In a weekend practically overflowing with triathlon action, plenty of the races fell into two categories. In one group, the form athletes of July and previous months sparkled, adding further gold medals to their accounts. The other group, however, was a little more dramatic as those with recent victories found themselves upended by new challengers. With a clash of young and old in Montreal and a renewed showdown between the two best junior female triathletes in the world also on offer, there was plenty to dissect.

Melilla Europe Sprint Championships

At the sprint distance European Championships in Melilla, Jolien Vermeylen (BEL) continued her magical month by claiming the continental title. Having already won the silver medal at the Tiszaujavros World Cup and recorded a WTCS personal best 4^th place in Hamburg, everything seems to be going her way right now.

Vermeylen and recent first-time WTCS medallist Bianca Seregni (ITA) led the 750m sea swim in 8:38. Over the 20km bike, though, a large pack came together at the front, setting up a 5km running race through what might be the most novel and aesthetically pleasing course on the international circuit. With the loop taking athletes through the old castle grounds of Melilla, there was little to split the medallists. Vermeylen, though, had enough to win by 10 seconds over Seregni. Taking 3^rd place and the U23 title was Franka Rust (GER) in another standout performance.

The good vibes July likewise continued for Alessio Crociani (ITA). The Italian athlete was a week removed from a first WTCS medal in Hamburg and showed his performance in Germany was no flash in the pan. When Crociani put 9 seconds into his closest rival in the swim (clocking 8:35), it was clear he meant business. From there, he did not put a foot wrong and remained at the front until he broke the tape first. Crossing in 2^nd place was Shachar Sagiv (ISR) while Sebastian Wernersen (NOR) rounded out the podium. Like Rust, Wernersen also took the U23 title. View the full results here.

Melilla Europe Junior Championships

In the junior women’s race, there was another showdown between Ambre Grasset (FRA) and Fanni Szalai (HUN), the gold and silver medallists from last year’s World Junior Championship. In almost a carbon copy of their 2024 bout, the pair stuck together and on the run could hardly be separated. Then, in another repeat of last year, Grasset summoned the surge at the end that carried her to gold. Szalai was only 2 seconds back but will have to conjure a way past her rival at their next meet-up in Wollongong. After winning multiple Europe Junior Cups,  Anouk Danna (SUI) continued her impressive campaign by following home in 3^rd place.

Kjell Arved Brandt scored gold for Germany in the junior men’s race with a performance that was strong across the board, but truly magnificent on the run. The field never quite splintered as some of the contenders may have hoped during the bike. Achille Besson (FRA), the bronze medallist at the World Junior Championship last year and highest returning finisher for Wollongong, was well-placed as a large group rolled into T2, as was Brandt. But Brandt had something special up his sleeve.

A 15:13 5km run split blew the field apart. It was over 30 seconds clear of the next fastest man, bronze medallist Brandon Pye (GBR), and 39 seconds better than silver medallist Besson. It was even quicker than Wernersen’s effort in the elite men’s race, although other elite men further back were also faster than the Norwegian. Among the junior men, no one could live with Brandt and he therefore claimed by the biggest winning margin in Melilla, a full 33 seconds. View the full results here.

Montreal World Para Series

Men’s winners:

• PTWC: Louis Noel (FRA)
• PTS2: Wim De Paepe (BEL)
• PTS3: Max Gelhaar (GER)
• PTS4: Pierre-Antoine Baele (FRA)
• PTS5: Stefan Daniel (CAN)
• PTVI: Oscar Kelly (GBR)

A week removed from last week’s World Para Cup in Magog, there were several athletes heading into Montreal hoping to make it two wins in two weekends. However, instead of following the form book, there were multiple reversals across the men’s races. Louis Noel created some turbulence atop the PTWC class as he beat Joshua Landmann (GBR), the winner in Magog. Similarly, Pierre-Antoine Baele defeated Antoine Lamarche Poulain (FRA) after Poulain had been so strong in Magog.

In the men’s PTS5 class, Stefan Daniel and Chris Hammer (USA) renewed their rivalry to produce fireworks. Hammer, the reigning Paralympic champion, had won in Magog but found himself down in 3^rd place in Montreal after Daniel, the reigning world champion, worked his alchemy to turn silver into gold. Another athlete to convert his silver to gold was Max Gelhaar as he ran riot in the PTS3 class. As such, it was not necessarily a good day to be a Magog gold medallist in Montreal.

Women’s winners:

• PTWC: Lauren Parker (AUS)
• PTS2: Anu Francis (AUS)
• PTS3: Kenia Yesenia Villalobos Vargas (MEX)
• PTS4: Camille Seneclauze (FRA)
• PTS5: Grace Norman (USA)
• PTVI: Leticia Freitas (BRA)

On the other hand, the women’s races saw multiple Magog winners notch another victory. Indeed, at the final World Para Series race of the year, Anu Francis and Leticia Freitas were the only new winners compared with the weekend prior. In both the PTS2 and PTVI classes, the winners from Magog, Allysa Seely (USA) and Anja Renner (GER), slipped to 2^nd place.

For the four repeat winners – Parker, Villalobos, Seneclauze and Norman – there was little trouble in Montreal. Parker looked strong once more and appears in great condition as she builds towards reclaiming her world title in Wollongong; last year, she had dominated the PTWC class but missed out on the world title after a post-Paris break. Norman, however, was possibly the most imperious winner of the bunch and, at this point in time, it is hard to see anyone getting by her in Wollongong. View the full results here.

Montreal Americas Cup

Alongside the World Para Series finale, Montreal saw a major clash between young and old as the 2023 World Junior Championship medallist and recent World Cup medallist Mathis Beaulieu (CAN) took on WTCS gold medallist Morgan Pearson (USA). Pearson was at the front of the race in the swim and onto the bike. His showing in the water highlighted how even athletes sometimes not regarded as the stronger swimmers at the WTCS level are still fantastic in the first discipline, a fact that is apparent when they slot into lower tier races.

Yet Pearson had not shaken Beaulieu and the young Canadian then took the fight to the American over the sprint distance 5km run. And here, the man that has logged some of the best run splits the WTCS in the 2020s had no answer. Beaulieu therefore skated clear to win by 14 seconds and take a noteworthy scalp. Behind, Braxton Legg (USA) continued his fine Americas Cup form with another podium in 3^rd place.

The women’s race proved another stepping stone in the breakout year of home athlete Desirae Ridenour (CAN). Having claimed a maiden World Cup win at the start of the year, Ridenour added another gold medal. She played to her strengths and was among the top swimmers. The real damage was done, though, with her 16:52 split, the second fastest of the day. In the battle for silver, Naomi Ruff (USA) traded places with Erica Hawley (BER) from the Americas Cup in Magog. A photo finish had split the pair a week earlier, but this time the younger Ruff prevailed by 5 seconds. View the full results here.

Tata World Para Cup

Men’s winners

• PTWC: Thomas Fruehwirth (AUT)
• PTS2: Jules Ribstein (FRA)
• PTS3: Valerii Perekhrest (UKR)
• PTS4: Antonio Franko (CRO)
• PTS5: Bence Mocsari (HUN)
• PTVI: Dave Ellis (GBR)

Over in Europe, there was further world class Para Triathlon action in Tata. Among the highlights were Paralympic and world champion Dave Ellis dominating the PTVI class and European champion Bence Mocsari delivering a home gold medal in the PST5 category.

Women’s winners

• PTWC: Elise Laurent (FRA)
• PTS2: Gitte Welslau (BEL)
• PTS3: Atalia Nevo (ISR)
• PTS4: Hannah Moore (GBR)
• PTS5: Alisa Kolpakchy (UKR)
• PTVI: McClain Hermes (USA)

In the women’s races, the deepest class was the PTS4 race in which Hannah Moore came out on top. This was the first international start of 2025 for the Paris Paralympic bronze medallist. Given her superlative performance, particularly in the swim and bike, she looks to be building well towards the World Championships in October. View the full results here.

Kampar World Triathlon Development Regional Cup

At the latest development competition of the year, there was a South Korean sweep of the men’s podium. Seongsik Kim (KOR) earned the gold medal over Gyuseo Choi (KOR) and Woo Sik Jeong (KOR) in the sprint distance race. The trio swam and rode together before settling the medals on the run.

However, they were not at the front throughout. Juyoung Kim (KOR) had been the top swimmer before falling back into the medallists’ pack. But Aloysius Reckyardo Mardian (INA) had no plans on letting himself get caught. He had been the second fastest swimmer and then attacked solo on the bike to arrive in T2 by himself. Reckyardo Mardian could not hold on during the run and fell back, but it was a bold display nonetheless.

In the women’s race, Esther Joy Hong Li Chen (MAS) staged a comeback to nab the victory. She had been over 30 seconds off the pace set by silver and bronze medallists Renata Berliana Aditya (INA) and Herlene Natasha Yu (SGP). She then lost almost a minute across T1 and the bike. As a result, Chen was staring down the barrel going into the run, only to blast the fastest split of the day to win by 18 seconds. View the full results here.

Kampar Asia Junior Cup

Kampar also hosted an Asia Junior Cup event at which Ramazan Aigenov (KAZ) came out on top. Seymur Anthony Caglayan (TUR) took the silver medal while Yelmurat Kanay (KAZ) left with the bronze. The medallists had actually lost time in the water before the field came together on the bike. The 5km run then settled matters and no one could get past Aigenov.

Seoeun Park (KOR) won the junior women’s race over Kayla Nadia Shafa (INA) and Diana Biktimirova (KAZ). Unlike the men’s race, the field split up quite dramatically as a pack of four, containing the medallists and Eunsol Bae (KOR), pulled away in the swim and then consolidated their advantage on the bike. With a lead of over 90 seconds heading into T2, the front quartet had done enough to put away any challenge from the chase pack. From there, Park had too much speed for the others to handle. View the full results here.