With the World Junior Championships less than two weeks away, the final preparations are being made for the event. Over the past fortnight, several athletes have squeezed in their final races and are now locked in on the road to Hamburg.
At any level of sport, momentum can be a curious thing. Sometimes, a late confidence boost can be the key to a breakthrough performance. With Juniors the effect of momentum can be accentuated as athletes build up a head of steam in a short space of time.
In this article, we are taking a look at the latest results of some of the athletes since the start lists were revealed in the middle of June. Given the relative sparsity of data points with Juniors, these most recent results are among the closest things to a reliable indication of where the athletes are at.
The focus is also on international events or at the very least high-level cosmopolitan Senior events such as the French Grand Prix and Bundesliga as they are the closest comparable thing to the World Junior Championships. This is only intended as a survey of the field and if any names are missed, feel free to drop them in the comments.
Bordeaux
We start in France. At the second round of the French Grand Prix in Bordeaux, Ilona Hadhoum produced a masterful performance to win an individual bronze medal.
Racing for Poissy Triathlon, she was excellent in all three disciplines and it took a charge from the in-form Jeanne Lehair to deny her the silver medal. Based on her Bordeaux showing, Hadhoum is really starting to click and should be able to deal with anything her rivals throw at her.
Meanwhile, the French Junior champion, Manon Laporte, also raced in Bordeaux. In the colours of Vals du Dauphiné Olympic, Laporte earned 6th place. On any other day, that would have been talked about as a tremendous achievement. As it happened, it was slightly overshadowed by her teammate’s medal.
Nevertheless, with an accomplished display across the board, Laporte showed that she will also be a major threat to the podium in Hamburg.
Izvorani
It was a double Spanish win at the European Junior Cup in Izvorani. The race was over the Super Sprint format and so provided a shorter affair than the challenge awaiting the athletes in Hamburg. Still, it offered a chance to test some speed.
Alejandra Seguí Soria took the win in the women’s race. Although she lost 20 seconds in the swim, she made up for it with a blistering bike leg. To seal the deal Seguí produced a speedy run to take the first international win of her career. Although her swim may present a vulnerability, her cycling and running certainly fired in Romania. The psychological value of an international gold medal going into a race like Hamburg should also not be understated.
On the men’s side, all three of the Spanish men’s team for Hamburg started.
Pelayo González Turrez took the win with a classy display. He was fast in the swim, a dominant presence in the front pack on the bike and then had the speed and tactical timing to take the win. In many ways, Izvorani confirmed what was already known. González will be a threat for the win in Hamburg.
A second member of the Spanish World Junior team won the silver medal. Hector Tolsa García was a little slower than González in the water but otherwise put in a strong performance. His run was particularly noteworthy and he did not miss the gold by much. With another few weeks of sharpening, he could give his compatriot a run for his money.
The third Spaniard, Jesús Vela Vela, finished 5th. Vela was with González in the swim but did not have the finish to match his teammates. Nevertheless, Izvorani represented another solid result in what has been a good year for Vela. A top-10 in Hamburg seems likely but if he really hits his stride he could end up on the podium.
Huatulco
A handful of Juniors joined the fun at the World Cup in Huatulco. Three men raced with Mathis Beaulieu earning the best result in 35th place.
Beaulieu lost over 30 seconds to his compatriot Tyler Mislawchuk in swim and did not make the front pack. However, he still tacked a tidy 16:07 5km on to the end of his race. For reference, David Castro Fajardo clocked the fastest run on the way to his win in a time of 15:01. As a Junior, Beaulieu’s showing holds up respectably against esteemed Senior opposition.
Andree Buc finished a few places behind his Junior rival in 43rd. He was a little better in the water than Beaulieu but also ended up in the chase pack. Thereafter he ran slower which proved to be the difference in finishing position. Nonetheless, Huatulco will realistically be a level above that of Hamburg and so Buc (and Beaulieu) should find conditions a little milder at the World Junior Championships.
Andre Gras was the third and final Junior man to start but did not finish. He had a similar day to Buc in the swim and on the bike. Although he did not complete the run, the experience of the first half of the race will likely have prepared him for Hamburg.
Jimena Renata De La Peña Schott of Mexico was the only Junior woman racing. She actually came away with the highest Junior finish in 31st.
While she did not have a great swim she still emerged just in front of race winner Anahi Alvarez Corral. She then rode with her compatriot into the front pack. Out of T2, she dropped a solid run split without quite pulling up any trees.
A key thing to note, though, is that De La Peña was only born in 2006 whereas the men were born in 2004. She therefore has a lot of time left in the Juniors and is shaping up to be a major talent.
Kitzbühel
Tabea Huys was the main talking point at the European Cup in Kitzbühel. Against a Senior field, she led out the swim and was clearly the strongest swimmer on show.
The most impressive thing, though, was what came next. Throughout the early stages of the bike, she rode with real verve, showcasing her skill as well as her power to stay clear of the front pack. Although she was eventually reeled in, it took a big effort by the likes of Selina Klamt (three European Cup medals and 4th at the European Games this year) and Tanja Neubert (winner in Kitzbühel and 4th at the European Championships) to reel her in.
There won’t be as many women with the power of Klamt and Neubert in Hamburg. Likewise, the narrow streets of the city should play into Huys’ bike-handling ability. All told, then, her swim-bike combination should be dangerous at the World Junior Championships.
Also note, Huys backed it up with a solid run to take 13th place.
After receiving an invite to start in Hamburg, Johanna Uherek of Germany similarly used Kitzbühel as a chance to get some final racing in. In the end, she had a good race to take 22nd place.
She missed the front pack after Huys splintered the field and so rode in the chase. However, she clocked a quick run (out-splitting Huys) which showed signs of promise.
Gamagori
Amu Omuro and Takuto Oshima nailed their final preparations for Hamburg with a silver and bronze medal, respectively, at the Asian Junior Championships in Gamagori.
One important point is that the race winner, Alexandr Ten of Kazakhstan, will not be competing in Hamburg.
The Japanese duo attacked the swim and gained a lead of beyond 40 seconds over all bar one of their rivals. On the bike, a select group then formed around them before they battled out the medals on the run. With their swimming speed, Omuro and Oshima should have little trouble making the front pack in Hamburg.
That being said, with a such a big field, there is always a risk of fighting (particularly in Hamburg with the cover of the bridge). For now, Omuro still seems to have the upper hand over Oshima. Both, though, should feature prominently at the World Junior Championships.
Another Hamburg qualifier, Tak Long Yip of Hong Kong, raced in Gamagori. Although he lost time in the swim, he was one of the athletes to ride up to the Japanese pair. Ultimately, he did not have the final gear on the run to fight for the medals and so settled for 4th. Without the speed in the swim or run to threaten Omuro and Oshima, it could be a challenge for Yip to overhaul them in Hamburg.
On the women’s side, Manami Hayashi put in a huge performance. She showed why she should be considered a potential medallist in Hamburg with a stunning all-round display. She was among the top-3 splits in each discipline, highlighting her rounded skillset. Moreover she conducted a clever tactical race to secure victory.
Her Japanese teammate, Hinaka Masuda, finished 2nd. Masuda was the fastest swimmer and was just ahead of Hayashi. With secure performances on the bike and run, she showed she will be a danger in Hamburg.
The third Japanese qualifier, Ayame Hayashi, did not start.
From Hong Kong, Pauline Courret and Zoe Metais finished 3rd and 5th, respectively. Over the swim and bike, they matched Hayashi and Masuda. However, they did not quite have the final gear required on the run to fight for the gold or silver. Metais also got overtaken on the run by an athlete from the chase pack. Both Courret and Metais should all be in the mix to make the front pack in Hamburg. The run, however, could prove their undoing at this stage in their careers.
Schliersee
Two Junior men stepped up to take on the race up the mountain in the Bundesliga race in Schliersee.
Eirik Berling Grande of Norway was the top Junior finisher in 19th place while David Lang of Luxembourg was close behind in 21st. Across the event, the pair had contrasting experiences. Whereas the Norwegian had the better swim and bike, the Luxembourg athlete ripped a terrific run split.
In different ways, they therefore demonstrated what they might bring to the table in Hamburg. If Grande can push the swim and bike, he will be a valuable addition to any breakaway. However, will he have the running speed to seal a medal? On the flip side, if Lang can limit his losses early on, his run will be a handful for many of his rivals. Yet can he make the front group to maximise his chances?
Despite their different approaches, only 8 seconds separated the two men in the end. Perhaps the biggest thing to take away from the race is that, having tackled the Spitzingsattel, the course at Hamburg will hold no fear for either Grande or Lang.
Wels
With Hamburg drawing closer, the European Junior Cup in Wels saw a cluster of qualified athletes enter the fray. Two names stood out.
Thomas Hansmaennel and Margareta Vrablova were dominant on their way to their victories. Vrablova was one of the best swimmers and then the quickest runner. To go with her gold medal in Wels, she also has wins at the European Junior Cups in Melilla, Quarteira and Olsztyn. With such a hit rate, it will be a monumental challenge to deny her in Hamburg.
One qualifier that took on Vrablova was Sophie Spencer of New Zealand. Spencer led the swim and settled into the front pack that also contained Vrablova. While she rode well, she ultimately did not have the speed on the run to take on the Slovakian and settled for 5th place.
Spencer also out-swam Tabea Huys by 12 seconds. In a slight surprise, Huys was not at the front (and was also 5 seconds behind Vrablova into T1) and ended up in the chase pack. However, she ran a little better than she did in Kitzbühel and took 7th place.
Hannah Prosser, the Oceania Junior champion, finished 10th in her first race outside of New Zealand. Given her relative paucity of international experience, Prosser is a hard athlete to gauge. Furthermore it is not clear whether Wels is a reflection of her current level or something else entirely.
She did not have a great swim or bike but threw down a very promising run. The experience of racing in Europe would have been novel, as would a larger (and deeper) field than she would normally have faced in Oceania. Perhaps it was a race to get out of the way before Hamburg and not too much should be read into it.
Right now, though, her strength lies more in the run. As such, there is a question mark over whether she can bump her swim up in the next fortnight to make the main pack in Hamburg.
Alice Alessandri of Italy finished 15th and had a similar day to Prosser. Her swim put her in the chase pack but her run helped her gain a bit of ground. Likewise Iva Pavlovic ended up in 28th place.
The thing is, you don’t necessarily have to have a great performance before Hamburg. All that matters is the big one itself. As a result, while a positive result (like a medal) leading into the race can help, finishing outside of the top-10 is not hugely significant. Juniors suddenly drop time constantly and it can be the case that some athletes like Pavlovic, Alessandri or even Prosser simply need a taper before they reveal their true hand.
Having said that the performances before the World Junior Championships are not deterministic of future outcomes or even massively important, let’s go back to losing our collective minds over another race winner.
Thomas Hansmaennel was brilliant on the bike and run to surge to victory in Wels. He’s the defending World Junior champion (albeit last year’s event was a duathlon) and at this point it is obvious that he will contend for another title. As the French Junior champion and winner of the Quarteira European Junior Cup, he has more than enough credentials under his belt.
One of the most intriguing performances actually came from Zalán Hóbor.
The Hungarian detonated the swim and then really piled the pressure on Hansmaennel during the bike. As noted in the race report, if Hóbor can find allies to help him in the swim and bike in Hamburg, he has the capacity to spring an upset.
Most importantly, he has the run to go with his swim and bike. A decent split in Wels saw him win the silver medal and his showing makes him a dark horse for Hamburg.
Carol Popa backed up a 7th place in Izvorani with a bronze medal in Wels. He was behind Hansmaennel in the swim but rode to the front with the Frenchman. To seal his medal, he uncorked a fast run split. Having raced favourites like González and Hansmaennel in quick succession, Popa should have a better idea than most of how to confront them.
Patrick Leitner of Austria finished 6th in front of a home crowd. He was at the front for much of the race but did not quite have the speed on the run. Gustavo Do Canto had the same experience on his way to 9th place.
Conversely, Kuba Gajda recovered to 11th after a bad swim put him in the chase pack. He clocked the third fastest run of field to rise through the standings. However, while he evidently has the running speed, he cannot afford to concede as much time in Hamburg.
Further down the field, Benjamin Airey of New Zealand finished 14th, while his compatriot Finnley Oliver finished 25th. Paul Frayon of Sweden claimed 16th place and Henning Scholl of Germany endured a DNF after arriving in T2 in the chase group.
Holten
Last night, the final race of June took place with the European Junior Cup in Holten. In the women’s race, Rhianna Hepburn of Australia claimed her first international win outside of Oceania. Across the board Hepburn showed that she will be a contender in Hamburg. One thing to note is that the bike was only 14km in the women’s race.
However, the assuredness with which Hepburn raced showed that she should be untroubled by practically any eventuality in Hamburg.
To a similar degree, Aniek Mars showed that she will be in the mix in Hamburg after winning another silver medal to go with her recent hardware from Olsztyn. While Mars ultimately did not have the final burst of speed on the run required to beat Hepburn, she impressed throughout the race. Her consecutive European Junior Cup silver medals also point to an athlete that is hitting form at the perfect moment.
Lotte Minnebo almost won a first international medal as she finished 4th, 10 seconds off the podium. Born in 2006, sensible thinking dictates that this year should be more of a developmental season with a focus on the Junior Championships of the next couple of years. Nonetheless, she put in a solid display in Holten, riding particularly well.
Further back, Hepburn’s teammates Emma Olson-Keating and Alexandra Field finished 6th and 10th, respectively. As much as Hepburn confirmed her form, there is only so much that can read into Olson-Keating’s and Field’s days with their attention focused on Hamburg.
Hannah Prosser followed up her European debut in Wels with a 13th place.
On the men’s side, most of the Australian men’s team took part in Hamburg; the exception was Bradley Course who will instead tackle the Senior European Cup. The pick of the bunch was Jack Crome.
After leading the swim, Crome was a locomotive of the four man breakaway and went on to take the win. His showing in Holten was a fantastic way to prove his form and build confidence for Hamburg.
Crome was originally unlucky to miss out on qualifying for the Australian team and had to rely on an invite to get onto the Hamburg start list. The youngster is partial to a bold long-ranch attack and in Holten he utilised the support of others instead of going it alone as he tried back in Australia in April. Looking ahead, with the likes of Crome and Zalán Hóbor in the men’s field, a breakaway seems highly likely in a fortnight.
On the Australian front, Thomas Feldmann was part of Crome’s breakaway and just missed out on a bronze medal. If he can get his run to fire in Hamburg, he will be a threat.
Conversely, Mitchell Blackbourn was close to making the break but missed it. He produced a good run split to finish 6th. In Hamburg, though, it is becoming clear that the swim may be highly influential and Blackbourn will not be able to risk losing any time in the water.
Gregor Rasva of Estonia and Benjamin Airey of New Zealand were the other two men to make the breakaway and they came away with the bronze and silver medals, respectively.
Rasva clocked the second fastest swim of the day. One thing for him to tighten up a bit will be his transitions. That aside, he could be another to factor in a breakaway in Hamburg.
Airey, meanwhile, put in a much-improved display from Wels. His silver medal indicated a real step up in level and suggests that his form is building towards Hamburg.
Further behind, Airey’s compatriot, Finnley Oliver, had a solid swim but ended up in the same boat as Blackbourn. Likewise, Magnus Lynge Larsen and Simon Freisinger were stranded in the chase after missing the breakaway.
As a result, Olvier slipped to 13th and Larsen to 17th. After a strong bike, Freisinger’s run let him down and he ended up in 35th place.
In general, though, it is hard to offer much comment on the chasers. None of them swam badly but losing gaps of 15 to 30 seconds proved to be something they could not get away with. Thereafter, they were then crushed on the bike by the well-oiled machine that was the breakaway quartet.
Whereas the breakaway seized the initiative, the chase never really had a chance to get themselves into the race. As such, they will take away valuable lessons ahead of Hamburg.
With July now upon us, further Junior athletes will be squeezing in final races ahead of Hamburg. For example, João Nuno Batista will be tackling the French Grand Prix in Metz for Valence Triathlon while, as already mentioned, Course will be in Holten for the European Cup.
For many, though, June marked the final chance to test fitness before the big show.
Based on even a cursory glance of the recent results, the World Junior Championships will be absolutely manic.
