World Triathlon Championship Series: Beth Potter on world titles and Taylor Swift

Beth Potter has focused on improving her cycling and swimming this season

Olympic qualification, a first world title, and Taylor Swift tour tickets.

That is British triathlete Beth Potter's wishlist as she finalises her preparations for Sunday's World Triathlon Championship Series Finals in Spain.

Victory in Pontevedra will mean Potter is crowned world champion, while a podium finish would secure her a place at next year's Olympics.

Nine competitors have a mathematical chance of taking the title, but Potter is one of only two - along with France's Cassandre Beaugrand - to have the destiny of the title in their hands.

The 31-year-old Scot, who took up triathlon in 2017, has won in Abu Dhabi, Montreal and Paris.

"It was never really on my radar to be in this position, so I'm trying not to think of the outcome," she told BBC Sport.

"I think there's a really good chance but I'm also racing some very good athletes."

As a self-confessed "creature of habit", Potter's pre-race ritual never changes.

"I've been working closely with a psychologist and finding coping mechanisms around racing anxiety which has really helped this year," she said.

"I tend to eat the same foods, do my hair the same way [in braids] and listen to the same music. It's quite boring to be honest.

"I just keep it as simple as possible. It's usually the same sort of theme of music - a pop hit playlist as it's upbeat, or it's Taylor Swift."

Swift is in the middle of the first $1bn stadium tour in history and broke the record for the most concert tickets sold by an artist in a single day - 2.4 million.

And Potter was one of the countless people who missed out.

"I'm so gutted!" she said. "I might ask my manager nicely to see if she can sort me out."

Brownlees 'motivating and inspiring'

Potter trains with the Brownlee brothers in Leeds

Before taking up triathlon six years ago, Potter was a full-time physics teacher who did long-distance running out of term time.

In the summer of 2016, she represented Team GB at the Rio Olympics in the 10,000m, finishing 34th.

She then transitioned to triathlon and moved to Leeds to train alongside Jonny and Alistair Brownlee, who have five Olympic medals between them.

The delayed Tokyo 2021 Games came "too soon" for her, with Georgia Taylor-Brown, Jess Learmonth and Vicky Holland taking Britain's three women's places.

But Potter has not had to look far for inspiration.

"It's really motivating and inspiring to see how they train," she said of the Brownlees.

"I remember being in Leeds and thinking 'how do they do so much training', but now I'm doing it!"

In August, Potter won her first Olympic-distance race at the Paris 2024 triathlon test event, out-sprinting home favourite Beaugrand.

"Alistair said to me in November last year that I need to go to that race and win," Potter said.

"He said you need to treat it like the Olympics and you need to win. I thought 'wow that's a big ask.'"

But it was while standing on the top podium in Paris that she realised her dream of winning a medal at an Olympics was becoming more of a reality.

"It's always been in the back of my head, it's what I've always wanted to do," she said. "But that was the first time I thought it could really happen."

Yee looking to go one better

Potter is not the only Briton in the running for the world title this weekend, with Alex Yee leading the men's standings going into the final race.

England's Yee, 25, is expected to battle it out with familiar foe Hayden Wilde - with both men knowing victory would mean they win the title.

Yee will be looking to go one better than the silver medal he won in last year's series behind France's Leo Bergere.