Last week, we wrote an article identifying six Junior and U23 athletes to watch in 2023. Only one medallist from the recent U23 World Championships made the cut: Bianca Seregni from the women’s field.
Meanwhile, we also had an article about the athletes that will be ageing up from the U23 category in 2023 which included the U23 gold and silver medallists from Abu Dhabi, Kate Waugh and Annika Koch.
As yet, we have not said anything about the men’s U23 medallists from 2022. All three of the men were close making the six to watch list for this year but each found themselves just behind athletes that were at least a year older and had that bit more experience on the Senior level. Nevertheless, as the reigning world U23 medallists, Connor Bentley, Gergely Kiss and Hamish Reilly will enter 2023 with elevated expectations.
What can we expect of each of them in 2023?
Connor Bentley (GBR) 2001
The man with perhaps the most “interesting” haircut in the U23 field, Bentley produced a brilliant performance to take the win at the world championships. After riding aggressively early during the bike with Jamie Riddle, he produced a decisive kick on the last lap of the run to stride clear.
On the day, he tied Kiss for the best run split however the way he constructed his race was one the most impressive aspects of his performance.
His run split in Abu Dhabi was a fair bit off what the fastest Senior men logged in the WTCS Final, however it was clearly a tactical run. Indeed, he ran a 14:09 5000m in 2022 so has the speed to call upon.
Going into the race, Bentley was a little under the radar. In 2021, he finished 18th at the U23 World Championships in Edmonton. In 2022, his best performances were a 7th at the European Cup in Quarteira and a win at the the British Sprint Championships. Alongside this, last year Bentley made his World Cup debut in Pontevedra where he came 52nd. Later, he finished 25th at the Tongyeong World Cup and then 23rd in at the Miyazaki World Cup.
Bentley will likely gain a lot from racing at the World Cup level this year. After his Junior career was cut short by the pandemic and lockdown, he may benefit from further international experience.
The recent U23 world champions also provide good templates for him. Roberto Sanchez Mantecon won the race in 2019 and his breakout came in 2022 with a WTCS medal in Bermuda. Similarly, Csongor Lehmann was U23 world champion in 2021 and he won a World Cup in 2022. A World Cup medal in 2023 feels like an ambitious but potentially achievable target for Bentley.
The British team, led by Alex Yee and Jonathan Brownlee, currently face a challenge to qualify a third man for Paris. Sam Dickinson was also on the British Mixed Team Relay in 2022 and could be the next man in line. As such, the Olympic door might not yet be open for Bentley.
Nevertheless, he is a well-rounded athlete and with his run speed it would not be a surprise if he could threaten a World Cup podium in 2023.
Gergely Kiss (HUN) 2001
We flagged Kiss as an athlete that could make the top-5 in Abu Dhabi in our pre-race preview. He went even better than expected by winning the silver. Not only did he match Bentley for the fastest run, but he had the fourth fastest swim which speaks to a very balanced skillset.
Kiss arrived in Abu Dhabi on the back of consecutive European Cup bronzes (in Tiszaujvaros and Alhandra). With those results, it seemed like he had turned a corner after placing 33rd and 29th at European Cups earlier in the year.
An obvious target in 2023 would be for Kiss to start his first World Cup race. That in itself will present a challenge as it will represent a new level of competition. Throughout 2022, he displayed hints of both the swim speed to make front packs in World Cup races as well as the running speed to be a factor at the end of such races. The missing piece right now appears to be experience and that is something that can be solved with time and patience.
As is the case with Bentley, Kiss faces some tough competition domestically with WTCS medallist Bence Bicsak, 2021 U23 world champion Lehmann and others potentially blocking him from start lists and, from a broader perspective, the Paris Olympics.
All things considered, good season would probably be another European Cup medal and building to a strong showing at a World Cup. If there was one race to flag as a perfect opportunity this year, the Tiszaujvaros World Cup in July would be it. As a home race and with his experience of racing well there before, it seems like it could be the ideal stage for Kiss to take the next step in his career.
Hamish Reilly (GBR) 2002
Reilly was the youngest man on the podium in Abu Dhabi. He arrived at the U23 World Championships with two consecutive top-10s at European Cups to his name. Earlier in 2022, he also came second at British Sprint Championships in 2022, having been pipped to the title by Bentley.
Similarly to Bentley, Reilly lost a lot of his Junior career to the pandemic and so does not have a great deal of elite international exposure. He raced at the World Junior championships in Quarteira in 2021 and ended up with a DNF.
Moreover, like Kiss, he is yet to start a World Cup, although after his result in Abu Dhabi that will likely change this year.
Britain regularly receives five slots for World Cups and, as per the British Triathlon World Cup selection policy for 2022, a medal at the U23 World championships entitles Reilly (and Bentley) to Automatic Nomination at World Cups should they choose to race. Of course, there may be other athletes that want to race and British Triathlon rank WTCS medals and top-8 finishes ahead of U23 Worlds.
Furthermore, there is no guarantee that the policy will be similar in 2023 (although it would be a surprise if it were to change).
On balance, though, the omens look good for Reilly to be able to make his World Cup debut in 2023. Once he returns to racing, building upon each race would be a good target and breaking into a top-20 at a World Cup would be a success for an athlete that is still rather young.
All three men could try to defend their medals at the U23 World Championships in Pontevedra. Given his age, it would probably make the most sense for Reilly to have another stab at the championships. As per the British Olympic selection policy for 2024, British Triathlon tend to favour athletes that can perform well on a given race day. As a result, building one-day experience at championship races will potentially help Reilly if he looks ahead to the 2028 Olympics.
Alternatively, if any of the three medallists has a perfect year, we might just see them at the WTCS Final in Pontevedra instead.
