The second European titles of the summer were settled in Balikesir, Turkey. After the fields were cut down to thirty men and thirty women over the course of the semi-finals, an array of excellent athletes lined up to dive into the sparkling, almost turquoise water. Women’s race Mathilde Gautier and Selina Klamt imposed themselves early in the swim and exited with an early lead. Both clocked 3:18 for the 270m which earned them a scant lead of 2 seconds over Tilly Anema of Britain. The lead trio exited T1 practically…

Having won the World Junior titles in Hamburg a little over three weeks ago, Ilona Hadhoum and Joao Nuno Batista were the favourites to take the wins at the European Junior Championships in Balikesir. Both impressed in the semi-finals, with Batista winning his race in storming fashion. Hadhoum, meanwhile, produced a slightly more reserved performance in the semi-final. The next day, as the finals rolled around, Batista and Hadhoum each stepped up to another level to claim the gold medals. In the men’s race, Zalán Hóbor had pushed the pace…

The men’s World Cup in Yeongdo had been a cagey affair for much of the race. Ahead of the run, once plenty of work had been done to whittle down the field to a select few, it seemed a tight finish would be in store. In the end, it was not close. Fresh off his WTCS debut in Sunderland, Max Stapley drove the pace in the swim alongside Aiden Longcroft-Harris of Canada. Over the course of the 750m, the lead pair managed to stretch the field and put time into…

While a smaller field than normal lined up on the pontoon in the early hours to contest the Yeongdo World Cup, the level of racing remained as intense as ever. In humid conditions, Zuzana Michalickova took an early lead in the swim. It was not until late on, though, that she began to turn the screw and made the field suffer. Márta Kropkó and Sophia Howell were able to stay closest to Michalickova as the Slovakian powered through the final part of the 750m. A trio of Desirae Ridenour, Sara Vilic and Yuka…

Across two women’s semi-finals and three men’s semi-finals, the fields at the European Championships in Balikesir have been cut down to the final thirty. With only two women’s semi-finals, the top-14 finishers would head straight into the final. The last two spaces would then go to the fastest two losers to take the final number to thirty. In the first women’s semi-final Tanja Neubert, Barbara De Koning and Jessica Fullagar crossed together in 24:12, with Neubert being awarded the win. Although Anja Weber and Michaela Sterbova pushed the pace in…

Across three semi-finals, the men’s and women’s fields at the European Junior Championships were whittled down to thirty apiece ahead of the final. A top-9 finish would book a place in the final while the three fastest non-qualifiers would be added. In the first men’s semi-final, the World Junior champion, Joao Nuno Batista, took a grip on the race in the swim that he did not relinquish. Gergő Gyula Soós and Gregor Rasva followed Batista into T1 and the field behind was already spread thin. Although they pushed the pace…

With a start list packed with talent, the European Super Sprint Championships will come down to the athlete best able to navigate the demands of the multi-round event. On that front, it is hard to look past the credentials of Alberte Kjaer Pedersen. Last year, the Danish athlete finished 4th at WTCS Montreal at which a similar multi-round Super Sprint format was used. At the equivalent event this year in Hamburg, she managed 19th place, although that was the best of any female athletes starting in Balikesir. As one of…

The semi-finals of the European Junior Championships kick off today in Balikesir, Turkey. At the forefront of the event will be the newly-crowned World Junior champions, Ilona Hadhoum and Joao Nuno Batista. Both claimed their titles in memorable fashion in Hamburg. Hadhoum was a class apart in the women’s race as she swam away from the field and then backed up her performance with the fastest run of the day. Batista, meanwhile, won with a brutal sprint finish. Having proven their credentials on the toughest Junior stage, they will line…