15-year-old Athlete Qualifies for Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift Switzerland Finals

The youngest ever Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift athlete, 15-year-old Fanni Szalai, produced a massive shock by qualifying for the finals in Switzerland.

The Hungarian prodigy, who only turned 15 in January, was racing at elite level for the first time and showed why she is such a talent.

Szalai stormed through Stage 1 in Heat 1 to jump in the water only fractions behind Heat winner and Arena Games Singapore 2022 champion Zsanett Bragmayer. Though she slowed a little in Stage 2, she held onto third place. Experienced stars Bragmayer, Emma Jackson and Super League Championship Series athlete Cathia Schärr also qualified automatically.

Heat 2 was dominated by Rani Skrabanja, who raced as a junior at the first ever Arena Games Triathlon in Rotterdam before progressing to the elite field and now setting the fastest qualification time of the day.

Olivia Mathias, Julia Bröcker and Petra Kurikova also made it by virtue of finishing in the top four. The two fastest qualifiers, home stars Alissa König and Nora Gmür, both came from Heat 2.

The fastest qualifier in the men’s was Swiss star Fabian Meeusen, who finished ahead of Arena Games King Justus Nieschlag in Heat 2. Maxime Hueber-Moosbruger and Max Stapley also got through automatically.

Arena Games Triathlon, Suseee, Switzerland 2023,

Heat 1 het saw the first ever sub 2 minute swim in Arena Games history, albeit in a 25m pool for the first time, with a 1:58 set by Maciej Bruzdiak, who ended up third. The heat was won by Germany’s Lasse Nygaard Priester, one second ahead of Henri Schoeman with Simon Westermann also through.

The fastest losers spots were split between the heats with Nicolo Strada getting through from Heat 1 and James Chantler-Mayne, a late replacement for the sick Jonny Brownlee, coming through Heat 2.