A very familiar face shapes as one of the biggest threats when Dylan McCullough’s thus far remarkable comeback after 18 months on the sidelines continues at World Triathlon Cup Edmonton early Sunday NZT.
The continental sprint will be McCullough’s third race back from spine and associated Achillies injuries and his stiffest test yet after the two previous starts produced Asia Cup wins in China and Japan in May.
Fellow Paris Olympian Ainsley Thorpe also steps up her comeback from a lower leg stress reaction in Edmonton as part of a three-pronged Kiwi attack in the women’s race alongside Amara Rae and Lulu Johnson.
Tyler Mislawchuk, the Canadian world No.15 who is fresh from 22nd at last weekend’s WTCS Hamburg, is the top seed for the men’s sprint. Watch also for the likes of experienced short course campaigner Kenji Nener (JPN) and the young American and 4th seed Reese Vannerson who won World Cup Chengdu in 2025 not long after wowing Kiwi crowds with 5th at World Cup Napier.
But could Gold Coast turned North American training partner James Corbett be an even more dangerous threat to McCullough? The former Team NZL squad member, currently racing under a World Tri flag during a mandatory standdown period before he dons the colours of Ireland with an eye to the LA28 Olympics, has made a good fist of early life outside the Tri NZ programme.
Corbett was an eye-catching 14th at WTCS Yokohama and 35th at WTCS Alghero later in May and can be a real threat over the sprint distance if he can temper his natural tendency to push from the first splash into the water, almost immediately to the red line. He certainly knows McCullough’s current form better than anyone given their training relationship which has spanned the Gold Coast and altitude training in Flagstaff, Arizona either side of the Asia Cup successes.
Americas Triathlon racing is a big step up from Asia Cup racing but don’t be surprised to see McCullough at the pointy end in a race to be televised on triathlonlive.tv from 8am Sunday NZT.
Don’t be fooled either by the Kiwi 25-year-old’s race ranking of 45; that’s a byproduct of his post Paris Olympics injuries and carefully calculated return rather than any reflection of his true ability.
Thorpe was 7th in her comeback race at Americas Triathlon Cup Magog in Quebec last weekend, 42s down on winner Faith Duncan (USA). The Cambridge 28-year-old is ranked 48th for Edmonton behind Rae and Johnson in 35th and 61st respectively. Johnson enjoyed one of her best Conti Cup results in Magog, 12th ahead of Rae in 14th.
The women’s race will be broadcast live on triathlonlive.tv, World Triathlon’s pay-to-view streaming service, at 10am Sunday NZT.
Europe Triathlon Cup Tata
Robbie White (pictured above) and Phoebe Carter are ranked 3rd and 4th for the men’s and women’s sprints at European Cup Tata in Hungary.
White, the world No. 187, is fresh from 19th at European Cup Wels and 25th at European Premium Cup Holten while world No. 133 Carter was 22nd at Holten after her surprised WTCS in Quiberon.
Europe Triathlon Aquathlon Championships Banyoles
After an encouraging weekend at WTCS Hamburg, headlined by a season’s best 19th in the individual sprint, Nicole van der Kaay is back on familiar ground for the European Aquathlon Championships in leafy Banyoles, Tri NZ’s European training base in northern Spain.
The Kiwi No.1 is ranked 8th in the 10-strong field headed by Spaniard Marina Muñoz Hernando and taking advantage of the familiar lake and riding surrounds to stay sharp for WTCS London on July 25.
