Serbia will host the latest edition of the World Triathlon Development Cup this weekend, with the stunning Vlasina Lake set to welcome more than 40 athletes for a weekend of racing.
The Elite Men’s field makes up the majority of the start list, with Croatian Gabriel Barac leading the way. Barac arrives looking to build on the success of the athletes who claimed silver at the Development Cup in Mamaia in May, hoping to replicate that result on Serbian soil. His most recent race came at the World Triathlon Cup in Tiszaujvaros, where he finished 50th, but he will be hoping that experience at the World Triathlon level will benefit him this weekend.
Barac will be joined by fellow Croatian Filip Vilenica, who enjoyed a busy week in Banyoles, competing in the Aquathlon where he finished fifth in the U23 race. Vilenica also shared the podium with Barac in Mamaia, claiming bronze at the Development Cup event.
For Taha Eren Coşgun, this will be his third Development Cup appearance of the season, with his best result coming in Mamaia where he finished sixth. The Turkish athlete was unable to finish in Gallipoli a few weeks ago but will be hoping that a period of training and recovery has put him in a strong position to improve his result in Vlasina Lake.
Boris Andreev arrives after racing in Tata last weekend, with the Bulgarian having already gained valuable international experience this season. He has competed at the Balkan Championships, where he finished 11th, as well as Development Cup events in both Gallipoli and Mamaia.
Romania’s Vlad Adrian Remzing will also be looking to continue his strong form after claiming bronze at the Development Regional Cup in Gallipoli, securing his first podium finish of 2026. He will start the race wearing bib number six.
The host nation Serbia will have two athletes on the start line, with both among the youngest competitors in the field. Čongor Borši, born in 2009, will race with bib number 26 and will look to bounce back after a DNF at Tiszaujvaros. Joining him will be Marko Reljić, who wears bib number 32 after competing last weekend at the Junior Cup in Izvorani, Romania.
Bulgaria bring the largest contingent to Vlasina Lake, with five athletes lining up for the race. Simeon Bobekov will be aiming for his first podium finish of 2026, while Petar Bozhilov will look to add to the silver medal he claimed in Gallipoli.
Young talent Valentin Iliev continues to make his mark after winning gold at the 2025 Balkan Championships and producing strong performances in Izvorani. The 2010-born athlete will be looking to continue his development, alongside compatriot Krasimir Georgiev, who will make his first Europe Triathlon appearance this weekend.
Serbia will also be strongly represented in the women’s race, with three athletes making up a third of the start list.
Iva Pavlovic arrives after racing in Banyoles last weekend, where she claimed silver in the U23 Aquathlon Championships. She also secured bronze at the most recent Development Regional Cup in Gallipoli and will be aiming to add another strong result to her season.
Mira Ivanova Georgieva (BUL) has already collected multiple medals this year, including silver in Gallipoli and gold at the Balkan Championships in Ohrid. She will be hoping to continue her impressive run of form at Vlasina Lake.
Sofya Kryvetskaya (BLR) is another athlete with Development Cup success this season, having claimed victory in Mamaia. The Belarusian also produced a strong performance in Banyoles, finishing eighth in the Middle Distance Championships.
Alice Perjoiu claimed silver at the Balkan Championships in Ohrid back in June and will be looking to return to the podium after a challenging outing in last week’s Duathlon event in Banyoles.
The full start lists can be found here.