They are some of the best athletes in the world, and every single one of them, without exception, wants to win this coming Sunday at The Championship. During the event press conference, one thing became clear: the top athletes are razor-sharp, have done everything in their preparation to be as ready as possible, and seem prepared to give it their all on Sunday.
In the men’s field, there are two outright favourites: Great Britain’s Will Draper and Germany’s Frederic Funk. Draper will start with bib number 1, which is something he finds very special. “A few years ago, I never would have thought this possible, and it has been quite a journey,” says the athlete, who over the past two years alone has won multiple Challenge Family races and finished on the podium even more frequently. “A few years ago at The Championship, I was exposed to racing at the absolute highest level for the first time; that has always stuck with me. To now be starting here of all places with bib number one feels incredibly special.”
Funk, in turn, is practically ‘Mister Samorin’, with seven starts at The Championship by now and three podium finishes. However, a victory has not yet happened. “It would mean a lot to finally win here for once, but I am going into it with a different mindset. To be honest, over the past two years, I haven’t really put out a performance that I was happy with. However, training has been going very well again over the last few weeks, and I feel in top shape both physically and mentally. The competition here is strong, and you really have to be the best version of yourself to win races nowadays.”
In the women’s field, two German athletes – Caroline Pohle and Lena Meissner – seem to be the clear favourites. Meissner, who hasn’t been active over the longer distance for long, is mostly looking forward to racing. “There are many age groupers here and a great crowd. And racing this distance is truly something I do for myself, rather than for a federation. Because of that, I feel the drive to get better every single day. The race will be interesting and I am really looking forward to it.”
For Pohle, it will likely be an emotional day. In 2023, she was the underdog and finished second; a year later, things went wrong 800m before the finish line. “I just want to get to the finish line on Sunday and find my inner peace. I am mentally and physically good, I have a new coach, and my training sessions are moving in the right direction. The Championship is an important next step on my way towards Challenge Roth; my first long distance.”
Someone who could well be chasing down the two German ladies after the swim is Katrine Græsbøll Christensen. The Danish athlete does not have to rely on her strong swim leg, but is regularly unmatched on the bike and the run. “I love the hunt. I never think about the women behind me, only about how many women I can overtake. I love pushing hard: this course therefore suits me perfectly,” says the athlete, who travelled to the iconic x-bionic sphere with her husband and young daughter. “Everything here is easy, it is a great location. It almost feels like we are celebrating a vacation.”
Among the men, there are also competitors who are not immediately counted among the top favourites, but are seen as more than dangerous outsiders. Belgium’s Pieter Heemeryck, for instance, although he has a difficult period behind him after being run off the road in New Zealand in early 2025 and never really finding his best form again after that. “Everything changed in a single second. For a long time, I thought everything would be fine, but the collision was followed by injuries. When things are going well, everyone knows you, but otherwise people forget you quickly. That is tough. In any case, I am here to race, I have performed well here before, and I want to do that again.”
The same applies to Kieran Lindars, who narrowly lost to Henry Räppo in the final sprint last year, but did stay a few seconds ahead of Draper to finish third. “I hope not to have a sprint finish again, but it does show how close the level is at The Championship. We raced for a few hours and in the end, just ten seconds made the difference between a second, third, or fourth place. I feel good and comfortable with my current form right now, and I think the location is great for racing.”
Kurt McDonald could also just pull off a surprise. Two years ago he finished 14th, last year seventh. “So if I gain another seven places, I’m there,” he laughs. “I mostly hope that I can take that final step this year which is needed to join the very best athletes in the world.”
Going back to the women for a moment, Britain’s Megan McDonald was added to the start list last-minute, skipping the T100 Spain. “I know the course here, which is really tough. But it is also fair and that is exactly what I am looking forward to: a fair swim, a fair bike, and a fair run. I want to take on all these women and hopefully race near the front. My last training block was good and I feel that I am ready to race.”
Two women who recently faced each other at Challenge Salou – Elisabetta Curridori won, Marta Sanchez was on the podium – will meet again here. Both women state they certainly do not belong to the biggest favourites, but they are unanimous: “Every race is an opportunity to give it our all again, and that is exactly what we are going to do here.”
