Earlier today, we posted our preview for this weekend’s men’s race at the Tiszaujvaros World Cup in which we made it clear that there was one overwhelming favourite for the win. The women’s field could hardly be more different.
WTCS winners, World Cup gold medallists and a previous junior champion in Tiszaujvaros will converge on the Hungarian capital of triathlon and any of half a dozen women could conceivably win this race. As a result, energy management across Saturday’s semi-finals and Sunday’s final in the brutal forecasted heat could play a major role in deciding the gold medal. Be sure not to miss a moment on TriathlonLive, with coverage of Sunday’s final starting at 15:45 (CEST), and find out which names could make a splash below.
Returning medallists
Fresh off a maiden WTCS win in Yokohama and a silver medal in Quiberon, Tilda Månsson (SWE) returns to Tiszaujvaros. The winner in 2023 and the bronze medallist in 2025, Månsson has a formidable record at the race. In light of the recent leap forward she has made in the WTCS, another podium seems very much on the cards.
To do so, Månsson will have to get past 2024 medallist Diana Isakova (RUS). Isakova will be wearing number 1 in Tiszaujvaros and she and Månsson are not expected to meet until the final. Both have won multiple World Cups while Isakova notably triumphed at the sprint distance race in Haikou back in March.
Meanwhile, one woman looking to serve a dose of payback to Månsson will be Noelia Juan (ESP). The Spanish athlete was denied the gold medal in 2023 by a hair’s width after a jaw-dropping sprint finish against the Swede. Juan, though, will be boosted by her recent medal at the Huatulco World Cup and comes into this race with plenty of momentum.
In hunt of big points
With an eye on qualification for LA 2028, WTCS gold medallist, 2024 T100 world champion and all-round long distance triathlete extraordinaire Taylor Knibb (USA) is set to race in Tiszaujvaros. After an extended break from short distance racing following the Paris Olympics, Knibb needs points for her world ranking to get onto WTCS start lists. A big showing in Tiszaujvaros would do her no harm on this front and she is simply too good an athlete not to feature prominently.
As a three-time Ironman 70.3 world champion, back-to-back sprint triathlons over multiple days are unlikely to be hugely taxing for the American. Moreover, she is in super cycling shape and won the US Time Trial Championships just last week. On a flat course in Tiszaujvaros, Knibb could time trial her way to victory.
Another American to watch will be World Cup medallist Danielle Orie (USA). The Tiszaujvaros final will be almost a year to the day from Orie’s maiden World Cup medal and over a third of her international starts have come in the intervening period. She’s just as deadly on the run as she was last season and with more experience under her belt Orie could be a dark horse this weekend.
Lying in wait
On paper, Carina Reicht (AUT) is the likeliest candidate to take the fight to Månsson on the run. The winner of last year’s Rome World Cup is an Austrian champion and record holder over multiple running distances and could pop a crazy split over the flat Tiszaujvaros course.
The ever-reliable Ilaria Zane (ITA) can also be counted upon to make a World Cup podium. Over the past four years, she has only had one season with a World Cup medal; that came in 2024 when she had four top-6 finishes on the circuit and as such was regularly in the mix.
Finally, one name that could shake everything up is Fanni Szalai (HUN). A winner of the Europe Junior Cup in Tiszaujvaros, Szalai has taken to the World Cup circuit like a duck to water this year. She has also added two Europe Cup victories in Portugal and Poland for good measure.
While she is a fantastic runner, it remains to be seen whether at this early stage in her career she can match the likes of Månsson and Reicht. Nevertheless, Szalai will likely be the first athlete out of the water and, on a course she knows well, could be the key figure in creating a breakaway. If she was to escape up the road with someone like Knibb, for example, the field might not see them again until the finish line.