Fanni Szalai, the teenage superstar who rose to prominence at the start of the year where she podiumed at the Arena Games Triathlon in Sursee has just secured her second consecutive Europe Junior Cup win.
Just 15 years old, the Hungarian, who won the Europe Triathlon Junior Cup in Caorle in May against girls up to three years her senior, was utterly dominant on home turf on Sunday as she took the tape at Europe Triathlon Junior Cup Tiszaujvaros.
Delivering on home turf
Having already finished sixth overall in the Arena Games Triathlon series and won her debut European Cup in Caorle, the stage was set for Szalai to do something special in front of a home crowd this weekend.
Having exited the water with the front group of five and stayed away with the group on the bike, the Hungarian lost a couple of seconds to the rest of the field in transition, but more than made up for it on the run, breaking clear early on and never looking back.
Banyoles next for Szalai
Winning by almost a minute, Szalai looks to be continuing to go from strength-to-strength this season, with her next race coming in a fortnight, where she will compete at the Europe Triathlon Youth Championships Festival in Banyoles.
In addition to her European Junior Cup and Championships schedule this season, Szalai was also one of the first athletes announced for the 2023 Super League Championship Series, which will see her compete against the very best in the sport over a range of exciting formats.
Are we in a triathlon boom, or hurtling towards burnout? Laura Siddall on the growth of the sport
