World Triathlon

September has arrived and like the start of the new school year the men’s race at this weekend’s Karlovy Vary will have a new-look feel to it. Only 2 of the 53 men due to start (Matthew Wright of Barbados and Alois Knabl of Austria) raced at the Paris Olympics and the field contains plenty of athletes champing at the bit to make a name for themselves across this new Olympic cycle. Below, you can find out some of the names that could impress as well as what the previous iterations of the race have to tell us.

The established names

Márk Dévay (HUN) is back at the scene of his first World Cup medal from a year ago. Known for being one of the best swimmers in the men’s field, Dévay will look to capitalise on a hilly course that tends to favour breakaways. A key ally on that front could be Tayler Reid (NZL). The New Zealander wears number 1 and has already made it onto a World Cup podium this season in Chengdu. More than most, the 2018 World U23 champion has all the skills required to go with Dévay on a long-range attack.

Another established name to consider is Casper Stornes (NOR). The winner of WTCS Bermuda in 2018 has enjoyed something of a resurgence this season after a few fallow years. This return to form recently took him to 5th place at WTCS Hamburg, his best result since his stunning Bermuda success. Stornes might not be quite as quick in the water as Dévay and Reid, but one thing he does not lack is power on the bike. If he is unleashed on the rolling Karlovy Vary course, he could wreak havoc.

One factor that unites this trio is that each narrowly missed out on Olympic selection this summer and have spent much of the summer waiting for the opportunity to prove they have plenty still to offer. In Karlovy Vary, they will have their chance.

The middle men

The next segment of athletes in Karlovy Vary contains a group that have enjoyed nascent success in their careers but still generally have rising profiles. John Reed (USA) is one such athlete. He claimed maiden World Cup medal in Huatulco earlier this year and has progressed rapidly over the past 12 months. On his day, he might even match compatriot Morgan Pearson’s superlative win in Karlovy Vary from a year ago.

The French pair of Paul Georgenthum and Baptiste Passemard will also look to claim some hardware. The former won silver at WTCS Hamburg in 2021 but has yet to kick on at the world level, largely due to his young age. The latter medalled at last year’s World U23 Championships and is another to have shown plenty of promise. Meanwhile, Kevin Tarek Viñuela Gonzalez (ESP) was recently crowned the World Aquathlon champion in Townsville and will be looking to prove himself further in the triathlon sphere.

The young guns

Finally, there are the youngsters. Zalán Hóbor (HUN) and Gyula Kovács (HUN) are fresh out of the junior ranks and join Dévay. Similarly, Sullivan Middaugh (USA) joins Reed. Another newcomer from the junior level, Middaugh has enjoyed a great season in which he has claimed two Americas Cup wins plus a recent silver medal in his last outing. Then there is Gjalt Panjer (NED) who has come on leaps and bounds. Karlovy Vary will not be the easiest of races to tackle for the less experienced contenders, but several have the talent to spring a surprise.

What the numbers say

Although the emphasis in Karlovy Vary is usually on the bike, it may be the swim that actually proves key. In four of the six World Cups since 2018, the men’s winner has been among the top six swimmers in Karlovy Vary. The exceptions came in 2021 and 2019. This broadly follows the pattern of the women’s event.

Unlike the women’s racing, close finishes have been the trend over the past half dozen years. Only 2021 and Pearson’s blowout victory last year saw winning margins of over 20 seconds. The lesson here, then, is that while the race can be expected to break up in the swim and on the bike, it may be wise to hold a little something in reserve for the finish as a couple of athletes will likely be in the hunt for gold.

Stay up to date with all the action from Sunday’s racing across World Triathlon channels and catch the racing live on TriathlonLive.