In a similar manner to how discovering a band or a book before it hits the big time and then seeing your excellent taste spread can be a satisfying feeling, this week triathlon fans around the world will have the chance to uncover some hidden gems of their own at the World Junior Championships in Torremolinos as the young starlets of the sport take their first steps in fulfilling dreams of mainstream success.
This time ten years ago, Cassandre Beaugrand, Jacob Birtwhistle and Laura Lindemann were among those to reach the 2014 World Junior Championships podium. Each has since gone on to enjoy glittering senior careers. Tune in on TriathlonLive on Friday 18th October at 15:15 CEST for the junior women and 17:15 CEST for the junior men to see the stars of the future make their marks in the present.
The Junior Men
Among a field brimming with talent, one man enters as the clear-cut favourite for the gold medal. João Nuno Batista (POR) arrives as the defending champion having also claimed the silver medal at the World Junior Championships in 2021. To go with that, he recently defended his European Junior crown from 2023. The double-double is therefore on. Batista has also been busy at the senior level this year. He finished 5th on his World Cup debut in Huatulco, made a maiden WTCS bow in Hamburg, and then placed 11th at the European Championships in Vichy over the senior distance. Batista, then, is the man to beat.
One man that will have revenge on his mind will be Nils Serre Gehri (FRA). The defending silver medallist from last year’s World Junior Championships also took the silver medal at the recent European Junior Championships. Serre Gehri is blessed with phenomenal running speed but he will have to find something special if he is to break Batista’s winning streak.
Reese Vannerson (USA) also enters as a previous World Junior Championships medallist. He took home the bronze medal in 2022. At last year’s edition, he finished 6th. Earlier this year, Vannerson became the Americas Junior champion and, like Batista and Serre Gehri, has serious speed to burn in the third discipline. Moreover, as with Batista, he has enjoyed some senior success this season with finishes of 7th and 11th at the Valencia and Huatulco World Cups and a win at the Americas Cup in Barbados.
Completing the set of continental champions will be Jack Woodberry (AUS), the winner of the Oceania Junior Championships, and Mohamed Khenissi (TUN), the victor at the African Junior Championships 2024. Although the Asian Junior Championships are not due to be contested until November, Takuto Oshima (JPN) may be the best placed to deliver for his continent after two recent 4th place finishes at Asia Cup events.
Finally, keep an eye on Osvaldo Darell Zuñiga Fierro (MEX) and Vinicius Avi Santana (BRA). The former won the silver medal at the Americas Junior Championships in both 2023 and 2024. He also finished 5th at the World Junior Championships last year. The latter claimed the bronze medal at the Americas Junior Championships and arrives in Torremolinos having won the Americas Cup in Santa Marta.
The Junior Women
As with the men’s field, the women’s race sees two returning medallists from last year’s racing in Hamburg. Jimena Renata De La Peña Schott (USA) powered to the silver medal last year in a season that saw her also claim the North American Junior title. Now racing under American colours after switching from Mexico, De La Peña placed 4th at this year’s Americas Championships and has accrued handy World Cup experience.
Manon Laporte (FRA) was the bronze medallist in 2023 and recently came away with the silver medal at the European Junior Championships. Like De La Peña, Laporte is a well-balanced athlete and armed with tremendous running speed.
The challenge for the returning medallists will be to stop to the runaway train that is Fanni Szalai (HUN). Szalai recently soared to the European Junior title and thus far in her junior career has shown no points of weakness. Indeed, across eight international appearances at the youth and junior levels, Szalai remains undefeated, notching eight wins. Somehow, her rivals will have to find a way to beat an athlete that, at this level, seemingly cannot lose.
Meanwhile, Szalai will be joined by three other reigning continental champions. Sidney Clement (CAN) was too good for the field at the Americas Junior Championships. In 2023, she finished 2nd at the North American Junior Championships. Bringing the speed from the southern hemisphere will be Aspen Anderson (AUS) and Anika Visser (RSA). Anderson nabbed the Oceania Junior title back in February. Notably, she has also competed internationally in cross country and so her running ability could unsettle a few challengers. Visser emerged victorious at the African Junior Championships having utterly dominated the junior scene on the continent this year.
Looking further afield, Dominga Elena Jacome Espinoza (CHI) will be one to watch. She finished 6th in Hamburg last year and is the back-to-back South American Junior champion. She also comes into the race having finished 3rd at the Europe Cup in Ceuta. In addition, Siyi Zhang (CHN) looks to be the pick of the contenders from Asia. She placed 8th at the World Junior Championships last year and this season finished 15th at the Napier World Cup and 4th at the Asia Championships over the sprint distance.
With plenty of talent beyond the names listed here, the World Junior Championships will be one of the highlights of the week in Torremolinos. And who knows, this might just be your first chance to see a future Olympic champion or two in full flow. Catch the races on TriathlonLive and stay up to date with all the latest across all World Triathlon channels.
