International Age Group at Pontevedra: Tri-Team Ireland on the World stage
World Championship Age Group racing with top 10 finishes, Pontevedra provided a memorable week for Tri-Team Ireland.
Strong performances across the Tri Team Ireland age-group team
The streets of Pontevedra came alive on Wednesday evening as athletes from around the world gathered for the opening of the 2026 World Triathlon Championship Finals.
For Tri-Team Ireland, the week began with more than 100 athletes from across Ireland taking part in the Parade of Nations.
Green, white and orange filled the city centre as the Irish team made its way through streets lined with spectators and bunting fluttering overhead and cheering crowds, before converging on the Plaza de España for a spectacular Opening Ceremony – a fitting start to a week of world-class racing.
Sprint Racing Starts The Week
Thursday afternoon and evening belonged to Tri-Team Ireland’s age-group athletes, with the Irish team taking to the start line for the Age-Group Sprint Triathlon World Championships.
Across the races, Tri-Team Ireland athletes delivered a series of strong performances, including several top-10 results.
- 5th place – Vanessa Fenton (50-54)
- 6th place – Alex Brear Clarkson (35-39)
- 10th place – John Lenehan (40-44)
- 10th place – Patrick Tierney (45-49)
With athletes racing for World Championship honours across a wide range of age groups, the sprint races provided another opportunity for Tri-Team Ireland to experience the unique atmosphere of Pontevedra and compete on the same championship stage as the world’s elite; heading into the stadium to cheering crowds, crossing the blue carpet – and over the iconic World Triathlon finish line.
Standard distance and Aquabike racing for Tri-Team Ireland
Standard
Saturday saw the Tri-Team Ireland Age-Group programme continue with the Standard Distance Triathlon World Championships and Aquabike World Championships.
Once again, Tri-Team Ireland was out in force across the course, with athletes competing throughout the day in their respective age groups.
- 4th Paul Carroll (55-59 Open) – 2:13:11
- 4th Vanessa Fenton (50-54 Female) – 2:26:1
Other Top 10 performances included:
- 5th Julia Van Coller (18-19 Female) – 2:30:05
- 6th Donncha Kiely (40-44 Open) – 2:09:05
- 9th Martin O’Grady (65-69 Open) – 2:36:21
- 9th Conor Richardson (45-49 Open) – 2:09:48
- 10th Maiire Diggin (55-59 Female) – 2:45:01
- 10th Patrick Tierney (45-49 Open) – 2:11:33
Aquabike
Tri-Team Ireland was also represented strongly in the Aquabike World Championships. There were near podium finishes with 4th position for Marcin Mizgajski, (45-49 Open) – 1:31:45 and 4th for Sean Black (25-29 Open) – 1:38:56
Plus Top 10 Performances from:
- 5th – Celine McPhillips (45-49 Female) – 1:44:07
- 7th – Feidhlim Dervin (35-39 Open) – 1:40:06
- 8th – Cathy Cunningham (55-59 Female) – 1:48:28
- 10th – Karl Horgan (30-34 Open) – 1:39:06
The day finished with the age-group medal ceremonies in the Plaza de España before Tri-Team Ireland came together for an evening social to celebrate the performances, friendships and shared experiences that made the week so memorable!
Age-Group Mixed Relay Teams
The Age-Group Mixed Team Relay brought super-sprint style racing to the World Championships in Pontevedra, giving age-group athletes the chance to experience the fast-paced relay format after watching the elite athletes take it on earlier in the week.
Each team consisted of two athletes from the female category and two from the open category, with teams grouped according to their combined ages as of 31 December 2026.
The categories ranged from X60 through to X320+, with Team Ireland fielding two teams in the X160 category. The racing was fast with a 300m swim, followed by 6km bike and 1.5km run, with athletes battling through each leg and handing over to their teammates in a thrilling test of speed and teamwork.
Tri-Team Ireland Support
Tri-Team Ireland Age-group team and their friends and family also provided strong support throughout the week for athletes competing in Age-Group racing – aswell as Irish athletes completing in the Elite championship races, including Hannah Kennedy, James Corbett, Chloe MacCombe and Judith MacCombe and their guides Jemma Speers and Eimear Matthews. Thank you!
Find out more
To find out more about Age-Group racing take a look at our Tri-Team Ireland International Age-Group racing page, or get in touch with our Tri-Team Ireland Age Group Programme Lead who will be happy to help.
