A World Cup double-header, a 70.3 world title up for grabs, and the last World Para Cup stop of the season; 2025 seems determined to go out with a bang and this weekend kept up that trend with some fantastic racing. Catch up with all the latest in the sport below.
Miyazaki World Cup
Having been on the circuit since 2016, Miyazaki has become an old favourite of many athletes, its rapid course often setting the stage for some flying contests. However, a rather different challenge was on the cards for the men starting as they faced torrential conditions. The waves kept the swim together, with all the athletes leaving the water within 46 seconds of one another. Taking out the runaway swim leader, Takumi Hojo (JPN) (8:53) and the last athlete, the field was actually covered by only 35 seconds for the sprint distance 750m swim. Amidst the rain, the field started to splinter on the first of the four bike laps. Gradually, though, order was established as the packs merged.
It was here that the favourite stepped up. Max Studer (SUI) arrived on the back of wins at the European Championships and WTCS Weihai. He continued his exceptional second half of 2025 by downing Maxime Hueber-Moosbrugger (FRA) over the 5km run (clocking 14:16 for his trouble). Should he maintain this hit rate, Studer could do some damage in 2026. Hueber-Moosbrugger, last year’s winner in Miyazaki, could be content with silver while there was a maiden medal for Britain’s Michael Gar in 3rd place. Notably, France’s depth was on full display as the team locked out 5th through 8th behind Hueber-Moosbrugger.
In the women’s race, the podium was made up by the three athletes that each animated the three disciplines of the race. Tilly Anema (GBR) won a first World Cup medal, like Gar, in 3rd place after cruising through the swim (9:20) and taking a 14 second lead into T1. The bike was then Jess Fullagar’s time to shine.
Fresh off a WTCS personal best finish in Wollongong, the Brit tried to break clear on the bike but could not create the gap she desired. Still, her efforts kept a lot of chasers at bay and helped to set up her 2nd place finish. After both were prominent in Wollongong, this Anema-Fullagar combination could be a recurring feature of future WTCS and World Cup races.
It was one of the top runners of the day that took gold. Valentina Riasova (AIN), winner of the Chengdu World Cup earlier this year, moved clear earlier on the run and, although her lead was never the biggest, she never really looked like being denied. A split of 16:36 was 2 seconds shy of being the field’s fastest, but it was nonetheless enough to hand Riasova the win. View the full results here.
San Pedro De La Paz World Cup
We then shifted to the other side of the world and to a brand new location on the World Cup scene. In part two of the Chilean double (and the middle stop of the South American swing), San Pedro De La Paz made a spectacular debut with fans turning out in droves. Another sprint distance race, the women’s race saw a four-athlete breakaway jump away from the field.
Kanae Takenaka (JPN) had led the swim (9:03) and was joined by Sophia Howell (CAN), Miriam Casillas Garcia (ESP) and Kate Rodda (GBR) in the lead. Meanwhile, Jeanne Lehair (LUX), winner of last weekend’s Vina del Mar World Cup, was stuck in a chase pack losing ground at regular intervals.
An attack on the run by Casillas took her into pole position to claim the win. But then, out of nowhere, she stopped running. Moreover, Howell, who had been in 2nd place, also stopped running. It transpired both had to take penalties for T2 dismount violations. A lifeline was therefore thrown to a flying Lehair, and suddenly the blue carpet became a frantic final sprint.
In the end, Casillas had done enough to claim a maiden World Cup victory. Lehair signed off her season with a silver medal (and the fastest run in 16:22), and Howell secured a first World Cup medal in 3rd place.
Later on, the man everyone was there to see ratcheted up the hype. Diego Moya (CHI) was the fastest swimmer of the day, clocking 8:22. Onto the bike, he threatened to force a similar breakaway to the one seen in the women’s race. His rivals were wise to his antics, though, and a massive pack eventually swamped him.
In place of a Moya masterclass, we were instead treated to a rematch over 5km between last week’s Vina del Mar winner Manoel Messias (ESP) and last week’s bronze medallist David Cantero del Campo (ESP). Messias was not playing. A 14:10 split was enough to win by 5 seconds; having clocked the fastest ever Ironman run split this year, these past two races have been a timely reminder ahead of 2026 that he is one of the best runners in the shorter formats too. Cantero settled for silver while Sergio Baxter Cabrera (ESP) prevailed in the sprint finish for bronze. View the full results here.
San Pedro De La Paz World Para Cup
San Pedro De La Paz was also host of the final World Para Cup of the season, and several South American stars set out their stalls before their attentions turn to Paralympic glory in 2028. This was an event at which the Brazilian and Chilean teams really caught the eye and both Para squads appear to be on the rise.
Men’s winners
- PTWC: Benjamin Bobadila (CHI)
- PTS3: Jonas Souza (BRA)
- PTS4: Jorge Luis Fonesca (BRA)
- PTS5: Ruiter Antonio Goncalves Silva (BRA)
- PTVI: Abel Torreblanca Lopez (ESP)
Gold came flowing for Brazil in the men’s races with Souza, Fonesca and Goncalves dazzling in their respective classes. Fonesca had the biggest margin of victory of the trio, winning by over 15 minutes, but Goncalves beat the most opponents. Crucially, all three left with invaluable world rankings points that will maintain their access to World Para Series events.
Women’s winners
- PTS4: Rafaela Rojas (CHI)
- PTS5: Katherine Nahuelcura Avello (CHI)
- PTVI: Gulnaz Zhuzbaeva (KGZ)
Wins for Rojas and Nahuelcura ensured that the home team would also end the day with three gold medals, giving the home support plenty to admire. There was also a win for Zhuzbaeva who followed up her Asian title with a second consecutive international victory. View the full results here.
Saly World Triathlon Development Regional Cup
Youssef Slama (TUN) dominated the men’s sprint distance race in Saly, winning by a neat 2:30. He was the joint-fastest swimmer and then broke away with a solo attack on the bike. A field-leading 20km bike split (by over a minute) made his win all but a formality. This was the youngster’s first international start and it was a step he took with aplomb. Mohamed Amine Khemais (TUN) finished 2nd and Malick Diop (SEN), the top runner, finished 3rd.
Further Tunisian success came through Elissa Ghanoudi’s win in the women’s race. Another to make her first international start, she won in the same manner as Slama, crushing the swim and bike before getting the job done on the run. Doaa Izem (MAR) was the next athlete home while Seynabou Cissé Ba made it two bronze medals for the home Senegalese team in 3rd place. View the full results here.
Around the world
Marbella was the host of this year’s World 70.3 Championships and the action was certainly not to be missed. In Saturday’s women’s race, Tanja Neubert (GER) was the main WTCS interest as she powered to bronze behind race winner Lucy Charles-Barclay and Taylor Knibb. The German athlete has enjoyed a breakout 2025, finishing 10th overall in the WTCS and claiming a maiden Series medal with bronze at Weihai.
The next day, Jelle Geens (BEL) defended his 2024 crown, overcoming both a spill on the bike and Tokyo Olympic champion Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) to win by seconds in one of the closest ever long distance finishes. The newly-crowned Ironman world champion Casper Stornes (NOR) took 3rd place to make it a podium of WTCS gold medallists. With the T100 the final major crown to be decided in 2025, the likes of Geens and Charles-Barclay may yet have further triumphs on the horizon. Both are currently ranked 2nd overall in the T100.
