Montreal is getting ready for three massive days of World Triathlon action this weekend, all of which kicks off on Friday with the 2022 Junior World Championships. Qualifying athletes aged 16-19 hit the start lines, including the defending champion Jule Behrens (GER) and the silver medallists in Quarteira Tilda Mansson (SWE) and João Batista (POR).

The sprint-distance course starts in the waters of the Bassin Alexandra for a 750m swim, transitioning uphill to the 19.3km bike through four laps of the city streets before a two-lap, 5km run to the titles. You can watch all the action unfold on TriathlonLive.tv.

Women’s preview

Last year’s race belonged to Germany’s Jule Behrens, who was able to pick her way to the front of the field after going out hard over the first kilometres and never looked back. With plenty of fine-tuning racing in Europe last month, Behrens has a great chance of leaving Canada with another World Championship medal.

Like last year, Chisato Nakajima wears the number one, however, thanks in part to her Africa Triathlon Cup win in Accra two weeks ago. She is joined on the start line by Japan teammate Kotomi Anzai, who made her World Cup debut in Huatulco and put in a great swim before falling off the pace with transition troubles.

Current Junior European Champion Tilda Mansson will also be among the favourites after a string of strong results since her world championship silver in November. The lightning-fast Swede put together the fastest run split in Quarteira, just as she did at the start of June on route to winning the Europe Triathlon Nordic Championships by an impressive 90-second margin.

Clara Normand and Noemie Beaulieu lead the line for Canada, both finishing inside the top 30 last year and Beaulieu topping the podium in St George, Utah, pipping USA’s talented Faith Dasso to the Americas Junior gold.

Making her first World Triathlon start, Emma Olson-Keating is the top-ranked Australian, Ilona Hadoum of France ready to make an impact after finishing just behind Mansson in the European Junior Championships Olsztyn at the end of May. Third in that race, Julia Brocker also showed her podium potential in Poland, Marta Kropko coming into the race after her Mixed Relay debut for Hungary at WTCS Leeds.

South America is well represented with Chile’s Alina Codjambassis, Julia Munhoz of Brazil, Peru’s Gianella Debra Coaguila Pita and the Puerto Rican talent Zoe Adam among the names starting with medal dreams.

Men’s preview

Portugal’s Joao Nuno Batista edged a big sprint finish with Britain’s Dominic Coy to earn silver in Quarteira last year and will want to follow in his older brother’s footsteps and top the podium just as Ricardo did in Lausanne back in 2019.

Miguel Espuna Larramona was a top-10 finisher in Portugal, one of only a handful of men from the previous edition age-eligible to race again in the category here as the new wave of breakthrough athletes comes through.

Andree Buc (CHI) was the silver medallist in the St George Americas Junior Championships late last year, Latvia’s Arturs Liepa arrives in fine form after Junior Cup wins in Yenisehir and Panevezys with a podium in his sights.

New Zealand’s Ivan Abele arrives off the back of a Europe Triathlon Cup bronze in Wels two weeks ago, Leo Fernandez the highest-ranked Frenchman on the start list and another showing excellent form coming in after gold in Olsztyn.

Home hopes of a medal rest with Mathis Beaulieu (no relation to Noemie), who just missed out on a top 10 finish against a strong Americas Cup line up in Salinas in April won by Brazil’s rising star Miguel Hidalgo. Louis Marchand, Sage Sulentic and Nathan Grondin complete the Canadian squad.

Gaspard Tharreau (FRA) and Ben Cumberland (GBR) were third and fourth respectively in Olsztyn, Cumberland also having finished last year in grand style with a Junior Duathlon world title in Aviles and ready to do battle for the podium places once more.

For the full start lists, click here.