With only a few more brush strokes, a handful of men could have painted a masterpiece at the World Junior Championships. One by one, though, each fell agonisingly short. In the end, one man managed to apply the finishing golden touches and in doing so he produced something spectacular.
Although the opening salvo in the 750m swim did little to break up the field, two men emerged at the head of the pack. Carter Stuhlmacher had been a dominant force in Junior racing in the Americas. His Hungarian contemporary, Márton Kropkó, had been similarly impressive on the European stage.
Together, they jostled for the control of the race and put several of the pre-race favourites into severe difficulty. When the pair emerged in a time of 8:56, only six men were within 10 seconds of them.
Kropkó’s teammate, Zalán Hóbor, was out with them while Jack Crome and Gregor Rasva also kept in touch. Then the fractures began to show.
Both Hungarians were swift through T1 and jumped onto the bike. However, a slower transition cost Stuhlmacher dearly. While Crome and Rasva joined Hóbor and Kropkó at the front, Stuhlmacher fell behind.
His work was not for nothing, though. The likes of Bradley Course, Andree Buc and Mathis Beaulieu lost over 30 seconds in the water. Moreover Euan De Nigro and Pelayo González Turrez exited 53 and 56 seconds down, respectively. While he did not reap the rewards, then, Stuhlmacher had a major hand in detonating the race.
As a consolation, he was swallowed by a pack of five others, which consisted of Thomas Feldman, Amu Omuro, Gergő Gyula Soós, Pietro Giovannini and Joao Nuno Batista. Only 9 seconds down on the lead quartet, they set about trying to close the gap. However, they were powerless against the train at the front.
In a repeat of their showing at the European Junior Cup in Tiszaujvaros, Hóbor and Kropkó pounded around the opening lap of the bike.
Although Course, Beaulieu and Buc tried to retaliate from the chase, they were powerless against the leaders, particularly as Crome stepped up to take on his turn.
The French trio of Thomas Hansmaennel, Nils Serre Gehri and Pablo Isotton made their way into the Course-Beaulieu pack after losing time in the swim to add extra firepower. Yet it did precious little.
The leaders pushed their lead over the second pack to 16 seconds. While the third group was made up of thirteen men, they sat another 14 seconds back.
Following yet another push, Crome, Rasva, Hóbor and Kropkó could take heart as they extended their lead at the midpoint of the bike to 19 seconds. On the other hand, the third group were closing on the second pack.
Along with González and De Nigro, Luke Anthony and Reese Vannerson had also recovered from difficult swims to close in on the chasers. As two of the fastest runners in the field, the Americans only intensified the threat from behind. Not long after, the two chase packs merged and the deficit sat at 29 seconds.
If the leaders were going to win, they had to commit everything.
Crome’s technical prowess was on full display as he carved around the corners. Furthermore the Hungarian power on the bike did not relent. Such was the class of the front group, Course let his agitation show on the final lap. Even as Isotton worked hard at the front, the gap did not shrink.
It was a similar story at the front as Crome barked orders. Rasva, however, looked spent.
Hóbor led Crome into T2 and the pair promptly flew onto the run course. Their lead was 35 seconds; a big one, but was it big enough?
Telling the efforts already expended, Rasva and Kropkó struggled in T2. They managed to make up the time lost, though, and rejoined the leaders. No sooner had they done so, Hóbor made his move.
Only Kropkó could stay withing a few seconds of him but Hóbor did not look back. After his masterful work in the swim and on the bike, everything had now fallen into place. The open streets awaited and his path to the gold was as clear as he could have hoped. With just a few more brush strokes, the portrait of him atop the podium would be complete.
A small group of runners began to move clear of the chase pack as Beaulieu, Hansmaennel, Serre Gehri, Course and Batista upped their pace. Cognizant of Hóbor’s advantage, they kept their foot pressed upon the accelerator. Such was the speed, Course was the first to crack. Not long after, Hansmaennel, the defending champion, slipped back.
Shortly before the final lap, the lead trio of Beaulieu, Batista and Serre Gerhi passed Kropkó. Now only Hóbor remained. Most significantly, the gap was down to 5 seconds.
Hóbor continued to push but his masterpiece began to fade before his eyes. As much as he drove his legs, he simply could not summon the final reserves to finish what he had started.
A furious burst of speed from Serre Gerhi took him past the Hungarian and suddenly the endgame had begun.
While Hóbor popped and faded, Batista and Beaulieu hunted the Frenchman. Already this season, Serre Gehri had won silver medals at the European Junior Cups in Quarteira and Caorle as well as the silver at the French Junior Championships. This time, he was determined to have his day in the sun.
He attacked again, this time with even more vigour, but the other two still would not crack. They returned into a pack of three and sped through the next kilometre. In the closing stages, Batista hit the front and Serre began to grimace.
The Portuguese athlete hit them again and Beaulieu responded. Digging even deeper, Batista launched another attack and this time a small gap appeared. Perfectly executed, his sprint took him onto the blue carpet with the breathing room of a couple of seconds. Serre Gehri hounded after him but he had left it too late.
Having quietly painted his picture with superb performances across all three disciplines, suddenly the final image revealed itself as Batista lunged for the line. In 2021, he won a silver medal at the World Junior Championships. In 2023, the gold was his.
Serre Gehri crossed next to earn another silver medal while Beaulieu won the bronze medal.
Shortly after, Hansmaennel finished to claim 4th place. A hard-charging Osvaldo Darell Zuñiga Fierro then took a brilliant 5th place. An American trio of Vannerson, Stuhlmacher and Anthony then crossed on the heels of the Mexican athlete.
A depleted Hóbor, emptied after his heroic efforts, then crossed in 9th place and Euan De Nigro claimed 10th.
You can view the full results here.
