The starting gun went off at the weekend for a new season of triathlon and today we are bringing you a brand new segment to keep you on top of all the action. Across the opening round of the WTCS, a topsy-turvy World Mixed Relay Series contest, the return of the World Para Cup, and two Continental Cups, there was plenty to note. Read on to find out all you need to know and tune in on Mondays as we cover the latest from the world of triathlon.
WTCS Abu Dhabi
The headline act of the weekend was unquestionably the drama in the desert as Hayden Wilde and Lisa Tertsch came out on top after tight battles in Abu Dhabi. Wilde continued his winning run in the Series, backing up his victory in Torremolinos at the end of 2024 with yet another gold. Looking ahead to the coming season, his T100 commitments create some uncertainty as to how many times he will appear in the WTCS. Such is his form, perhaps he will fancy hunting a maiden world title and in doing so breaking the trend of men’s Abu Dhabi winners tending to lose out at the end of the season. Such was the form of fellow medallists Matthew Hauser and Vasco Vilaca, though, there will be plenty of opposition to any Wilde world title quest.
Tertsch got her own world title aspirations off to a perfect start as she was part of a German podium sweep alongside Nina Eim and Laura Lindemann. The next day, Germany were on top again with a comeback victory in the Mixed Team Relay. While none of their female medallists were in action, a particularly impressive outing from Tanja Neubert showed that competition for places on the team will be fierce.
World Para Cup Abu Dhabi
The opening act of the Para triathlon season took place alongside the WTCS event in Abu Dhabi. Among the highlights was Thomas Fruehwirth H1 coming out on top against Austrian compatriot Florian Brungraber H2 in the PTWC event. A brilliant bike split of 29:18 overturned Brungraber’s swim and run advantages and handed Fruehwirth the gold.
It was a similar tale in the men’s PTS3 class as Britain’s Ryan Taylor downed Valentin Hanzer of Germany. The Brit out-split his rival by exactly 3 minutes on the bike, thereby overturning Hanzer’s superiority in the first and third disciplines.
One of the races of the weekend came in the women’s PTS5 class with Andrea Miguelez Ranz withstanding a major challenge from Marta Dzieciątkowska. 38 seconds ultimately separated the Spanish and Polish pair at the finish line with Miguela's 30 second gain on the bike proving the difference. Keep an eye out for the full breakdown of the World Para Cup which will be available shortly.
Asia Cup Chennai
Elsewhere on the continent, Francesco Di Basilico of Italy claimed the first win of his international career in India after a field-leading run split of 14:24 proved more than enough to take the sprint distance event. Di Basilico broke away late from the 2024 Asian Junior champion Takuto Oshima (JPN), while Luke McCarron (IRL) denied Japan’s Ryoya Tamazaki the bronze in a photo finish.
Martina Ayu Pratiwi of Indonesia crossed first in the women’s race, beating out Japan’s Minori Ikeno by 25 seconds. As with Di Basilico, this represented the first international gold of her career. Anna Zehnder of Switzerland secured the bronze medal a mere 3 seconds later.
Americas Cup La Habana
In another sprint distance event, young Braxton Legg triumphed in a clash of Americans over Blake Bullard. With Legg born in 2005 and Bullard still a junior (born in 2006), it may have been a glimpse into the future for Team USA. Legg pulled away on the run after the pair had ridden as part of a seven-man breakaway. Further back, Alejandro Rodriguez Diez (CUB) used a field-fastest run split of 15:19 to vault himself into 3rd place.
In the women’s race, Maria López Faraudo of Mexico beat out World Cup medallist Maria Carolina Velasquez Soto (COL). Velasquez, a Paris Olympian, seemed primed to strike for gold at the start of the run but López stuck to her like a limpet before making her move. Being in her first year out of the junior ranks, it represents a major achievement for the Mexican talent. Rosa Elena Martinez Melchor of Venezuela beat out another young talent, 2023 World Junior Championships silver medallist Jimena Renata De La Peña Schott (USA), to earn 3rd place.
