Pontevedra 2026 World Triathlon Finals Open With 4,650 Athletes From 62 Nations
Pontevedra 2026 is underway with 4,650 athletes from 62 nations racing across elite, para, U23, junior and age-group World Championships.
Pontevedra has opened four days of World Championship racing, with 4,650 athletes from 62 nations competing across elite, para, U23, junior and age-group events through Sunday, September 27.
- The 2026 World Triathlon Championship Finals run from September 23-27 in Pontevedra, Spain.
- Junior, U23, para, age-group and elite world championship races are all on the programme.
- The elite women's final is scheduled for Saturday at 18:00 local time.
- The elite men's final closes the championship programme on Sunday at 18:00.
Championship week is officially underway
The event opened on Wednesday with the Parade of Nations and an opening ceremony in central Pontevedra. According to World Triathlon, competitors from 62 nations are taking part across a programme that brings together professional racing, developing athletes, para sport and age-group competition in the same championship week.
Racing began Thursday with the Junior Women and Junior Men World Championships, followed by the Age-Group Sprint Distance Championship later in the day.
The biggest races are still to come
Friday's programme includes the Para Triathlon World Championships before the U23 women and men race later in the day. Saturday then moves into age-group standard-distance and aquabike racing before attention turns to the elite women's title race in the evening.
Sunday is built around relay racing in the morning and early afternoon, before the elite men's Championship Final brings the event to a close.
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Junior and Age-Group Sprint Championships
Junior Women race at 10:15, Junior Men at 11:45, followed by age-group sprint racing. -
Para and U23 World Championships
Para racing begins at 10:00, followed by U23 Women at 15:35 and U23 Men at 18:35. -
Age-group racing and Elite Women
Standard-distance and aquabike championships lead into the elite women's final at 18:00. -
Mixed relays and Elite Men
Relay championships run through the day before the elite men's final starts at 18:00.
Pontevedra is becoming a familiar championship venue
The Galician city has built a strong relationship with international triathlon over the past decade. It hosted the 2019 Multisport World Championships, the 2023 World Triathlon Championship Finals and the 2025 Multisport World Championships before welcoming the Championship Finals back again in 2026.
Pontevedra is also closely associated with Spanish triathlon through five-time world champion Javier Gómez Noya, whose hometown connection has become part of the city's identity within the sport.
How to follow the races
World Triathlon lists the event as running from September 23-27 and provides start lists, race information and schedule updates on the official event page. Championship coverage is also available through World Triathlon's broadcast platforms.
This report is based on World Triathlon's official opening announcement, event page, race information and current start-list schedule.
World Triathlon: Championship Finals officially open
World Triathlon: Pontevedra 2026 event page
World Triathlon: current race schedule and start lists
