final chance to shake out the legs before the World Championship.”
Stop #7 (2023 XTERRA Trentino Short Track): 3rd place
Off the XTERRA circuit to focus on his training with US Triathlon’s Project Podium, Middaugh’s chances to repeat his podium performance from last year is high. He states, “I am looking forward to the Short Track Race. I think that it suits me well and have been racing some shorter distances this year. I am going to treat it like any other race. It will be good to get rid of some of the pre-race nerves and go into Saturday with some confidence.”
A detailed preview for Saturday's 2024 XTERRA World Championship will be available here on Wednesday, September 25th.
With the Start List finalized and athletes arriving in Molveno, Thursday's Short Track event will offer spectators the chance to watch live at the venue or online at 2:00 pm (GMT +2). The event will be livestreamed on XTERRA’s YouTube channel, enabling viewers worldwide to set their notifications, share and follow the fast-paced competition. The course's various challenges, wooden berms and jumps will be on full display as the world’s best off-road triathletes battle for their final positions in XTERRA World Cup standings as they prepare for the 2024 XTERRA World Championship just two days after the Short Track showdown.
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