Welcome to the weekend of Swim Bike Run, Kiwi style. We’re Full Sending it with previews of the young New Zealanders racing World Triathlon Cup Tiszaújváros and European Triathlon Cup Wels, the latter headlined by Triathlon Trouble’s Gus Marfell.
EUROPEAN CUP WELS THE TRUTH ABOUT TRIATHLON TROUBLE
The Real Story Behind Gus Marfell’s Instagram life
If you only know Gus Marfell as one half of @triathlontrouble — the social account he runs with Team NZL pal Henry McMecking, flippers and all — you’d think he’s living the dream.
Two lads, a tongue-in-cheek “Worlds best triathletes” bio line, and a YouTube expansion under the tagline “Babe wake up, Triathlon Trouble just posted.”
It’s everything this generation does well: light-hearted, self-aware, a scroll-stopper for anyone smitten with swim, bike and run.
What the feed doesn’t show is the 18 months that got the Blenheim 22-year-old to this point — a stress fracture that ended his 2025 season cold, a return to racing that hasn’t gone to script, and a stretch in Banyoles where he found himself, by his own admission, “struggling to find a reason to believe that I am as good as everybody else.”
The fight continues at European Cup Wels this Saturday, a sprint distance Continental Cup and one of two remaining shots to prove he’s worthy of a spot at September’s U23 Worlds in Pontevedra and November’s World Triathlon Cup Tauranga.
The full story of Marfell’s road back — the World Cup Napier breakthrough in early 2025, the stress fracture, the doubt, and the performance metric that is so close, previews a big weekend of European action for Team NZL.
In addition to Gus Marfell, Team NZL will have four other Kiwis on the start line in Austria
PHOEBE CARTER
The 22-year-old Aucklander is no doubt still buzzing from her unexpected WTCS bow in Quiberon. But that was last weekend and the triathlon calendar quickly moves on. Wels is the race Carter originally targeted as her European campaign opener before being called to western France as a Mixed Relay reserve for Team NZL, an assignment which quickly morphed into a debut when places opened up on the individual start list. Has been a big week of travel, racing and travel but should be energised by her 42nd place in Quiberon.
ROBBIE WHITE
Wels is all part of the learning curve for Canterbury-based, Taranaki whippet White. Like partner Carter, the 22-year-old also has European Cup Holten (The Netherlands) and Tata (Hungary) on his European bingo card following Wels and will look to impress in the same vein as his 9th at the Oceania Sprint Championships in Napier, where he finished just off the U23 podium. Another, like Marfell, in the running for an U23 Worlds spot in Pontevedra this September. Comes off 10th at Asia Cup Taizhou en route to Europe, complete with his fastest ever 5km split – 15:09 – off the bike.
FINNLEY OLIVER
Showed his immense potential with 7th at last October’s Junior World Championships in Wollongong. The Craig Kirkwood-coached Tauranga 19-year-old has slowly been building back to fitness since then following injury, recording 15th and 14th places respectively at Oceania Cup Gold Coast and the continental SuperSprint Championships at Runaway Bay, a decent start in his step up from the Junior ranks with an eye to September’s U23 Worlds in Pontevedra. Was 36th at Wels last year as part of his buildup to Wollongong.
SOPHIE WEBBER
A first taste of European competition for the University of Queensland medical student who continues to impress with her ability to balance study in Brisbane with training for elite triathlon around the globe. The 19-year-old was 47th in her maiden Junior Worlds in Wollongong last October and has progressed well since, highlighted by 13th among the elite women at the Oceania Sprint Championships in Napier. Was 23rd at Asia Cup Osaka Castle en route to Banyoles. Will be interesting to see how she fares in the Junior race in Austria, especially after a minor bike crash in Banyoles that has left her nursing cuts and scrapes. Also has European Junior Cup Holten (July 4) on her schedule before heading back to Australia to hit the books.
WORLD CUP TISZAUJVAROS REID, RODERICK AND McMECKING BACK UP FROM QUIBERON
Catch LIVE action from Hungary on Triathlonlive.tv – Cornwall in the Junior races at 9.10pm Sunday and the Elites from 1.30am Monday NZ Time
TAYLER REID
A rib injury stalled the Tokyo Olympian’s start to 2026. Wasn’t unhappy with 4th at the Oceania SuperSprint at Runaway Bay on his comeback but 35th at World Cup Chengdu en-route north wasn’t flash. Class is permanent though and the Gisborne 29-year-old proved that at WTCS Quiberon last weekend, 28th in the individual and a slick second leg to keep Team NZL in the Mixed Relay. Look for an advance on that form in Hungary but don’t misconstrue the step down to World Cup level as any major dip in competitiveness. One guarantee. When Reid dons the Black Tri Suit, you get effort with a 100 percent money back guarantee.
BREA RODERICK
The world No.81’s swim-bike prowess was again on display at WTCS Quiberon last weekend where she lead out of T2 and for the first 400m of the run. The Canterbury 24-year-old’s eventual 32nd place was close to her WTCS best of 30 in Alghero last year and continued her trending form, highlight by a solo breakaway on the bike to win her second Conti Cup title outside of Oceania at Asia Cup Osaka Castle on the way to Europe. Roderick is better than the 28th in her U23 World Champs sendoff in Wollongong last October illustrated and Tiszaújváros is a chance to show that now she’s in the elite ranks and pushing for LA28.
HENRY McMECKING
The week leading into McMecking’s planned WTCS debut in Quiberon didn’t go to plan. First he cut his foot in Banyoles and then a throat infection was so severe he was unable to swallow food in the days leading up to the sprint. The Canterbury 22-year-old’s medical team took the decision out of his hands and withdrew him so McMecking will have to wait till Hamburg on July 11-12 for his WTCS bow. Expect some pent up frustration to be released across this weekend’s sprint eliminator. “Heading into Tiszaújváros World Cup this weekend with maybe not the best lead in, but a whole lot of motivation to give it my best shot.”
HAYLEY CORNWALL
The Manawatu 19-year-old put a frustrating, injury-impacted second half of 2025 to bed with her brilliant 13th in the Junior Worlds in Wollongong last October. And then promptly got injured again. European Junior Cup Tiszaujvaros is just the Craig Kirkwood-coached talent’s 2nd race of 2026 so expectations are rightly tempered. Deserves a hearty dollop of luck after illness forced a DNF at the 2024 Junior Worlds in Torremolinos. Also scheduled to race Holten (July 4) and is in Kiwi team for this September’s Worlds but will wait for confirmation of a invite Tri NZ is chasing for Pontevedra before committing to a second European trip in 2026.
