It was a long weekend of triathlon with everything happening all at once; such was the number of events, Friday had to be co-opted into the weekend to squeeze the racing in. Read on to stay abreast with all that took place, with every detail covered in your Monday Morning Mix.
WTCS Weihai
Friday launched the weekend with the final race of the regular WTCS season, one that saw Beth Potter (GBR) record a second straight victory to reel in Series leader Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA). After the majority of the field remained together on the bike, Potter struck early on the first of the four run laps to establish a lead that never looked in any real danger. Behind the runaway leader was a much tighter tussle for silver. As the kilometres ticked by, Lisa Tertsch (GER) and Tanja Neubert (GER) managed to drop their rivals. Tertsch made the first move only for Neubert to drag herself back onto her compatriot’s hip. When Neubert then went with less than a kilometre to go, it seemed the matter was settled. However, Tertsch clawed her way back at the last to take silver.
In the men’s race, there was a maiden victory for Max Studer (SUI). The European champion used a smart two-man break on the last lap of the bike to gain some breathing space over his rivals. Such was his dominance on the run, though, it almost seemed an unnecessary move in retrospect. A final margin of 24 seconds demonstrated how Studer was the best man on the day and it will be fascinating to see how he kicks on from here. Adding a third medal for Team Germany was Henry Graf as he out-kicked bronze medallist John Reed (USA) in the final run-in. View the full results here.
Africa Sprint Championships El-Galala
After winning the continental title over the standard distance earlier in the year, Jawad Abdelmoula (MAR) was at it again over the sprint distance in Egypt. The former WTCS medallist broke away with Badr Siwane (MAR) after exiting T1 in second place behind his compatriot. Together, they constructed a lead of 50 seconds going into the run. Although Abdelmoula seemed the favourite from there, he did not have it all his own way and it took a 15:50 5km split to beat Siwane by 11 seconds. Taking bronze and completing a Moroccan sweep of the podium was Mohamed Nemsi (MAR). He produced a split of 15:47 to clock the best run of the day.
Meanwhile, the women’s field saw Shanae Williams (RSA) on the start line and then next encountered her at the finish line. A time of 9:44 in the 750m swim helped her put 45 seconds into her closest rival. Next, she added almost 90 more seconds to her advantage on the bike before finally pulling out a 17:32 5km run to win by over 5 minutes. Silver went to Zimbabwe’s Andie Kuipers while Imene Maldji (ALG) took bronze. View the full results here.
Africa Aquathlon and Duathlon Championships El-Galala
Abdelmoula doubled up by also winning the aquathlon title in Egypt. He beat Naim Mokhfi (ALG) by 41 seconds after going solo off the front from the first leg of the run-swim-run. Lana Gavrilović (SRB) won the women’s race with Algeria’s Lola Soukaina Zeroual taking the continental title from 4th place. View the full results here.
Abdelmoula did not go for the hat-trick in the duathlon and another medallist from the sprint triathlon was ready to make the most of the opportunity. Nemsi powered to victory, another fine duathlon result after finishing 5th at the World Games back in August. He separated himself from most of the field with Omar Othmane Goumghar (MAR) for company on the first run. He would not break clear of his teammate until the second run. Nemsi’s late move was nonetheless enough to see him win by 17 seconds. In the women’s duathlon, Ghizlane Assou (MAR) beat sprint triathlon bronze medallist Maldji by over 4 minutes in a dominant display. Assou was 41 seconds clear after the first run and only extended her lead from there. View the full results here.
Africa Junior Cup El-Galala
It was Morocco’s weekend in El-Galala as they added a sweep of the men’s podium at the Junior Cup event. Ziad Bouchikha (MAR) was the man that came out on top after an audacious solo breakaway. He had the best swim and bike of the day, which together ensured he had enough of a gap to win by over a minute, despite being out-split on the run. Further back, Goumghar added a silver medal to his medal in the duathlon. He was the best runner of the field, stopping the clock at 17:27 for the 5km. Adam Kermadi (MAR) then took the bronze medal.
In the women’s race, Daria Ermolova (AIN) demolished the opposition to win by over 3 minutes. Unlike Bouchikha, she left the water as part of a group of four. Once onto the bike, though, she consigned her fellow leaders to dust. By the time she arrived at transition, Ermolova had put over 2 minutes into her closest competitors. A field-leading run split of 18:46 then sealed the deal. Joudy Fathy (EGY) and Chayma Biar (MAR) followed to take silver and bronze, respectively. View the full results here.
Asia Cup Yilan
Last year’s Asian junior champion Takuto Oshima (JPN) scored a second Asia Cup win of the season after coming through a stern test against compatriot Satoshi Iwamoto (JPN) in Yilan. There was barely a moment for anyone to catch their breath as a ten-man breakaway pulled away and arrived in T2 clear of the field. Oshima and Iwamoto were safely among the front group and then seized control of the race over the 5km run. In the end, Oshima’s field-leading 15:05 split was enough to hand him the win by 8 seconds. Crossing in 3rd place was James Corbett (NZL), 19 seconds after Iwamoto.
There was another Japanese gold in the women’s race as Manami Hayashi (JPN) triumphed at yet another Asia Cup event. The race played out similarly to the men’s event, albeit with a larger front group coming together on the bike after the early pace-setters in the water (among which was Katie McCune (USA)) were caught. The 5km run looked set to be decisive and Hayashi duly uncorked the only sub-17 minute split of the day (16:46) to win by a handsome 20 second margin. McCune took the silver medal, her first international podium, while Isla Britton (CAN) crossed in 3rd place. View the full results here.
Europe Triathlon Balkan Championships Mudanya-Bursa
The best of the Balkans were on display in Turkey as the regional triathlon crown was up for grabs. Carol Popa (ROU) showed his class en route to winning the men’s event; his victory was particularly impressive considering Popa is still a junior athlete.
Ten men (again) escaped off the front in the early stages of the race. Popa was among them, as were home hopefuls Enes Kızılcık (TUR) and Gültigin Er (TUR). The bike increasingly became cagey as the sprint distance 20km neared its conclusion. When it came down to the run, though, Popa had his rivals’ number. After starting a little behind after a slower T2, he surged past with a 15:10 split, beating Kızılcık by 19 seconds, Er taking the bronze medal.
There was a gold medal for the Turkish team in the women’s race as Sinem Francisca Tous Servera (TUR) flew to a winning margin of a minute and a half. The real drama, however, came in the scuffle for silver and bronze.
Tous had led the swim alongside Mürya Karayel (TUR), with both women hitting splits of 10:10. Way back was Croatia’s Nika Rimaj, who exited in last place after managing a time of 11:49. But the hunt was on. Rimaj worked her way up, even out-splitting the two leaders by 20 seconds on the bike, and then tore onto the run. As Karayel faded behind Tous, Rimaj was closing. Indeed, Rimaj was travelling at virtually the same pace as the leader, a pace that in the final kilometre brought her onto Karayel’s heels. Karayel tried to resist her chaser, but she had emptied herself with her efforts in the first two disciplines, allowing Rimaj to get by and take the silver by 6 seconds. View the full results here.
Asia Cup Turkestan
At the second Asia Cup event of the weekend, Denis Kolobrodov (AIN) soared to victory over Daryn Konysbayev (KAZ) and Roman Mineev (AIN) on the back of a sterling breakaway effort. A pack of four, led by Martin Demuth (CZE), escaped out of the water, opening a 30 second gap to the nearest athletes over the 1500m swim. Three men rode up to this quartet, including Kolobrodov; his 53:35 bike split was joint-best of the field. For that matter, only he and his two companions that bridged to the front rode under 54 minutes.
Such was their lead, the front group had around 2 minutes to play with going into T2. But Konysvayev and Mineev were on the hunt. Konysbayev ripped the best run of the day in 28:51, out-splitting Kolobrodov by well over a minute. Yet it was not enough and he settled for silver ahead of Mineev.
In a smaller women’s field, Tatiana Baskakova (AIN) and Minori Ikeno (JPN) rode away from everyone else. Baskakova then comfortably had the best run to win by over 2 minutes. Ikeno held on for silver while Alina Sinevich (AIN) ran through to take the bronze medal. View the full results here.
Asia Junior Cup Turkestan
At the Junior Cup race in Turkestan, Yelmurat Kanay (KAZ) came through an incredibly tight battle with silver and bronze medallists Arseniy Shevchenko (KAZ) and Nikita Dubinsky (KAZ). The medallists were inseparable throughout. They swam within 2 seconds of one another then caught the lone leader with another athlete to establish a front group of five on the bike. The closeness did not end there. Kanay only got the better of Shevchenko in a photo finish as both men ended with the same time. Although Shevchenko actually ran faster over the 5km run, Kanay’s superior transitions counteracted his foot speed.
By contrast, the fortunes of the women’s medallists swung wildly as Aida Kim (KAZ) took down silver medallist Ralina Artykkhodzhaeva (KGZ) and bronze medallist Ramina Agabayeva (KAZ). Kim had lost almost 90 seconds to Artykkhodzhaeva over the course of the 750m swim. With an almighty effort on the bike, she managed to bridge back to the front. Thereafter, it was Kim’s turn to get one over Artykkhodzhaeva as she dropped the best run split by over 90 seconds to win in style. View the full results here.
Europe Junior Cup Birzebbuga
He won at his last international appearance (in Tabor) and now he’s done it again: Luke Holmes (GBR) was too good for the men’s field in Malta. The Brit was second out of the water behind Alberto López García (ESP), putting him part of a select front group. The fast tempo at the front meant fewer than ten men made it into the lead group and, while there would be faster runners in the pursuing packs, the leaders had all but ended the chasers’ hopes of winning. When it came to the business end of the race, Holmes out-ran López and France’s Adrien Gouillard to win.
If Holmes’ run of international wins is starting to grow, it has some way until it reaches the level of success Anouk Danna (SUI) has enjoyed this year. A fourth Europe Junior Cup win of the year, which also came after her recent European Youth Championships victory, highlighted her supreme form at this level. Her bronze medal at the European Junior Championships stands as the only international race she has not won this year.
This was a clinic in Birzebbuga, with Danna winning by over 2 minutes. She was 10 seconds off the leader’s feet out of the water but was already at the front by the time she left T1. And then she went. A bike split of 34:33 was 58 seconds faster than the next woman on the road and ensured no one would trouble Danna on the run. A time of 19:20 over the four-lap 5km run was also the best of the day and sealed the deal. Behind, Laly Porentru (FRA) was the best runner of the chasers and powered to the silver medal. Hungary’s Dóra Pusztai then completed the podium in 3rd place. View the full results here.
Around the world
The final round of the French Grand Prix took place in Cabourg with several big names in attendance. Dorian Coninx (FRA) prevailed over Louis Vitiello (FRA) in a closely-fought run battle in the sprint distance event, the 2023 world champion making his move late to win by a handful of seconds. Coninx last made a WTCS podium in Pontevedra in 2023; that was the Series Final that season and a race he won. He will therefore aim to repeat the trick in Wollongong next month and his outing in Cabourg showed that his finishing kick is certainly ready. Valentin Morlec rounded out the podium in 3rd place.
Gold in the women’s race went to Jeanne Lehair (LUX). Like Coninx, she will have her eyes on Wollongong as she seeks to defend her 3rd place ranking in the WTCS. Having forced 2020 world champion Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR) into 2nd place and 2023 world junior champion Ilona Hadhoum (FRA) into 3rd place at the weekend, Lehair added another victory to her long list of 2025 wins and definitely looks primed for the Series Final.
