Moletai, Lithuania, hosts the Europe Triathlon Junior Cup for the first time this weekend, as the second of three consecutive weekends of Junior Cup action gets underway. Jūrmala will host the final event of the run next week, having stepped in to replace Riga.

The Super Sprint format promises a demanding weekend, with semi-finals taking place in the morning before the finals on Saturday evening.

Junior Women

With 28 athletes on the start list, all of the Junior Women will progress directly to the final, with last weekend’s gold medallist in Chișinău, Beate Jansone, looking to go back-to-back.

The Latvian will also have the opportunity to claim another medal in Latvia next week, making it a busy period for an athlete who has shown plenty of promise and development this season.

Behind her, wearing bib number two, is Zambia’s Rachel O'Donoghue, who has also enjoyed a strong season. She has claimed three medals in Africa Triathlon Cup events, including two golds.

Home crowds will be able to cheer on Ula Sijaviciute, who starts with bib number three. The Lithuanian has had a couple of weeks away from racing since competing in Elblag and enjoyed a strong performance at the Baltic Championships in June, where she finished fifth.

Chișinău bronze medallist Evamaria Albert will also race on consecutive weekends, with the Estonian looking to improve on her medal from last week. Like Jansone, she will also compete in Latvia next weekend as she looks to make the most of three consecutive weekends of racing.

Three Finnish athletes — Nenna Mäkinen, Kaisa Keränen and Sofia Hämäläinen — line up with bib numbers six, seven and eight. None has raced so far this month, but all three will be looking for a positive result and could potentially work together on the bike course.

Another home hopeful, Lėja Bubulaitė, rounds out the top 10 starters. The Lithuanian raced in Chișinău last weekend, finishing 15th, and will now have the support of the home crowd in Moletai.

Four of the six youngest athletes on the start list represent the host nation. Liepa Tamutyte will compete in only her second European-level race after also racing in Moldova last weekend.

Meja Sapsai, Smiltė Zasetyte and Austėja Bakanovaitė will all make their European debuts, giving them the opportunity to race in front of a home crowd while testing themselves against athletes from across Europe.

Junior Men

With 48 athletes entered in the Junior Men’s race, the two semi-finals on Saturday morning will determine who advances to the final that evening.

Nathan Max Centlivres Chase of Namibia leads the way in the first semi-final. The African athlete will be racing in Europe for the second time, having previously competed in Torremolinos at the start of the season.

Latvian Gustavs Vīksne starts just behind him in bib number two. After last racing in Elblag, Vīksne will be hoping to make an impact in Moletai.

Zaкhar Tsivkovskyi claimed bronze in Chișinău last weekend, giving the Ukrainian plenty of motivation as he looks to secure medals in consecutive Junior Cup events.

Henri Källström last raced at the Baltic Championships in June and will make his Junior Cup debut of the season. He will be hoping for a successful weekend, with another opportunity to compete next week in Latvia.

As in the Junior Women’s race, several athletes will make their European debuts in the first semi-final. Home hopeful Kasparas Rusteika will line up for his first European race, starting behind fellow Lithuanian Isaak Etxezarreta Arrizabalaga, who wears bib number 12.

Another Lithuanian, Matas Jonikaitis, will compete in just his second European-level race. His previous appearance came at the Baltic Championships in Alūksne.

Rounding out Semi-final 1 is another Lithuanian debutant, Gytis Alminas, who starts with bib number 46.

Estonia leads the second semi-final, with Artur Abras and Kalmer Kiiver starting with bib numbers two and three. Abras is yet to claim a win but will take confidence from his strong seventh-place finish at the Baltic Championships. Kiiver will also be looking to challenge for a medal after taking silver at the Estonian National Championships.

More home hopes come in the form of Kristupas Jančius, who starts with bib number seven after finishing 12th in Chișinău last weekend.

Cyprus’ Georgios Christodoulou will race for the first time in 2026, with his last appearance coming in Izvorani in October.

Eriks Retenais, Rostyslav Syheiev and Tauras Naujokas are among the other debutants taking to the start line in Moletai.

With the semi-final format giving athletes the chance to race twice across the weekend, Moletai promises a busy and challenging first edition of the Europe Triathlon Junior Cup, with athletes looking to make their mark before the series moves on to Jūrmala next week.

Photo: infomoletai.lt