🥝 While triathlon’s short course superpowers collide in Sardinia this weekend, a sizeable group of New Zealand’s next wave will be scattered across Asia chasing something just as important — ranking points, momentum and further proof they belong in the sport’s top echelon.
Dylan McCullough doesn’t need to prove anything after his Paris Olympic Games heroics but it doesn’t dampen the intrigue around the 25-year-old.
Just seven days after ending an 18-month injury nightmare with an emotional breakthrough win in China, the recently Gold Coast-based Kiwi backs up at Saturday’s Asia Triathlon Cup Osaka Castle in what shapes as a significantly deeper men’s field.
The Christchurch athlete surged 78 places in the latest world rankings after his long-awaited return to the top step, but still sits just 191st globally – a number that says far more about time lost to injury than actual ability.
Now comes the next challenge: Backing up, despite not wanting to pre load pressure on the Aucklander.
It could be that the pressure actually comes mostly from within the Kiwi camp because, at least on paper, McCullough is not the top Kiwi.
That honour currently belongs to Henry McMecking, whose steady rise has continued almost unnoticed through a superb last 15 months.
The Cantabrian has climbed to 61st in the world — now New Zealand’s third-highest ranked male behind only Hayden Wilde and Saxon Morgan — after backing up his breakout 2025 with another impressive Oceania campaign.
He medalled at Oceania Cup Napier in March before finishing 9th (and 4th U23) at the Continental Standard Distance Championships in Devonport, Tasmania, then 5th (and 2nd U2) at the Oceania SuperSprint Championships at Runaway Bay.
The Osaka men’s race also includes Gus Marfell, Ben Airey and hugely promising junior (U19) Caleb Wagener and in what shapes as a fascinating internal Kiwi benchmark as much as an international race.
The women’s race carries intrigue too.
Brea Roderick returns with LA on her mind after being named in the six-strong squad for New Zealand’s upcoming WTCS Mixed Relay squads in Quiberon and Hamburg after serving as Olympic reserve for Paris.
Her Oceania Cup results — 8th in Napier and 10th on the Gold Coast — didn’t fully reflect her level, but she reminded the selectors of her short course ability with 5th at the Oceania SuperSprint Championships behind Nicole van der Kaay, Sophie Malowiecki, Eva Goodisson and rising Australian talent Aspen Anderson.
Also lining up in Osaka are Amara Rae, Charlotte Brown, Lulu Johnson and Sophie Webber.
In China, Asia Triathlon Cup Taizhou offers another important opportunity for points and progression.
Joel Lange leads the Kiwi men after quietly building consistency across the Oceania and Asian circuits, while Will Taylor continues to edge upward after a series of encouraging results.
Christian Davey also starts, while Robbie White and Phoebe Carter will look to continue their own steady climb through the international rankings.
