Catch up with some of the stars of the Tongyeong World Cup
Tongyeong holds a special place in the heart of Mathilde Gautier (FRA). Back in 2022, the French athlete claimed a maiden World Cup medal at the race and now, four long years later, she found herself back on the podium at the same venue.
“To come back four years later and achieve the same result again, I definitely think there is something magical about this place for me!” she said. “I’m very emotional to have experienced all of this again. We all know that an athlete’s career is not always a straight line, and the last few years have been marked by quite a few obstacles for me. So to find my way back onto a World Cup podium after everything I’ve been through gives this medal an incredible meaning.”
Gautier’s race was similar to what we have seen from her many times. Second out of the water, she played a key role in the early stages of the bike by dropping some serious watts. Yet the run was an entire episode in and of itself.
“The beginning of the run was a little chaotic for me because I had a really bad T2,” she explained. “With all the rain, I simply couldn’t get my shoes on properly. So I had to run very hard from the beginning to make my way back towards the front of the race.”
At the midpoint of the 5km, Gautier found herself in the chase pack behind leaders Mariana Vargem (POR) and Xinyu Lin (CHN). Suddenly, though, Anqi Huang (CHN) came flying past. Having been at the front too, the Chinese athlete had to serve a 10 second penalty.
“When I saw that Anqi had received a penalty, I was still quite far away from the podium at that point. My second lap was quite aggressive, and once Anqi caught up with us, I simply decided to follow her pace. That allowed the two of us to close the gap to the leading pair.”
“Unfortunately for her, the Portuguese athlete started to struggle in the final kilometre, while Anqi and I were coming back very strongly on the leader. It was a really great battle to fight for that podium, and actually, that is what makes me the proudest. I dared to follow.”
“The injuries I’ve had over the last few years made me lose a lot of confidence in myself. So Saturday’s race reminded me that I am still capable of performing at a very high level and fighting for big results.”
For her part, Vargem, who slipped from the lead at the final uphill section to 4th at the line, was also elated. “I’m really happy with this result, as it’s my best finish in a World Cup so far. I knew I had to run well because the Chinese athletes are very strong runners, so I tried to push the pace and stay at the front. I was fighting for the podium until the last 600 metres, and although I would have loved to finish on the podium, I’m really happy with the race I had and the way I competed.”
After a year in which she has logged multiple World Cup top-10 finishes – after her first ever came in Chengdu back in May – in addition to achieving a maiden top-10 WTCS placing in Quiberon, how does Vargem look back over her year?
“It's definitely my best season so far. I’ve achieved some really good results, including my first World Cup top-5 and my first WTCS top-10. I feel I’ve become more consistent and more competitive at this level. There are still things I want to improve, but these results give me a lot of confidence and motivation to keep working and take the next step.”
Also in the mix for much of the race was British athlete Bethany Cook. In the closing stages, she found herself surrounded by World Cup medallists such as Nina Eim (GER), Paola Sacchi (ITA) and Lea Coninx (FRA) and gave as good as she got to lock in 7th place; an impressive result, not least considering this was her World Cup debut too.
“I’m very happy with 7th, especially for my first World Cup. It’s been a long time coming for various reasons so being able to finally stand on a World Cup start line was a win in itself.”
“I learnt a lot from the race, but I think the biggest thing for me was having the confidence of being up at the front and proving to myself I can actually compete with those athletes. There were some tricky conditions out there, but it was the same for everyone and it was an opportunity to be one of the ones who used it to their advantage. There are obviously still things I can work on and learn from, but that’s what makes racing at this level so valuable. Overall, it’s given me a lot of confidence going into the next few races and I am excited to see what I can do moving forward!”
A former British Junior champion, Cook has taken a slightly unusual journey to arrive at this point in her career insofar that she opted for the NCAA route and has trained and raced collegiately in America. It is a path she feels has set her up perfectly for this new chapter in her career.
“Being in the States gave me such a good opportunity to train at a high level with an amazing team, whilst being able to get my degree at the same time. I learnt a lot from training and racing alongside other athletes, and I think having that experience has helped me grow both as an athlete and as a person. It’s been a slightly different route, but I’m glad I took it. It's such an amazing opportunity to take, especially with the support you can receive from the university. You get to train and recover in some world class facilities and care, and it really helps you perform at your best.”
One constant over the years, though, has been her father as her coach, something Cook points to as a major boon in her development. “I went to university in the US and now spend time training in Portugal, so I’ve been in quite a few different environments, but having that consistency with my coaching has made those transitions a lot easier.”
This weekend, Cook will be in action again as she starts alongside Gautier at the Hong Kong World Cup. A third appearance on the circuit will follow the subsequent weekend as she tackles the Miyazaki World Cup. In light of her strong start at this level, we could see further high finishes that potentially set her up for a big 2027 campaign.
The season has ended, however, for Alberto Gonzalez Garcia (ESP). But what a way to end it. With a dominant win, the Spanish athlete ends 2026 back on top, something made sweeter both by the long wait since his last World Cup win (which came back in March 2024) and the extended period he had to sit on the sidelines in 2025.
“It feels incredible,” said Gonzalez. “I feel like I’m back at the top, but as a better version of myself. Every year brings new lessons and growth, and I feel like I’m hitting my stride at just the right time.”
He may be done for this year, but it is hard to shake the thought that Gonzalez is cooking up something special for next season. Alongside his two World Cup wins, he already has multiple top-6 finishes in the WTCS to his name, including a 5th place at this year’s race in London when a penalty thwarted his podium hunt. Is that first Series medal in his sights?
“Of course, that’s the next goal. But it takes a lot of preparation, and that’s something I’ve been missing this year after my injury in 2025. Now, though, I feel strong and healthy, and I’m really looking forward to preparing for 2027 and fighting for that podium. Everything in its own time, when it’s meant to happen.”
