British teenager Oliver Conway stormed to an incredible maiden World Triathlon Cup victory as he left a field of Olympians and experienced competitors in his wake at the weekend.
The 19-year-old University of Nottingham student battled through the blistering 30-degree heat on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast to take gold in the 2025 Saidia World Cup – by far the most impressive podium finish of his fledgling career.
His impressive performance stunned Canada’s Tyler Mislawchuk as the Tokyo 2020 competitor was forced to settle for second, having been completely blown away by Conway in a late sprint for the finish line.
The duo came in just ahead of American John Reed, with Conway finishing in a time of 01:45:53.
‘A hot race’
After a steady start in the swim, the two-time National Junior Champion joined the chasing pack on the bike, before the front three broke away on the energy-sapping 10K run.
Conway’s victory was very much settled on the final leg as he completed it in 31 minutes and 27 seconds – the fastest time by any of the competitors in the field.
Speaking after the race, Mislawchuk said: “I would have liked the win, but I’ll take second. It was a hot race. Even on the bike, I could feel it, so I knew it was going to be a hot run.
“My rule on the run was I was not allowed to push myself until three or four kilometres because of the heat, which is when I went and made the original break and we got a few away. He (Conway) got a gap out of the corner. I knew he was a good runner, but I just got stuck in that gear. It would have been nice to win. Everyone wants to win but I’ll take second.”
Brownlee boost
This season is shaping up to be a breakout year for Nottingham Performance Centre-based youngster, after also being named as a member of the Brownlee Racing Supertri League team.
Led by three-time Olympic medallist Jonny Brownlee, he will form part of the rotating men’s squad that also includes Paris Olympic gold medalist, Alex Yee, Marcus Dey and Brandan Pye.
Brownlee Racing recently announced the arrival of British triathlon icon Tim Don as Team Manager, as they look to improve on last year’s poor performance and develop a new wave of homegrown talent.
Four-time World Champion Don will also take on the role of General Manager, overseeing the entire Brownlee Racing franchise.
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