At 5pm local time on Wednesday 15 October, the streets of Wollongong will be bouncing to the march of thousands of triathletes as the sights and sounds of the traditional Parade of Nations open the 2025 Championship Finals in style.
The first Grand Final to be held in Australia since that unforgettable Gold Coast 2018, this year the focus moves 90km south of Sydney, where four days of racing will crown our 2025 World Champions across the Elite, Para, U23, Junior and Age Group sprint and Olympic distance categories, as well as hosting the 7th stop on the T100 Series.
First up on 16 October, the Standard-distance Age Group World Championships get the action rolling, followed by the AG Aquabike Worlds mid-morning, with 45 nations represented across the Age Group events. Then it is all eyes on the next generation of athletes looking to make a name for themselves towards LA 2028, as the always entertaining U23 World Championships hit town.
The USA’s Reese Vannerson will want to go one better than his Junior silver last year but faces big tests from the likes of Oliver Conway (GBR), Marton Kropko (HUN) and home favourite Bradley Course, with Ilona Hadhoum (FRA), Zuzana Michalickova (SVK) and Richelle Hill (AUS) among the ones to watch in the women’s race.
The Age Group Sprint racing gets Friday 17th underway, before the afternoon is given over to the real young guns for the Junior World Championships. Fast, unpredictable sprint-distance action is on the cards, with last year’s women’s 1-2-3 of Ambre Grasset (FRA), Fanni Szalai (HUN) and Lea Houart (FRA) facing a stiff challenge from fan favourite Aspen Anderson (AUS). Battling it out for the men’s Junior title will be home hope Zahn Spies (AUS), up against the likes of Achille Besson (FRA), Blake Bullard (USA) and Hector Tolsa Garci (ESP).
Onto Saturday 18 October, the Para Triathlon World Championships will see the mighty Alexis Hanquinquant (FRA), Grace Norman (USA), Susana Rodriguez (ESP) and Dave Ellis (GBR) among the names looking to retain their world titles from a year ago. Home hopes include Lauren Parker (PTWC) and Anu Francis (PTS2), Jeremy Peacock (PTS4), Grace Brimelow and Jack Howell (PTS5) and Maggie Sandles and Sam Harding (PTVI).
From there, France look to defend their title at the Jr/U23 Mixed Relay Worlds and then the T100 races take over the afternoon schedule, with Hayden Wilde (NZL) chasing a sixth win of the season and kicking off another audacious double attempt ahead of Sunday’s WTCS Finals plus Ashleigh Gentle (AUS) looking for back-to-back golds on home turf. Then it’s a hands-up fun-run to the setting sun with the Rock’n’Run at 7.30pm.
All of which sets up a grandstand finish on Sunday 19 October. Kicking off with only the second ever Para Mixed Relay World Championships, the USA will look to defend their Torremolinos title, before it's over to the Age Group Mixed Relay.
Then from 2pm it is showdown time in the Women’s World Championships, the last two winners Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) and Beth Potter (GBR) going in level on points for what is set to be another blockbuster battle between the two leading lights so far in 2025. Neither will expect to have it their own way, though, as Jeanne Lehair (LUX), Lisa Tertsch (GER) and Leonie Periault (FRA) lead the chase for end-of-season honours.
Wrapping up four days of fireworks, Matt Hauser aims to become Australia’s first Men’s World Champion in two decades at 5pm. A useful lead at the top of the rankings means a medal of any colour and the title is his, but ever-present rivals Miguel Hidalgo (BRA) and Vasco Vilaça (POR), plus rising talent Henry Graf (GER), will have their eyes on a major upset too.
So stand by, clear the schedules, it’s all coming up and available to watch on TriathlonLive.tv and you can BUY YOUR RACE PASS HERE, including all the individual Elite, Para, U23 and Junior world championship racing AND the chance to watch back every WTCS so far in 2025!
