Perhaps mirroring her late call-up 12 months ago, IRONMAN Texas winner, Jocelyn McCauley will now represent Team USA at Saturday’s second edition of the Collins Cup in Slovakia.

Last year McCauley was a late addition following the withdrawal of Heather Jackson, and this time around she will have the difficult task of filling the shoes of IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship bronze medallist, Taylor Knibb.

Knibb ‘not fully fit’

Knibb was a standout performer in Samorin last year, a dominant winner of match one where she would also set the fastest time of the day, getting Team USA off to a winning start. After winning IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside in April, sixth place at WTCS Yokohama has been her only other 2022 result, as injuries have left her on the sidelines looking on.

Still not fully fit and focus on returning to racing later on in the year, Knibb will not be able to take up her place at the Collins Cup. As the top ranked US athlete in the PTO rankings (#5 – where she is also the first non-European), it was be a big loss for US Captains Julie Moss and Dave Scott to overcome.

McCauley did feature strongly at the recent PTO Canadian Open in Edmonton. Eventually finishing 11th, she was right in the chasing group starting the run after the third fastest bike split of the day put her in the spotlight, chasing the eventual second placer, Paula Findlay.

McCauley was second to Kat Matthews in Slovakia last year, and with her form, ranking and experience, is clearly the obvious choice to step in at late notice.