The Oceania Junior Championships will kick off on Saturday, February 25, in Taupo, NZ, followed by the elites competing in the second Oceania Cup of 2023. The weekend’s racing will conclude with the Oceania Mixed Relay Championships on Sunday.

Oceania Junior Championships
The 2023 Oceania Junior Championships in Taupo, NZ, will also serve as the World Triathlon Junior World Championships Qualifier event.

Juniors have a lot to race for on Saturday, as a strong team performance could secure three quota positions on the start line in Hamburg. Automatic selection to the 2023 Australian Junior team is also up for grabs for the first Australian on the podium.

If Australia can get three Aussies in the top five, they’ll be rewarded with maximum quota for Hamburg, with the additional quota position awarded to the second placed Australian in the top five in Taupo.

The Junior Men's race will see Brad Course leading the charge, after his fifth-place finish in last Friday night's Oceania Cup in Wanaka (and second Aussie across the line). Queenslanders Jack Crome, Brayden Mercer, and Tom Feldman, all strong swimmers, will look to set a fast pace early in the swim. Meanwhile, Xane Bowen and James Kjellgren-Lewis will have the opportunity to showcase their potential against New Zealand's top contenders, in a strong field of 27 Juniors.

In the Junior Women's category, WA's Rhianna Hepburn will return to Oceania racing after taking the Junior title in Werribee in 2022. Emma Olsen-Keating, 2022 World's representative, will look to continue her strong start to her final junior year, after taking out the 2023 Australian Super Sprint Champion in Canberra in January. Gabby Jackson, Briana Mow, and Alex Field will also be athletes to watch in the chase to secure automatic selection to the Hamburg team.

Oceania Cup 
In the elite racing, Callum McClusky will aim for his second Oceania win after his impressive performance in Wanaka last weekend. He will be joined by the likes of Luke Willian, Luke Schofield, Jayden Schofield, and Toby Powers in a competitive field of rising talents.

After taking Bronze in Wanaka, Emma Jeffcoat will lead the Australian women, with Aleisha Wesley and Jessica Ewart-Mctigue who also posted strong performances last Friday. Chloe Bateup and Charlotte Derbyshire join the Aussie contingent in Taupo, with Batueup stepping up to U23 racing off the back of a Junior Worlds debut in 2022.

The Aussie women will compete against New Zealand's Wanaka podium-getters Nicole Van Der Kaay and Brea Roderick, as well as USA's Gwen Jorgensen, the 2016 Olympic Gold medallist, in her comeback race.

Course and Timings
The Sprint Course on Saturday will feature a 750m swim (1 lap), 19.5km bike over 5 laps, and a 5km run (4 laps) finish. On Sunday, team members will each complete a 250m swim, 6km bike (2 laps), and a 1.5km run (2 laps) in the exciting Mixed Relay format.

Racing gets underway at 8.00am on Saturday with the Junior Women. Triathlon NZ will live stream the Elites & Sunday’s Mixed Relay racing: 2023 Oceania Triathlon Cup Taupo LIVE | Facebook

Schedule
Saturday, February 25 (Individual Sprint)
• 8.00am – Junior Women
• 9.15am – Junior Men
• 10.30am – Elite Women
• 11.45am – Elite Men
• 1.00pm – Medal Presentations (all events)
Sunday, February 26 (Mixed Relay)
• 1.00pm – Junior Mixed Relay
• 2.30pm – Elite Mixed Relay
• 3.45pm – Medal Presentations (all events)
All times are in NZ local time.

Oceania Junior Championships 
Junior Women: Start List
Junior Men: Start List

Oceania Cup Taupo
Elite Women: Start List
Elite Men: Start List

Full details on Junior World Championships Selection are available here:
2023 JNR WC Selection Policy