You have to go all the way back to 2008 for the first time the Mexican beach town of Huatulco hosted the best triathletes on the planet. It was two years ago that home favourite Rosa Maria Tapia wore the number one arriving off the back of a massive Series silver in Yokohama, and she does likewise this Sunday chasing her first gold since Brasilia seven months ago.
If there’s one thing to be sure of on this sprint distance course, it’s going to be hot. The humidity is set to be through the roof once again with plenty of rain in the area in the build up, and the athletes will have to be dialled right in if they are to make a serious bid for the medals.
In 2023 Tapia took sixth, unable to match the run pace of Anahi Alvarez. This weekend she will be part of an 8-deep Mexico squad ready to face off a strong USA contingent, with just a smattering of European names looking to break the Americas.
Watch the action on TriathlonLive.tv from 7.30am on Sunday 22 June.
Tapia heads talented Mexico squad
Rosa Maria Tapia is a woman in form. Since that breakthrough Series podium in Japan, the all-rounder has proven herself a force across all disciplines, distances and conditions. A regular front-pack swimmer, she was the third fastest on two wheels at the Paris Olympics and obliterated a similar field over the run in Brasilia last November.
A first win on home soil came in the Continental Championships Veracruz in 2023. How she would love to follow that up with victory in the heat of Huatulco.
Joining Tapia in the top 10 will be two young but in-form Mexicans, Maria Lopez and Marcela Alvarez. 14th here last year, Alvarez will have learned much from that race and her subsequent Series debut in Hamburg, and picked up gold and silver in successive Americas Cups so far in 2025.
For Lopez, still just 19 years of age, a U23 continental title in Colombia was almost superseded by the accompanying elite silver, finishing ahead of some notable senior names like Emy Legault and Vittoria Lopes as well as younger rivals. One to watch this weekend.
USA's heat-lovers on the hunt
Leading the US line is Gina Sereno, no stranger to a World Cup podium and for whom Latin America has provided some of her best results. Silver behind Gwen Jorgensen in Vina Del Mar 18 months ago a prime example of her powers. Erika Ackerlund chases her first World Cup podium, Summer Rappaport continues her return to racing and former Junior and U23 World Champion Tamara Gorman, third in Brasilia in November, will continue putting her injury woes behind her.
The only woman able to hold off the marauding Maria Lopez at the start of June was Brazil’s newly minted Continental Champion Djenyfer Arnold, a powerful swim setting her far enough ahead to secure the gold.
Germany’s U23 World Champion two years ago Selina Klamt makes her Huatulco – indeed Latin American - debut as she chases a first World Cup podium.
Representing Team World Triathlon in the second World Cup of 2025 for the official athlete development squad will be Raquel Solis (CRC), Zuzana Michalickova (SVK), Daniela Moya (CHI), Camila Alcala (HON) and Carolina Velasquez (COL).
Full start list available here.
