Yee stole the headlines at the weekend but here you can find out everything else that happened
For some it was the beginning, for others the end. The Rome World Cup represented the final race of the season for multiple stars of triathlon, including Olympic champion Alex Yee (GBR). At the same time, it stood as the first instalment of the autumn World Cup swing with plenty more races to come, each of which offer crucial Olympic qualification points. Racing also took place elsewhere at the Europe Cup and Asia Junior Cup levels, and you can find out all that went down in your latest Monday Morning Mix.
Rome World Cup
After a turbo-charged swim by Bianca Seregni (ITA) (9:36 for 750m) and the best efforts of an initial pack of nine to break away on the bike, over twenty women arrived in T2 together to contest a 5km running race in the Eternal City. After logging the top bike split as part of the chasing group that joined the initial leaders (31:17), Diana Isakova (AIN) hit the front out of T2 and did not look back.
She came under pressure from Tilda Månsson (SWE). The WTCS Yokohama winner had a slow T2 but soon hit top gear. Yet Isakova would not be denied. Amid a titanic struggle down the blue carpet after Isakova had ignited the afterburners first, the Swede could not find a way past and settled for silver by 1 second, despite running 15:42 for the 5km to Isakova’s 15:48. This was a second World Cup win of the season for Isakova (after her March win in Haikou), a feat she has now achieved for the second straight year.
Rounding out the podium was Taylor Spivey (USA) who took the bronze ahead of the 2023 and 2024 winner Nina Eim (GER). This was a homecoming of sorts for Spivey as her triathlon story is tied to Italy; she got into the sport in 2012 when studying abroad in Florence.
Meanwhile, Alex Yee (GBR) built upon his recent WTCS medals in Karlovy Vary and Pontevedra with a first international win since his return. Zalán Hóbor (HUN) and Michael Gar (GBR) had led the swim (9:04) – in a measure of Seregni’s speed she would have been more than comfortable in the men’s race – but when the packs came together there was only one way the race would end.
A blistering 13:52 5km split from Yee, saw him to the gold by 25 seconds. One thing to note, however, is that Yee’s time is not the best World Cup 5km split of 2026; that honour remains with Hugo Milner (GBR) who clocked 13:51 in Haikou.
The real drama in the men’s race came in the race for 2nd as a pack of contenders went hammer and tongs into the finish line. Home hopeful Nicola Azzano (ITA) had enjoyed a fantastic race and was well-positioned by French youngsters Martin Hubner (FRA) and Tristan Douche (FRA) charged through to take silver and bronze, respectively. The fact that both did so on their World Cup debuts made their composure all the more remarkable.
Yee then teamed up with Olivia Mathias (GBR), Connor Bentley (GBR) and Kate Waugh (GBR) to win the Mixed Team Relay the following morning. Mathias was rock-solid as the field mostly remained together on the first leg before Bentley lifted the British quartet into the lead on his leg. Waugh had to contend with Seregni in the water on the third leg but then broke away on the bike to hand Yee a half-minute lead. He was never going to lose from there.
After multiple changes of position, Italy and Portugal separated themselves from the rest behind Yee with Euan De Nigro (ITA) and Miguel Tiago Silva (POR) fighting it out for the silver medal. The former ultimately came out on top, but both teams were delighted at the finish with their spots on the podium. View the full results here.
Ceuta Europe Cup
Further south, Annie Fuller (USA) maintained her rich vein of form with another win. The American won last time out in Coimbra as well as in Montreal earlier in the summer, and a field-best run split proved the difference in this latest sprint distance outing.
Liberty Ricca (USA) and Sara Crociani (ITA) led the swim in 9:41, establishing a clear gap at the front of the race. Marina Muñoz Hernando (ESP) then clocked the best bike split (30:05) by 12 seconds to slide into the group of six that made up the front pack. Fuller was also in this group and would lead into T2. Although Muñoz would nip ahead going out onto the run, Fuller’s 17:24 split was enough to get the job done and win by 19 seconds. Muñoz and Ricca then completed the podium.
Over in the men’s race, Jan Scheffold (GER) and Till Kramp (GER) pulled away from the rest on the run, setting up a German competition for gold. Scheffold was the first man out onto the run, and he used that early advantage to full effect. Although Kramp came back at him, Scheffold had enough in the tank to win by 2 seconds. Eduardo Blanco Mollá (ESP) then slotted into 3rd place after a strong run of his own. View the full results here.
New Taipei Asia Junior Cup
Over the super sprint distance, Maurizka Nur Azizah (INA) dominated the women’s event in New Taipei. She was the first athlete out of the water in the 375m swim (5:56) and then led a two-woman break with Aira Martha Ardistri (INA) over the 8.1km bike. The final piece of her gold medal-winning puzzle came over the 2.5km run where she clocked 9:26 to win by 33 seconds. This was also a first international win for Azizah after previously claiming bronze and silver medals at Asia Junior Cup level. Ardistri held onto 2nd place while Yu-Han Hung (TPE) rounded out the podium in 3rd.
The men’s race saw a closer battle with a larger pack coming together on the bike after Shuo Heng Kao (TPE) led out of the water. Sadra Ebrahimi (IRI), already an Asia Junior Cup medallist this year, would lead the pack into T2, but from there the elastic that bound the lead pack together broke. Tian Denša (SLO) shone on the run and sped to victory with a 7:46 split, the only one under 8 minutes. Feher Moussa (KSA) crossed in 2nd place 13 seconds later while Ebrahimi held on to secure the bronze medal. View the full results here.
