With success comes attention.
Winning a medal at the World U23 Championships is a surefire way to put oneself on the triathlon map. Such athletes generally draw greater scrutiny over the subsequent years of their careers and many, such as the current men’s world champion, go on to achieve even greater success.
In this article, we will take a look at the medallists from the most recent edition of the World U23 Championships and forecast what might be expected from each this year.
One point to note is that the gold medallists will not be mentioned. This is because Selina Klamt, the women’s champion, was listed among the six Junior/U23 athletes to watch this year while Simon Henseleit, the men’s victor, has been separately discussed among the notable U23 athletes ageing up this year. That leaves us with the silver and bronze medallists from both races and a quartet of athletes for whom the focus of the outside world will be a little more pronounced.
Baptiste Passemard (FRA) 2001
Passemard briefly threatened to run down Henseleit on his way to the silver medal in Pontevedra last September. His medal at the World U23 Championships went along with the silver medal he claimed at the European U23 Championships earlier in the year.
In 2023, then, Passemard showed that he was already towards the top of his cohort. Looking ahead to 2024, he will have the option to push for gold in both U23 events. Both of the men that beat him (Henseleit and Ricardo Batista) have since aged up and so he will be the early favourite.
Yet there may be more exotic events for Passemard to target.
To date, he has never finished at a World Cup. To be fair, he only made his debut in Rome last October in his final race of the season. As such, making a more assured step up to the world level would be an obvious starting point for the coming season.
Considering Henseleit and Batista each claimed a World Cup medal in 2023 and finished in the top-5 at multiple races, Passemard could justifiably target a similar level this year. However, an even bigger fish may lie in wait.
Under the French selection system, it is notoriously difficult to get onto WTCS start lists. A medal at the World U23 Championships, though, is often a ticket into the Series. Opportunities may be hard to come by yet over the course of the season Passemard could find himself on the start lines of one or two events.
The chance to race in the WTCS may equally be a double-edged sword. Such is the nature of the French system, Passemard will probably get a chance in the Series this year but he will have to take said chance. The talented Valentin Morlec received two WTCS starts in 2022 (after making his debut at the tail end of 2021), finishing 29th and 19th. Through a combination of intra-national competition and selection criteria, he has not returned since.
After proving himself at the U23 level, Passemard may thus get his chance at the top level. He may have to tread lightly, though, as second and third chances can be hard to come by under the brutal French model.
Maria Tomé (POR) 2001
Tomé was beaten by Klamt in a tight sprint finish in Pontevedra. Like Passemard, she could return to the World U23 Championships to hunt the gold medal. Her primary focus, though, will likely centre on the the World Cup and WTCS circuits.
With a best World Cup finish of 6th in New Plymouth last year, Tomé could push towards a maiden medal in 2024. Her form in the French Grand Prix, in particular, would suggest that she has all the faculties required to make it onto the podium.
Of greater intrigue is the WTCS. Having made her debut in 2022, Tomé has a best result of 35th (from Sunderland last July). That represented her first foray into the top-40 of a WTCS event and could prove a stepping stone onto higher finishes this season. The swim has not always been Tomé’s strongest aspect of her race and that is an element that has shown up in the Series. Nevertheless, she has the running speed to be a factor for top-20 finishes or better this year. Much will depend on arriving in T1 with the right pack.
At the same time, Tomé could find herself in the Olympic hunt in 2024. On an individual level, she stands in 84th place in the Olympic Qualification rankings; a couple of big World Cup or WTCS results could see her rise into the top-65 which would almost certainly secure her place in Paris.
Alternatively, the relay may be the crucial avenue. Alongside Melanie Santos, Tomé has been vital in the relay for Portugal. As things stand, Portugal may have to depend on the Mixed Team Relay Qualification Event in Huatulco to qualify. On the other hand, if Tomé makes it into the top-65 of the Olympic rankings, Portugal will have enough Olympic-qualified athletes to field a relay anyway.
The decisions regarding the start of Tomé’s season are therefore not just relevant to her. They are of national importance (in triathlon terms). Does she focus on her individual path or on the relay? It will only be once the qualification for Paris is finalised that we will know the right answer.
Mitch Kolkman (NED) 2002
A year younger than Passemard, Kolkman could be around in the U23 ranks for a couple more seasons. Already, though, he has proven himself as a capable operator on the World Cup circuit and an invaluable asset to his national team.
An 8th place at the Tangier World Cup proved that Kolkman can compete at the Senior level and this year he will push to improve upon that result. His greatest focus, though, may be on the Olympic Games.
Although not a threat for individual qualification, Kolkman could be the vital piece in any Dutch hopes to send a Mixed Team Relay to Paris.
With a women’s team containing Rachel Klamer and Maya Kingma, or Barbara De Koning, and a fit and firing Richard Murray to be added, the pieces are there. It will be incumbent upon Kolkman to step up as the second man. In 2023, he showed he was ready to do so.
A star turn for his country at both the Mixed Team Relay World Championships and U23/Junior Mixed Team Relay World Championships in Hamburg was particularly eye-catching. He was the third best performer of his leg in both events. Kolkman also took on relay duties in Paris and Sunderland.
As things stand, the Dutch hopes of qualifying a relay hinge almost entirely upon doing so at the qualification event in Huatulco. Kolkman will thus likely have to put the relay first in the opening half of the season. If he does, though, he may be able to call himself an Olympian just a few months later.
Angelica Prestia (ITA) 2002
In addition to her bronze medal in Pontevedra, Prestia finished 4th at the World Cups in Vina del Mar and Tiszaujvaros; admittedly her result in the the former was aided by multiple disqualifications of athletes ahead of her. Nevertheless, she showed at both events that she is rapidly maturing into a medal threat at the World Cup level.
Having come close on two occasions, it feels like a matter of time before Prestia nabs a first World Cup medal.
With a world ranking of 78th, she is also close to another major milestone: a WTCS debut. Ideally she would get her ranking closer to the top-50 in order to be confident of earning starting rights in the Series. Such has been her progression, though, it would be no surprise to see her make the step this season.
There may be a problem on the WTCS front, however. With four compatriots already inside the world top-50, it will be tricky to break into the Italian team. Simply being in the world top-50 might not be enough and she will likely have to get past World Cup medallists Ilaria Zane and Alice Betto.
Moreover, Prestia’s Olympic path appears to be blocked for the time being by the likes of Verena Steinhauser and Bianca Seregni.
Still, assuming an improved world ranking, it is likely that Prestia will get at least one chance to race in the Series this year. Doing so will then set her up to make a more sustained assault on the Series in the post-Olympic year in 2025.
