After an evening of barnstorming racing, the new World Junior champions have been crowned.
Ilona Hadhoum was in awesome form on her way to victory, clocking the best swim and run splits of the field. Similarly, Joao Nuno Batista won the men’s race after a balanced performance in which he was among the ten fastest swimmers and then detonated the quickest run of the day. Being born in 2005, Batista will be eligible to defend his title next year. Based on yesterday’s showing, he will be a formidable prospect for anyone to challenge.
Throughout both races, though, there were plenty of storylines to track. In this article, then, we delve into six of the main early talking points that came out of the men’s and women’s events.
Sliding doors for Stuhlmacher
One thing that stood out is just how well Carter Stuhlmacher ran. The American clocked a time of 15:01 to run through to 6th place. On its own, that was a great performance.
However, there are two noteworthy points to takeaway from his run.
The first is that, this season, Stuhlmacher has generally trended a little more as a swimmer, in terms of relative strengths. He has often been exceptional in the first discipline but his run in Hamburg showed that his third discipline has made great progress. In general he is looking a well-rounded athlete and someone that could have an important role to play in the American men’s team of the future.
His swim was no different in Hamburg which brings us to the second takeaway.
Stuhlmacher clocked the joint-fastest swim of the field. As such, he was firmly in contention to make the front group breakaway as he arrived in T1. However, he lost a valuable couple of seconds in transition and ultimately missed the break. While the lead four man group went on to gain a 35 second lead, Stuhlmacher ended up in chase pack.
It should be noted that he likely was able to better rest his legs in the chase. It is impossible to say how he would have run after grinding in the lead group.
Nevertheless, the race winner, Joao Nuno Batista, ran only 23 seconds quicker than Stuhlmacher. Had he made the front pack, then, the American would have had some wiggle room and could have held off the Portuguese athlete.
In the space of a few crucial moments in transition and then early on the bike, Stuhlmacher therefore had his sliding doors moment. After doing all the hard yards in the water, he could well have won the World Junior title.
Semmler steps up
Less than a week before the World Junior Championships, Tim Semmler was not due to race. However, his compatriot Henning Scholl had to withdraw and Semmler received a late call up.
Despite being a last-minute addition, he went on to record the best male finish of the German team, claiming 40th place.
He lost time in the water, clocking 9:45 in the swim. However, he made up for it on the bike and narrowly missed a top-10 split with his time of 25:51. To cap off his day, he then ran 16:31 for the 5km. Given he had no specific preparation for the event and did not really expect to be in Hamburg, his performance was commendable.
Semmler will also get another stab at the event next year. If he is to rise through the standings and push for a medal, his swim and run will need to improve a little. The experience of this year, though, will likely serve him well.
Breakaway boys
After all their hard work, the final result did not quite do the breakaway justice. Márton Kropkó ended up in 24th place, Jack Crome in 28th and Gregor Rasva in 17th.
Zalán Hóbor managed to hold on the best. Until the second and final lap of the run, he led the way and could practically smell a potential medal. Although he would ultimately be denied, he nonetheless held on for 9th place.
The breakaway was a huge effort that lit up the race and all four men deserve a special shout-out. For holding on for so long, Zalán Hóbor perhaps warrants an additional nod.
The bold strategy might not have worked this time, but they have made their threat known for the future.
Uherek delivers
After Jule Behrens won the World Junior title in 2021 and added a silver in 2022, it remained to be seen what the German women could rustle up in Hamburg
Johanna Uherek did not originally qualify for the home team. Rather, she was a late addition to the team having received one of World Triathlon’s invites.
A 22nd place at the European Cup in Kitzbühel had suggested she had a solid performance in store. Nothing quite prepared, though, for her fantastic display.
Uherek was extraordinary on her way to 4th place. She was among the top swimmers and just missed the breakaway. She then conserved her energy on the bike while not shirking from helping set the pace in the chase group. To cap it off, she was one of the few women to run under 18 minutes over the 5km.
Having impressed in Hamburg, it will be fascinating to see what Uherek has in store at the European Junior Championships.
Nothum is Luxembourg’s future
Born in 2006, Gwen Nothum had a unique distinction in Hamburg. She was the only athlete to record top-10 splits in both the swim and the bike.
In doing so, she arrived in T2 as one of the leading athletes.
In the end, her run was not quite at the same level and a 19:53 5km put her in 21st place. For an athlete so young, though, her performance in Hamburg was very impressive. She also has plenty of time to develop her running speed.
If she can progress over the coming seasons, Nothum will likely be one of the next leading ladies for Luxembourg.
Not to be ignored, Nothum’s teammate, Lina Krombach, was only one place back in 22nd. In contrast to Nothum, Krombach struggled in the water but had a very good bike split. She then ran 18:16 to scythe through the field. She is also a year younger than Nothum so could also be one to watch over the coming years.
Hayashi soldiers on
Manami Hayash arrived in Hamburg having recently claimed the Asian Junior title. For much of the race, she was well in the mix for a high finish.
After a solid swim, she found herself in the large chase pack that hunted the lead pack of six. With her teammate, Hinaka Masuda, for company, Hayashi hit the front of the group and played a big role in reeling in the breakaway. As everything came together at the head of the race, then, Hayashi was set.
However, she then came unstuck on the final corner of third lap.
Her wheel slipped out from under her and she went sliding into a barrier. She managed to bounce back up but then had to address her bike after the crash. Although the hopped onto the bike and tried to chase the lead group, she had lost too much time.
Hayashi, though, did not give up. She finished the bike and then clocked a split of 18:32 to earn 27th place. It is impossible to say what might have been, but Hayashi would almost certainly have arrived in T2 near the front without the crash. Her post-crash run split would have also put her in a position to finish in the top-10.
It is a fair assumption that the crash would have shaken her and the loss of position may have taken the edge off her run. After all, it is easier to deep a little deeper when a potential podium is on the line. As such, she may have had something even bigger in store.
While we cannot guess how high Hayashi could have finished, we can nonetheless applaud her grit to get back onto the bike and battle her way to the finish line.
She showed a great deal of personal courage to fight back and finish. More than anything, that determination will be a real asset for her going forward.
