A 27-second deficit out of the 750m swim proved no obstacle to France’s Tristan Douche as he powered his way to into what became a huge front bike pack for most of the 20km ride, stayed patient through a series of attacks off the front, and then ignited a late run surge to become the 2025 Junior World Champion on Friday afternoon.

Alex Robin (GBR) had been setting the pace for the first half of the 5km before Douche seized control, the Brit holding firm under pressure to secure silver, Ignacio Flores of Chile with a brilliant bronze. 

“It's just incredible,” said Douche. “The swim was good, the bike was very hard, and I gave it everything on the run take the win. I know my quality in running and I think it wasn’t great at the start because the bike was very hard so after I just gave it my all. The team behind me has been incredible.”

The swim course had to be changed from a straight out-and-back to a zig-zag ‘M’ shape due to the growing chop beyond the harbour walls, but that did little to dent no.1 Blake Bullard’s (USA) appetite for setting a sharp pace, hauling with him Alex Robin and Damian Suarez (ESP). 

A cheer erupted as Oscar Wooton (AUS) emerged next out but already 20 seconds back, Antony Clayton (RSA) and Finnley Oliver (NZL) for company. 

Douche may have been mid-field and nearly half a minute back at this point, but it took only half a bike lap for the chasers to catch on to the three early leaders, and it wasn’t long before a mighty train of athletes was rolling back up towards Flagstaff Hill as one. 

It was Oliver who made the first roll of the dice on lap two but there was little appetite to go with him, before Jasper Devos (BEL) then tried to break up the 50-deep pack and put down the gas.
 
Clayton and Poland’s Jakub Suchan were the next able to break and caught onto the Kiwi, Australia’s Oliver Moxon also wanting in on the action and managing to bridge on the third lap, so that at the bell the top four had 9 seconds over the chasers hammering through transition for the last time.

The effort looked for scant reward, though, as they swooped back down the hill into transition for the last time, Suchan and Devos with just a slither of daylight to the swarm behind headed up by Ignacio Flores. 

Flores was into the shoes fast, too, exiting just off Devos’ shoulder as Suchan also pushed hard, Wooton flying out onto the run to erase any early advantage just as Flores went off at the front. 

Robin wasted no time to pull in just behind Flores and a trio briefly formed up front with Wooton and then asked the question with a big acceleration down Flagstaff hill for the first time to earn a 5-second window of advantage. 

On the second lap, though, it was Douche making the moves as he found his rhythm and, after he and Flores reeled in Robin, it was the Frenchman who then hit the front and never looked back.

Achille Besson’s sturdy challenge finally faded despite a massive late effort, so it was Douche able to dig in for one final time and grab the tricolor flag even as Robin suddenly loomed ever closer in second, Flores taking home a big bronze for Chile. 

ALEX ROBIN
“It’s a privilege to be here, representing your country, to see how the U23s and elites go about their training and if I can learn anything from them on prep camp. I’m just coming back into run shape from injury, and Blake took the swim out quite hard and we had a gap and I sat on his feet as much as possible before the bike which I knew would be tense and hard.” 

IGNACIO FLORES
'It was an amazing race and a really hard place to race with the 14-hour time difference to Chile. I didn't feel great after the hard swim, I had to put my goggles back on, but biked hard and fast to reach the group, had a mini break and had a great run, third place is an amazing result.'