China's First World Cup Podiums: Can They Win Outside China? | Unfunded S2 EP27 (EP62)
The Unfunded Triathlon PodcastShow Notes
This episode is sponsored by Official Beer Co. Produced by Podfire. Lockie and Lleyton are back after a week off for Lleyton's uni exams, though he still has six months of placement to go. Lleyton raced the Pottsville Aqua Bike, which turned into a 90 K TT in the rain with no swim, and the boys talk about getting on top of the Australian summer heat early. Lockie is out of the sling just under six weeks after shoulder surgery, back in the pool and about to start running again, and tells the story of a long day at IRONMAN in Port Mac with their athletes, which left him sure he isn't an Ironman racer. In short course, the boys recap two rainy World Cups in Asia. In a cold, wet Beijing, Max Studer won the men's race ahead of Xirui Zhang, China's first ever World Cup podium, and Alberto González García, while a Chinese win in the women's race came ahead of Márta Kropkó, racing in goggles, and Kate Waugh. In Tongyeong, Alberto González García turned the tables on Max Studer, with Keller Norland third, and Lin and Hong put two Chinese women on the podium with France's Mathilde Cartier. The boys ask why these athletes rarely race outside China, and why they want to see them in Abu Dhabi and the World Series before LA 2028. Then it's Noosa Triathlon week. Is a Noosa win bigger than an Australian title, and which legends own its history? Lleyton puts Lockie through a blind ranking of five Noosa winners, from Ash Gentle and Craig Walton to Emma Snowsill, Loretta Harrop and Chris McCormack. The boys talk about how non-drafting TT racing changes the race, and finish with their Noosa podium predictions, with Lockie backing last year's men's top three of Matt Hauser, John Reid and Luke Willian.
More from The Unfunded Triathlon Podcast
This episode is sponsored by Official Beer Co. Produced by Podfire. Lockie and Lleyton are back after a huge weekend in Kona, and Lockie has a confession: he's now a long course fan. Lleyton caught the end of the run from a cafe after a long ride, and Lockie tells the story of his 18th birthday, when he and his mates painted Vincent Luis's name across their chests at the Gold Coast World Champs and Vince tagged him in a post. The IRONMAN World Championship delivered chaos. Vincent Luis won Kona in his final race, after fourth places at IRONMAN Texas and Challenge Roth, and the boys look back on a career that took him from junior world champion to world titles and an Olympic relay medal. Taylor Knibb turned last year's heartbreak into an IRONMAN world title, a month after winning the 70.3 world title. Solveig Løvseth collapsed while leading, Magnus Ditlev started wobbling 30 K into the marathon, Sam Laidlow, Jamie Riddle and Lucy Charles-Barclay were among the DNFs, and Gustav Iden, Matthew Marquardt and Julie Derron all took penalties and still ran onto the podium. The boys ask whether athletes who collapse on course should be stood down from racing for their health, and whether Kristian Blummenfelt has passed Jan Frodeno as the greatest of all time, the question put to the audience at Pro Tri News's Kona panel. Then it's back to short course with the Beijing World Cup, with Olympic points on the line and Max Duda, "the king of China", in the men's field. The boys give their podium predictions, both backing their training partner Brandon Copeland and Kate Waugh, and marvel at Gwen Jorgensen, 41 and still number one on the start list.
This episode is sponsored by Official Beer Co. Produced by Podfire. Lockie and Lleyton celebrate episode 60 and kick off World Championship week, starting with Lockie's belated birthday bash and why he was the first one to go home from his own party. With the IRONMAN World Championship back in Kona and the men and women racing on the same weekend for the first time since 2019, the boys debate whether Kona is the biggest race in triathlon, share their first triathlon memories and look at how the media built the Kona legend, from Chris McCormack and Lionel Sanders' vlogs to Pro Tri News. They revisit Jan Frodeno's trifecta and Australia's run of Kona wins from 2007 to 2012, and settle a three-versus-three between Chris McCormack, Craig Alexander and Pete Jacobs and Germany's Sebastian Kienle, Jan Frodeno and Patrick Lange. Then it's a start list stacked with Olympians moving up to long course, from Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden to Marten Van Riel and Julie Derron, and the boys' podium predictions and dark horses for the men's and women's races. They wrap up with the Rome World Cup, where Alex Yee dominated the men's race, Diana Isakova, Tilda Månsson and Taylor Spivey made the women's podium, and Great Britain brought their A team to the mixed team relay.
Brought to you By Official Beer Co. Produced By Podfire. The 2026 World Triathlon Championship Finals delivered one of the most dramatic weekends the sport has seen in years, and Lockie & Lleyton break down everything from Pontevedra. They dive into Matt Hauser's controversial sprint finish against Vasco Vilaca, debate whether World Triathlon needs a "hold your line" rule, discuss France's incredible production line of talent, and ask whether Cassandra Beaugrand has surpassed Gwen Jorgensen as the greatest complete female triathlete we've seen. The boys also analyse Alex Yee's remarkable comeback run, Fanny Salai's dominant junior performance, the future of Team USA heading towards LA 2028, and preview another stacked field at the Rome World Cup.
This episode is sponsored by Official Beer Co. Produced by Podfire
This episode is sponsored by Official Beer Co. Produced by Podfire