The 2025 season just gets better and better for Britain’s Oliver Conway. A World Cup win on debut, a WTCS 4th on debut, and on Thursday a U23 World Championship win to underline his rapid ascension in the sport.
A brilliant swim left the first-year U23 athlete right in touch with Hungary’s Marton Kropko through the 1500m swim, and there was no let up on the bike power as he helped drive a front pack of 12 onward. A crash reduced that group to nine, Mathis Beaulieu among those to have their races end early, but after the 40km Conway still had the legs to press on.
Within one lap, the gap was over 20 seconds and continued to go out from there, the British rising star romping home solo to take the tape and the title by more than 90 seconds, Kropko surging to silver as Euan de Nigro held off compatriot Miguel Espuna to take a hard-earned bronze.
'I just felt good in the legs today,' said a remarkably composed Conway. 'I was next to some really fast swimmers and managed to get some good feet and had probably had the best swim of my life, got front pack straight away! In the bike I just tried to keep the pace on, up the hills pushing it, didn't want the fast runners behind catch on. On the run I tried to keep a consistent pace all the way through and managed to get a gap. I don't think it could have gone any better. I've trained really hard this season and it's nice to see it paying off.'
Kropko darts the swim
All the top athletes lined up on the left hand side of the beach for the shortest line to the first buoy, Marton Kropko predictably finding clear water up front but also way to the left of the rest of the field and without a swim cap for his early efforts.
Brayden Mercer was right there too, Michael Gar and Mitch Kolkman likewise, but it was the figure of Conway that was something of a surprise having put together a brilliant first 750m.
Joao Batista was also going well but issues getting out of his wetsuit as he headed up the beach and towards transition cost him dearly – a place in the front pack in fact – while Kropko struggled into his helmet before getting away in chase of Michael Gar (GBR) and Mercer out first.
Three distinct packs quickly formed up front on lap one - 12 at the front opening up 36 seconds of daylight by the second lap and clearly working well.
Gap just keeps growing on the bike
By lap three the gap was going out as Kolkman and Baulieu drove the leaders with Conway, a massive pack coming together behind and increasingly unable to make any headway into the deficit, losing some 20 seconds on every passing lap.
When Beaulieu came down hard on lap five his title challenge was over in cruel fashion, Jules Rethoret and Esteban Basanta able to continue but dropping 20 seconds off the front.
At the bell, Conway shut down a move from Lucas Cambresy (LUX) and the pack of nine was all together coming into the second transition, the main chase pack two minutes back containing Batista, Vannerson, with Basanta and Rethoret in no mans land between.
Conway shows his class
Conway and Kolkman were rapid in transition, Kropko just a bit too far back to stay in touch, but Conway was wasting no time at all and quickly pulled clear of the field.
After one lap the lead already stood at a remarkable 40s to Euan de Nigro, Espuna, Kropko and Kolkman, with Gar and Cambresy a minute back, Mercer then slotting into position to stay in touch.
As Conway ploughed on seemingly unaware of anyone else on the course, the battle for the remaining podium places raged behind. Kolkman was first to drop, then it became Kropko, de Nigro and Espuna locked together a minute back.
Espuna made the first move just after the halfway mark, Kropko staying patient though and reeling the two Italians back after looking a little lost.
Then it was time for the Hungarian to detonate his own move and he timed it beautifully, breaking the Italians and pulling clear into second. As Conway took the tape with a 29m35 10km run time (how many of the men will top that on Sunday?) and 1m39 clear of Kropko in second, it was to be De Nigro with the last power move to steer himself to the bronze.
Marton Kropko
'I was not expecting this, especially after feeling sick recently. I wanted to dedicate this to my little sister, it's the best performance of my career so far. Conway was in a different level hats off to him. We never slowed down on the bike and on the run it was a battle for silver and bronze and i'm happy with my high fitness on the run.'
Euan De Nigro
'It was a really really hard race, it was always going to be like that against guys like Conway and Kropko. I want to thank Glenn (Pelounis, coach). We have such a great group and feel im getting better every day. There was a little crash so it had to be full focus all the way, I had a lot of motivation on the course and I want to thank them. I thought I was dead and going to be fourth but... had to go for the fourth place.'
Full results here.
