Summer break is over; it is time for the serious stuff. After what will be the longest pause between races (a whole five weeks following WTCS London), WTCS Weihai is set to return as the penultimate round of the regular season. With opportunities running out to score critical points ahead of the Series Final in Pontevedra, plenty will be at stake. Find out the key names and some of the major headlines from the men’s Weihai start lists below.
Open goal or banana skin?
The headline act of the men’s field is unquestionably reigning world champion Matthew Hauser (AUS). Seeking a fourth victory in 2026, Hauser comes into this race as the top-seeded man; both men ahead of him in the standings are absent, making the Australian the prohibitive favourite.
However, a relative lack of previous experience and success in Weihai may give some pause before rushing to predict another Hauser win. He skipped Weihai last year with his lead going into the 2025 Final assured. The year before that, he slumped to 19th place, his worst Series result since the summer of 2022. As a result, this is not a race that he can take for granted. Luke Willian, Brandon Copeland and Callum McClusky make up the rest of the Australian team.
Happy returns
In contrast to Hauser, several athletes will be relishing the chance to relive some of their fondest triathlon memories in Weihai. Foremost among this group will be Max Studer (SUI), last year’s winner, and John Reed (USA), who took home the bronze medal in 2025 which remains his sole Series medal.
In addition, Alberto Gonzalez Garcia (ESP) placed 4th in Weihai in 2024; like Reed, that is his best result although he was mightily close to matching that in London last month as he placed 5th. On the note of form, the enigma that is Studer has not raced in the Series this year. It was a similar story last year and that seemed to work out for him in Weihai. He will be the sole Swiss man starting but, being based in China, this is very much a home race for him and so he will likely put on a show.
Meanwhile, WTCS medallist David Cantero del Campo makes his return for the Spanish team alongside Izan Edo Aguilar and Roberto Sanchez Mantecon. The rest of the American quintet consists of Blake Bullard, Darr Smith, Zach Leachman and Chase McQueen.
Earned this
After claiming a maiden World Cup gold medal in Edmonton last month, Solomon Okrafo-Smart (GBR) will be making his WTCS bow in Weihai. This will be Okrafo-Smart’s first international start since Edmonton and he will hope to carry his form forward. One thing is for sure, though: his sprint finish will not catch anyone by surprise this time around after showing how lethal it can be in Canada.
If all goes to plan, Okrafo-Smart could be yet another name to be thrown into the ring of an already crowded British cohort. He will be joined in Weihai by Hugo Milner (GBR) and Harry Leleu (GBR), both of whom will look to make strides up the world rankings themselves. Milner will be worth keeping an eye on in particular. Since logging a career-best 7th place at WTCS Samarkand, he has had a quiet summer. As possibly the fastest runner in the field, though, Milner could make some moves in the latter phase of the season.
Comebacks
Lasse Lührs (GER) essentially missed the 2025 season with injury but made his return to competition earlier this year, winning races on the Continental Cup level. However, we have not seen the WTCS medallist on the world stage at all this year. That changes in Weihai.
Considering he has only participated in one world-level race since Paris 2024 (WTCS Hamburg in July 2025), chances are Lührs will need some time to reacclimate to the Series. As the only man on the start list with an Olympic medal of any colour, though, his presence certainly enhances the event. Valentin Wernz will be the only other German man racing.
Another comeback to watch will be that of Márton Kropkó (HUN). The World U23 Championship medallist was sensational at the season opener in Samarkand as he led into the run until injury forced him to stop. Unfortunately, Kropkó has not raced since due to injury. Nevertheless, Weihai was Kropkó’s WTCS breakout last year as he made the top-10 (he placed 7th). If he can bring the same style he showed in Samarkand, and if he can indeed race, there is a good chance he will improve upon that.
Csongor Lehmann, who arrives off a medal in London, also starts for Hungary, as will Gergely Kiss, Zsombor Dévay and Bence Bicsák.
Not to be forgotten
Among the other stories to follow will be the Series debut of Mexico’s Americas Championships medallist Osvaldo Darell Zuñiga Fierro and the ongoing good vibes summer of Tyler Mislawchuk (CAN), winner of the Huatulco World Cup and silver medallist in Edmonton.
Of the home team (not including Studer), Mingxu Li (CHN) stands out as a potential athlete to finish well. He comes into Weihai as the Asian champion over the super sprint distance and has a serious turn of speed. At the same time, the standard distance race in Weihai will present a very different challenge and he will have to adapt from the approach that saw him win the continental crown.
Who’s not there?
At this point in the season, the repercussions for absences feel bigger than ever. Vasco Vilaca (POR) and Ricardo Batista (POR) are promisingly placed in the overall standings but in choosing to sit out of WTCS Weihai will nervously watch to see if their rivals steal a march on them. The former is pushing for this year’s world title, the latter for a spot in the overall top-3, and both could have those hopes imperilled by big performances from Hauser, Willian or Lehmann.
Miguel Hidalgo (BRA) is another to opt out of Weihai. It was the site of his first Series medal back in 2024 and could have been a chance to put space between himself and Batista. However the Brazilian seemed in need of a rest after disappointing days in Hamburg and London.
Henry Graf (GER) is another past medallist absent, while Dorian Coninx (FRA), winner in Quiberon, and Charles Paquet (CAN), medallist in Samarkand, are saving their powder. Like Graf, both Coninx and Paquet still need one more score ahead of the Final and will only be able to get that in Karlovy Vary. All three therefore have elected for a risky strategy when it comes to their hopes of securing a Series top-5.
View the full start lists here and catch all the action live on TriathlonLive (at TriathlonLive.io) on Saturday 29th August.