Race Report: Junior European Cup Quarteira

[Credit – World Triathlon]

The opening European Junior Cup of the 2026 season took place on the Algarve coast in Portugal with a strong number of British Junior athletes racing in Quarteira, the Sunday following the elite race the day before. See also the Elite Race Report here

Racing both over the sprint distance on the same course as the elites, the Portuguese Federation put together a fast course with a 750m 1 lap sea swim, followed by a 3 lap bike course, being mainly flat with a gradual climb halfway and a short steep climb with fast 90 degree entry and exit, before finishing with a flat 5k run mostly along the Quarteira promenade.

Junior Women:

13 British athletes lined up against some of Europe’s top triathletes with Patience Lamb the first British athlete out, leading the swim alongside Hungary’s Jazmin Kropko, in 9.32. British athletes soon followed with Anna Patterson exiting the water in 5th a little over 10s behind, with Darcy Gladwell just 1s further back.

With some initial small gaps closed early on the bike a front bike group of just over 15 was formed not long into the first lap including around half of the British athletes. Not too long later though Switzerland’s Anouk Danna had pulled away solo and maintained a gap into T2 to start the run with over a 30s advantage on the main group now chasing.

Exiting T2 a group of four chasing the leader included Britain’s Kitty Scott and Emma Graham Brown, with Darcy Gladwell of GB moving up into the group later into the first lap of 2. Switzerland’s Danna maintained her lead until the line, but behind it was all to play for for the remaining podium spots. Scott had started to pull away at the end of lap 1 with Spain’s Sánchez. Although with a penalty to take she chose to take it on lap 1 and was consequently then off the back of the group which had started to split. Scott moved up over the last lap with Graham Brown in 3rd, overtaking her to put herself in the final medal spot with the final straight to go.

The end of the run saw Kitty Scott take 3rd, with Emma Graham-Brown 4th and two more athletes from GB taking top 10 results with Darcy Gladwell in 7th and Sophie Richmond 9th. Lauren Mitchell took 13th and Zara Jones 15th to put 6 Brits in the top 15, with Anna Patterson 16th and Patience Lamb 18th for two more in the top 20.

See the full results here and British Junior women below:

British Junior Female Results

Junior Men:

8 British men started the junior race on Sunday in a 60 strong field. With Spain’s Damian Suarez leading solo out the water, athletes soon exited the sea with Reuben Wadey the first Brit out the water in 19th, and Jack Llewellyn 1s behind, with the rest of the British athletes exiting within the next 15s.

With two out in front on the bike on lap 1 of 3 including the Spanish leader and Austria’s Jelle Kaindl, a large group formed behind including a number of the British juniors. The small break was eventually caught and a smaller chase pack remained behind the front group including Britain’s Alex Dack and Tom Mythen.

As the front pack passed through T2, Finlay Goodman was the leading Brit exiting T2 and starting the run with Suarez of Spain out in front again with fellow Spaniard Riola. Between the two out in front with a small gap early, Belgium’s Rube Claus was caught by the chasing group led by Goodman. Into the final stages of the run, eventual 3rd place Thibault Rivier of Switzerland pushed the pace as the two Spanish athletes maintained their lead.

Goodman took 6th, with Lucas Gorrill the second Brit across the line in 10th and Jack Llewellyn 13th, for 3 Brits inside the top 15. William Bailey crossed 23rd with Alex Dack 32nd, Tom Mythen 34th and Reuben Wadey 39th.

See Junior Men Results Full here and below:

Full Live Relay both Junior Men and Women linked here

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