Haikou Triathlon World Cup 2026: preview and where to watch it live
The Haikou 2026 Triathlon World Cup takes place this Saturday, March 21st in China over the sprint distance and will be the second stop on the circuit after Lanzarote, with a prominent Spanish presence and important points already at stake in the new Olympic cycle.
The test lands for the first time in Haikou, a new venue within the calendar of the World Triathlon Cup, in sprint format: 750 meters of swimming, 20 kilometers of cycling and 5 kilometers of running.
The men's competition will start at 09: 00 local time and the female one to the 11:00.
It's a test that comes very early, but it already weighs heavily on the calendar.
Although we're only on the second race of the year, Haikou is no small race. Lanzarote World Cup The season opened just a few days ago and made it clear that this start to 2026 has a much higher level than usual.
In the men's category, he won David cantero, while in the women's category the best Spanish player was Marta Pintanel, fourth.
This context makes Haikou quite interesting. It doesn't decide anything in March, but it does start to set trends. In this initial phase of the new Olympic cycle, every race serves to accumulate points, gain position, and, above all, confirm who has started the year with the legs of WTCS.
David Cantero arrives on a roll
The main Spanish focus in the men's race will be on David Cantero del CampoThe Valencian arrives after win in Lanzarote and has established himself in recent months as one of the most promising young players on the circuit. He is currently in the world top 5 and he's already marked Haikou as the next stop before Abu Dhabi.
It won't be easy for him. He'll be up against a proven name like Max Studer, Winner Miyazaki World Cup 2025, and another direct rival like Tim hellwig, who recently finished second in Lanzarote.
also appears Oliver Conway, U23 world champion in 2025, another of those runners capable of breaking a race if he arrives with options at T2.
Sara Guerrero and Marta Pintanel, clear contenders among women
The women's preliminary round is also of great interest to Spain. Sara Guerrero Manso He arrives with a reputation, having closed 2025 with a victory in the Florianópolis World Cup, while Marta Pintanel He comes from just missing the podium in Lanzarote with that fourth place last weekend.
They will be facing a fairly high-level opponent. Diana Isakova He headlines the lineup after a solid 2025, with outstanding results such as the victory in Saïdia and the podium in Tongyeongwhile the British Sian Rainsley and the Canadian Desirae Ridenour They bring consistency and a good start to the season. The Australian. charlotte derbyshire, third in Tongyeong 2025, is also on the list of rivals to watch.
The Spanish in Haikou
In the men's category, Spain will have:
• David Cantero del Campo
• Roberto Sánchez Mantecón
• Esteban Basanta Fouz
• Andrés Prieto Villar
The following will be in the women's category:
• Sara Guerrero Manso
• Marta Pintanel Raymundo
• María Teresa Jiménez-Orta Guerrero
What kind of career can you expect?
Being a sprint distance And with a new venue on the circuit, it's likely we'll see a very open and quite tactical race.
In this type of test, positioning from the water, the ability to join a good group on the bike, and final running speed are usually very important.
In men, the interest lies in seeing if Mason He can string together two great results and confirm that his victory in Lanzarote was not just a great day, but a reflection of a real leap in level.
In women, Spanish attention will be focused on checking if Sara Guerrero y Marta Pintanel They can be back at the front in a World Cup with considerably more competition than most early-year events.
Haikou World Cup 2026 schedule in Spain
• Male Elite: Saturday, March 21, 02:00 AM
• Female Elite: Saturday, March 21, 04:00 AM
Spanish fans will have to get up early. Haikou is in UTC+8 and peninsular Spain is now in +1 UTC, the male exit is equivalent to the 02:00 in the morning in Spain and the female one to the 04:00.
Where to watch the Haikou 2026 World Cup live
The race can be followed live and on demand on Triathlon Live, and World Triathlon includes it in its official weekend coverage.
Haikou comes very early in the calendar, but it already offers a good clue as to where the international start of 2026 might be headed.
For Spain, the event is quite significant: David cantero He puts his status as the man of the moment to the test after Lanzarote, and in the women's category there will be two very serious names to watch. Sara Guerrero y Marta Pintanel, in a World Cup that could already yield some interesting conclusions.
