Just when it seemed the 2025 season had given us all it had to offer, it went and did that. This past weekend was among the absolute best triathlon has seen this year with performances ranging from the masterful – see the Norwegian train – to the memorable – see the European titles claimed in two different locations – to the downright ludicrous – see WTCS Karlovy Vary. Find out everything you might have missed and all that won’t be forgotten anytime soon in this week’s Monday Morning Mix.
European Youth Championships Kitzbühel
The weekend started with Kitzbühel, a former home of the WTCS, acting as the proving ground for the next generation of European stars at the weekend as the best youth athletes of the continent (those born up to 2008) went toe-to-toe. Racing over the super sprint distance, the men’s race went down to the wire as Lucas Gorrill (GBR) took on a French duo of Antonin Mathieu and Quentin Bauer heading onto the blue carpet. It was Mathieu that had the best closing kick and he held off his rivals to win by 3 seconds. The race for silver and gold then came down to a solitary second with Bauer getting the better of Gorril.
In the women’s race, Anouk Danna (SUI) arrived in Kitzbühel as the woman to beat. Among her highlights this year are her recent win at the Europe Junior Cup in Zagreb and her bronze medal at the Europe Junior Championships in Melilla. Those watching were expecting a show and she duly obliged.
Although Danna did not have things all her own way in a fast swim, she came through to the front on the bike. From there, she ripped a field-leading run split to win by a comprehensive 17 seconds. Léa Reviglio (FRA) was the best of the rest and took silver while Kimey Casanova made it two Swiss medals in 3rd place. View the full results here.
Europe Triathlon Challenge Long Distance Championships Almere-Amsterdam
Over in Almere-Amsterdam, the second set of European titles were decided at the Long Distance Championships and it was a day of double British delight. The men’s race saw William Draper (GBR) stage a come-from-behind charge to pip Tristan Olij (NED) at the finish line. After over 7 hours 41 minutes of racing, the difference between the two men was a mere 8 seconds. Already a bronze medallist at the 2025 World Long Distance Triathlon Championships, Draper’s victory caps quite the season. Joining him on the podium was his teammate William Grace (GBR).
Daisy Davies (GBR) ensured Britain would leave with both elite gold medals as she dominated the women’s event. In stark contrast to Draper’s tense last push, Davies won with all the time in the world, crossing over 14 minutes ahead of her nearest rival. This was Davies’ first international start of the year, having last raced at the 2024 World U23 Championships. After this win, look for her to make further waves in the long distance scene. Later on, Els Visser (NED) managed to claim the silver medal ahead of Poland’s Marta Lagownik. View the full results here.
Africa Cup Oran
Lukas Pertl (AUT) notched a second Continental Cup win of 2025 after his previous success in Dexing. At the sprint distance Africa Cup in Morocco, the Austrian champion had a flawless race, winning by 33 seconds. He put himself in the lead group after the swim fractured the field; the front pack would arrive in T2 with a comfortable minute-plus margin over the chasers. Pertl then dropped a 15:55 5km to down his fellow leaders. Taking silver was Turkey’s Gültigin Er. Lukas Meckel (GER) was only a few second behind in 3rd place.
The women’s race was an altogether closer affair, with the podium separated by 5 seconds at the finish. Elizabeth Carr (IRL) broke away over the swim and bike in an audacious solo breakaway, leaving the main pack in her wake. The chasers included Dominika Peszleg (HUN), Alessia Orla (ROU) and Adelaide Anna Badini Confalonieri (ITA) but only saw the gap to Carr grow. Peszleg, however, refused to sit back and attacked, bridging up to Carr.
It was not to be for Carr as she tied up on the 5km run and lost multiple places. Peszleg, though, held firm. Orla and Badini Confalonieri charged past Carr and were moving faster than their Hungarian rival. They were practically on her heels at the finish line. But Peszleg had done enough and held off Orla by 2 seconds after recording 17:51 for the 5km to Orla’s 16:06. Badini Confalonieri then took bronze 3 seconds later. View the full results here.
WTCS Karlovy Vary
And of course we have to talk about the sensational racing that took place in Karlovy Vary. There was a return to the top of the podium for 2023 world champion Beth Potter (GBR) and a maiden victory for Germany’s Henry Graf (GER), but that barely scratches the surface on all the drama of the day.
There were wickedly fast swims, dramas in transition, breakaways on the bike and then thrilling hunts on the run. If you have not had a chance to catch the events, be sure to watch them back on TriathlonLive.
In the women’s race, a Jolien Vermeylen-powered swim set the tone with the Belgian decimating the field. Amid a reshuffle on the brutal bike course, Maya Kingma (NED) broke clear only for Taylor Spivey (USA) to catch up. The pair then put a minute into their chasers by the time they arrived into T2. That set up the chase with Potter flying after Spivey, only catching her target on the final lap. Lisa Tertsch then rounded out the podium after the Brit and American.
The men’s race likewise saw plenty in the field frazzled by the early tempo and a breakaway initially moved clear. A double act of Márk Dévay (HUN) and Graf then powered ahead; they were later boosted by Tjebbe Kaindl (AUT) jumping across the gap with a huge effort. As with the women’s race, the escapees seized the initiative and carried an advantage of over 40 seconds into T2. Then the chase began.
Series leader Matt Hauser (AUS) and WTCS Alghero winner Miguel Hidalgo (BRA) led the chasers, but Hauser then surprisingly faded. That left it to Hidalgo to ignite on the final 5km as he set after Graf and he came within seconds of making the move stick. Yet Graf had done enough as he stunned the field, and indeed the triathlon world. View the full results here.
Around the world
Finally, some viewers of triathlon may have been forgiven for thinking they had been teleported back to 2018 as a trio of Norwegian men locked out a major podium. Back then, it was at WTCS Bermuda that Casper Stornes, Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden took on the rest of the world and won. This weekend, they repeated the trick at the Ironman World Championships. For Stornes, the newly-crowned world champion, this was a first global title. Judging by the panache with which he sealed it, it may not be his last.