Last year’s silver medallist from Istanbul, Bence Bicsák, will head to Tarragona this weekend aiming to go one better as he targets another place on the podium.

The Hungarian endured a difficult 2025 campaign, having waited almost five years to return to the European podium and, at times, questioning his future in the sport.

“It was the last race of the season for me last year in Istanbul, so I was hoping for a good result,” Bicsák said. A crash during the bike leg disrupted the lead group and helped keep him in contention heading into the closing stages of the race.

“I knew I could finish strong and saved my energy for the run,” he recalled. “It was in the last two or three kilometres that I really started to believe a medal could be possible.”

The 2026 season has not started exactly as Bicsák had hoped, with disappointing results in his last two WTCS appearances. However, he remains positive about the lessons learned.

“It’s a good experience and allows me to really identify my weaknesses and work on them in training,” he said. “My hope for Tarragona is to improve on those areas and avoid mistakes where possible.”

Conditions could again play a significant role this weekend. Last year’s hot weather suited Bicsák, but he is aware that Tarragona may present a different challenge.

“Last year’s race played into my favour because of the heat,” he said. “I know Tarragona can be windy and could bring some rough swimming conditions, but with the course being in a harbour, I’m hoping it will be well protected.”

As a multiple-time Olympian, Bicsák also has one eye on valuable ranking points as he continues his pursuit of another Olympic Games appearance.

“I do think about qualification, but it can make you lose track of the beauty of the sport and racing,” he said.

Despite the challenges ahead, the Hungarian is relishing the opportunity to compete in Tarragona once again.

“I can’t think of a race I’m more excited about this season than the one in Tarragona,” he said. Reflecting on last year’s performance, Bicsák believes that “anything is possible”.

“I’ll look over the course ahead of the race and identify where I can push, but I want to race my own race and see what happens.”

“My girlfriend was with me in Istanbul last year but this year she is recovering from knee surgery so she will be at home but she is my motivation for the weekend.”