Elite Men
With last year’s champion William Draper not on the start list for this year’s championships, it is 2024 champion Jesper Svensson who will line up as one of the favourites for the Europe Triathlon Long Distance Championships. The Swede will be looking to repeat his success from 2024, when he crossed the line six minutes ahead of the runner-up.
Svensson improved his 2023 finishing time by more than 13 minutes and will be hoping to once again claim the top step of the podium this weekend in Almere.
Starting just behind him will be home favourite Milan Brons, who finished seventh in Almere last year. Brons has previously stood on the podium at the championships, claiming bronze in 2023, while he also took silver in last year’s National Championships, which were held in conjunction with the Europe Triathlon Championships.
Poland’s Wojciech Kopyciński narrowly missed out on the podium last year, finishing fourth in Almere. He will hope that the experience gained from that race can help him go one step further this year and claim an elusive podium finish.
Niek Heldoorn is another Dutch athlete returning to the start line with previous success in Almere, having last claimed a medal in 2022. He also took silver at this year’s Middle Distance National Championships in June and will be hoping to replicate or improve on that result over the longer distance this weekend.
Lars Lomholt will be familiar with his competition, having shared the podium with Svensson last year, when the Danish athlete claimed bronze. He will be looking to once again challenge for the top positions in Almere.
Croatia’s Silvije Tomac has already competed at a European Championship this year, racing in Banyoles, where he finished just outside the top 10 in extremely hot conditions. He will now turn his attention to the longer-distance challenge in Almere.
The 2023 30-34 age-group winner Ben Akin will also line up this weekend. The Brit makes his return to the international stage at the Challenge event, moving into the elite field with his sights set on repeating the success he enjoyed three years ago.
Similarly, 2023 25-29 age-group winner Romain Rezsohazy will start in the elite field, wearing bib number 60. Last year, Rezsohazy finished 12th and will be hoping to improve on that result this time around.
Jesse Van Hulst was unable to finish last year’s race and will return to Almere looking for redemption. The Dutch athlete will be hoping to use the support of the home crowd as extra motivation to make it across the finish line this year.
Bruno Slegers last raced in Almere in 2022, when he claimed the top spot in the 20-24 age group. This year, he steps up to the elite field and will face a very different challenge.
Danyil Odynets and Silas Engel Plambæk are the youngest athletes on the start list, with both born in 2003. At the other end of the scale, Brazilian Igor Amorelli is the only non-European athlete in the Elite Men’s field. Born in 1984, Amorelli will be hoping to use his experience to challenge the European contenders around the Almere course.
Elite Women
Last year’s champion Daisy Davies will not start this year’s race in Almere, meaning a new European Champion will be crowned in the Elite Women’s race.
Vanessa Pereira will lead the elite women onto the start line wearing bib number two. The Portuguese athlete claimed the Middle Distance National Championships in Moura in April, producing a dominant performance on the bike to cross the finish line eight minutes ahead of the silver medallist.
Home favourite Kyra Meulenberg will compete in her first European Championships. The Dutch athlete has raced Ironman events around the world, with her best result coming in Chattanooga, where she finished fourth. She will now be looking to convert that experience into a strong performance on home soil.
Starting just behind her in bib number four is fellow Dutch athlete Maaike Vooren, who finished seventh in Almere last year. Vooren also claimed silver in the National Championships in Almere and will be hoping to improve on her European Championship result this time around.
Barbora Besperát enters the race as the 2025 Czech National Champion over the Middle Distance. She will make her first appearance at the European Championships in Almere, having last raced a 70.3 event in Hradec Králové just four weeks ago.
Morena Stevens is another Dutch athlete looking to make the most of a home race. Stevens claimed gold in the 2025 30-34 Age Group race and will now step up to compete in the elite field.
Germany’s Margrit Elfers also returns to the Netherlands after finishing eighth in Almere last year. She will be looking to move further up the rankings this weekend and potentially challenge for the European title.
Carolina Laurentiu Granja returns to Almere after finishing 14th in 2024. Having not raced last year, the Spaniard will be looking to make her mark on her return. She is also the only Spanish athlete represented in either the Elite Men’s or Elite Women’s start lists.
Full start lists can be found here.
Live broadcasting of the event can be found here.