White continues impressive road tri ascent with Osaka top 10

💹 Robbie White’s ascent up New Zealand’s suddenly uber competitive U23 men’s pecking order is impressively keeping pace with the steep learning curve he’s on after quite literally emerging on the road scene from triathlon’s wilderness.

The Taranaki 21-year-old has claimed his maiden continental top-10, topping the Kiwi results at Asia Triathlon Cup Osaka Castle with 8^th in the Japan sprint on Sunday.

White burst onto the scene with victory at April’s XTERRA Rotorua Festival, escaping from the Blue Lake bush to pip five-time champ and local hero Sam Osborne in the elite men’s race.

Afterwards, the Canterbury University mechanical engineering student declared a spot at October’s U23 World Triathlon Championships in Wollongong was his immediate goal before acknowledging he needed to “get a few more races under my belt” to make that dream a reality.

Sunday’s result proves White is a quick learner, able to put the disappointment of being caught behind a crash at last weekend’s Asia Cup Lianyungang – where he finished 36^th – behind him. His 8^th in Osaka, ahead of Joel Lange in 16^th and Will Taylor in 22^nd, shows progression from his 24^th and 18^th places at the Oceania Super Sprint (pictured above, Gold Coast) and Sprint (reduced to a duathlon at Mooloolaba) respectively.

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White is sure to climb from his current position of 477^th when the World Triathlon Rankings are recalculated overnight and while he’s got a way to go to catch James Corbett (49^th), Henry McMecking (112^th), Gus Marfell (254^th), Sam Parry (285^th) and even U19 Finnley Oliver (303^rd) on that list, he’s much closer in terms of actual swim, bike and run prowess.

McMecking and Parry were 22^nd and 45^th respectively in their European season opener in Poland early Sunday NZT. Back in Japan, Lange (267^th) continued his steady ascent up the world rankings with 16^th while Tauranga’s Taylor produced his finest offshore result with 22^nd. That eclipsed his 31^st placing in Osaka 12 months ago and while his continental best is a 14^th, that was of the 15 finishes at Oceania Cup Taupo in April 2022 in a race where Hayden Wilde, Tayler Reid and Dylan McCullough filled the podium.

Amara Rae was the leading Kiwi woman in Osaka in 14^th, two places ahead of Auckland’s Charlotte Brown and U19 rep Hayley Cornwall impressing in 21^st position. Rae was 1:32 off the podium, another step forward after finishing 7th at Asia Triathlon Cup Lianyungang but more than 12 minutes down on the winner.

Asia Triathlon Cup Osaka Castle
Japan, May 25, 2025
(Swim 750m / Bike 20.13km / Run 5km)

Men
🥇 Aoba Yasumatsu (JPN) – 54:08
🥈 Bradley Course (AUS) – 54:15
🥉 Koki Yamamoto (JPN) – 54:26

Also NZL
8. Robbie White – 54:58 (9:47 / 28:46 / 15:44)
16. Joel Lange – 55:29 (9:10 / 29:25 / 16:12)
22. Will Taylor – 55:43 (9:43 / 28:51 / 16:27)

Women
🥇 Manami Hayashi (JPN) – 01:00:28
🥈 Charlotte Derbyshire (AUS) – 01:00:35
🥉 Mako Hiraizumi (JPN) – 01:00:57

Also NZL
14. Amara Rae – 1:02:29 (11:08 / 32:09 / 18:26)
16. Charlotte Brown – 1:02:42 (10:37 / 32:00 / 19:20)
21. Hayley Cornwall – 1:03:16 (11:03 / 32:17 / 19:14)

—

Europe Triathlon Cup Olsztyn
Poland, May 24, 2025
(Swim 750m / Bike 20km / Run 5km)

🥇 Oliver Conway (GBR) – 53:48
🥈 Michael Gar (GBR) – 53:59
🥉 Jonas Osterholt (GER) – 54:01

Also NZL
22. Henry McMecking – 54:51 (8:56 / 28:53 / 15:23)
45. Sam Parry – 56:25 (9:13 / 29:44 / 15:47)