Tri-Team Ireland Delivers Strong Performances in Tarragona 2026
Tri-Team Ireland athletes travelled to Tarragona, Spain, on 13–14 June to compete at the 2026 Europe Triathlon Age Group Championships. Hosted on Spain’s Mediterranean coast, the championships brought together some of Europe’s best Age Group athletes for a weekend of both Sprint and Standard Distance racing in warm and challenging conditions.
Athletes competed across two days of racing, with Sprint Distance events taking place on Saturday and Standard Distance races on Sunday. Tri-Team Ireland was represented across a wide range of age groups, with athletes delivering strong performances throughout the weekend. The standout result came from Michael Mallon, who secured a silver medal in the 75–79 Open Standard Distance category. Jacinta O’Keeffe narrowly missed out on a podium finish with an excellent 4th place in the 65–69 Female Standard Distance category, while several Irish athletes recorded top-six finishes against strong European competition.
Tri-Team Ireland Highlights
Tri-Team Ireland enjoyed a successful championship weekend across both Sprint and Standard Distance racing, recording one podium finish, a fourth-place finish and six additional top-six performances.
The standout result came from Michael Mallon, who secured a fantastic silver medal in the 75–79 Open Standard Distance category, earning Ireland’s sole podium finish of the championships.
Michael Mallon – 2nd, 75–79 Open Standard Distance
Jacinta O’Keeffe – 4th, 65–69 Female Standard Distance
Amy O’Rourke – 5th, 16–19 Female Sprint
Laoise Bennis – 5th, 25–29 Female Sprint
Padraig Kelly – 5th, 40–44 Open Standard Distance
Patrick Tierney – 5th, 45–49 Open Standard Distance
Patrick Tierney – 6th, 45–49 Open Sprint
Ernest Asensio – 6th, 50–54 Open Sprint
Tri-Team Ireland race reflections
For many athletes, Tarragona represented their first opportunity to compete for Ireland this season on the international stage.
Ernest Asensio, who finished 6th in the 50–54 Open Sprint category, described the challenge of the draft-legal racing:
“The Sprint race kicked off at 8am on a warm, sunny Saturday, which meant a non-wetsuit swim — a first for me and most of the Irish team.”
After finding himself just behind the lead bike pack, Ernest spent much of the race chasing before producing one of the fastest runs of the day.
“I managed the second fastest run of the day, pulling back quite a number of places, but it only translated into finishing 6th.”
Nigel Watson who was competing for the first time on the international stage summed the race!
Tri-Team Ireland Results
Sprint Distance Championships
Athlete | Category | Position |
Amy O’Rourke | 16–19 Female | 5th |
Sarah Blackett | 20–24 Female | 12th |
Joshua Schnell | 20–24 Open | 8th |
Laoise Bennis | 25–29 Female | 5th |
Patrick Tierney | 45–49 Open | 6th |
Alan Cronin | 45–49 Open | 34th |
Ernest Asensio | 50–54 Open | 6th |
Declan O’Donoghue | 50–54 Open | 19th |
Simon Smith | 50–54 Open | 34th |
Máire Diggin | 55–59 Female | DSQ |
Karen Watson | 60–64 Female | 12th |
Ann Payne | 60–64 Female | 17th |
Nigel Watson | 60–64 Open | 34th |
Owen Barron | 60–64 Open | 17th |
Paul Kinsella | 60–64 Open | 41st |
Michael Mallon | 75–79 Open | 9th |
Standard Distance Championships
Athlete | Category | Position |
Padraig Kelly | 40–44 Open | 5th |
Patrick Tierney | 45–49 Open | 5th |
Joe O’Connor | 45–49 Open | 20th |
Amelia Drumm | 50–54 Female | 10th |
Owen Barron | 60–64 Open | 19th |
Jacinta O’Keeffe | 65–69 Female | 4th |
Michael Mallon | 75–79 Open | 2nd |
Tri-Team Ireland Tarragona Gallery
Gallery of images from Tri-Team Ireland athletes and official photography. If you have any images you would like to submit please email Tri-Team Ireland Age Group Team Manager Roisin MacCarthy.
Looking Ahead
The 2026 Europe Triathlon Age Group Championships provided another fantastic opportunity for Irish athletes to test themselves against Europe’s best while proudly representing Tri-Team Ireland.
From podium performances and top-six finishes to athletes making their international debut, Tri-Team Ireland was well represented across the championship weekend. The experience gained in Tarragona will undoubtedly provide valuable preparation for future Europe Triathlon and World Triathlon championships, with many athletes already setting their sights on Pontevedra and future international competitions.
Next stop for Tri-Team Ireland is the Multi-sport championships in Banyoles!
Be part of Tri-Team Ireland!
If you’d like to find out more about racing for Tri-Team Ireland take a look at our webpage here or get in touch with Tri-Team Ireland Age Group Manager Roisin MacCarthy.
