Taylor Knibb insists 'I'm not the one to beat' as PTO resumes
Defending champion Taylor Knibb insists she is not the one to beat ahead of the T100 Triathlon World Tour's latest stop in Vancouver.
Knibb romped to the world title last year but was beaten for the first time under the T100 in San Francisco a fortnight ago when she finished second behind Julie Derron.
But the American was keen to highlight the strength in depth of the women's field, and shrugged off the notion that she had a target on her back on Canada's west coast.
'Defending would imply you have something to lose, so reframing that is more appropriate in that there is a world title on the line and I would like to do everything I can to get another world title,' she said. 'No one has earned it yet and it is all for the taking.
'There are a lot of really strong women in the field and if there is anyone who thinks I am the only person to beat, I have a list that is very extensive.
'There are a lot of women who are incredibly strong and incredibly talented. There are a lot of threats.'
Knibb won all of her T100 races last season, picking up victories in San Francisco, Ibiza and Las Vegas before sealing the world title with a dominant display in Dubai last November.
The 27-year-old was unable to repeat the feat in San Fransico two weeks ago, but the American was positive about her season opener having missed the first leg in Singapore.
'It was a great first race of the season and I am excited to keep on improving from there,' she said.
'I have a lot of work to do. You can't do it all in two weeks, you have to recover for the next race but I am excited for the season ahead.'
Knibb will race in Vancouver for the first time in her career, as the T100 Triathlon World Tour makes its maiden stop in Canada.
Having raced all around the globe, including at two Olympic Games, Knibb is embracing a new environment and a new course to get her teeth into.
'It's really fun to get to go to a place I've never been to before that is really quite gorgeous,' she added.
'In this sport, there are races that are held in the same place for numerous years and that's fantastic but after the 15th time of visiting a city, it is fun to go somewhere else.
'It looks like a fantastic course. I tried the bike course yesterday. The swim for the women is apparently going to be a really long run in, so we'll see how that plays out.
'It seems like a fantastic venue and the T100 has once again delivered a fantastic race course.'
Watch the world's top 20 female and top 20 male triathletes race live in the Vancouver T100 on Saturday 14 June. The broadcast starts at 0915 local time, 1715 in the UK, with the men's race starting at 0930 and then the women at 1200. You can tune in live for free globally on PTO+ or watch on partners channels such as TNT Sports in the UK, Max or Discovery+ in Europe, or beIN in North America. For more details visit www.T100Triathlon.com
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