Aquathlon and Me

The Aquathlon World Champs and European Champs have been part of my racing calendar for the past few years. This type of racing is close to my heart because I can usually benefit from my strong swim. The ratio between swim and run is 1:5 whereas in an Olympic distance triathlon, it is roughly 1:7. Personally I think Aquathlon has evolved a lot in recent years. I truly hope this sport will continue to grow, despite I consider myself a triathlete.

Some of you may remember, last year the Aquathlon World Championships were held in Samorin, Slovakia, where I was able to become the Junior World Champion, and also I grabbed a Silver medal among the Elites.

This year, the party island of Ibiza hosted the World Multisport Championships. The field was generally more stacked, so I was excited to compete and compare my progress to last year’s. (our latest interviewee was on the start list too, you can read the Margaret Vrablova interview by clicking here) I felt confident before the race, the beginning of the season went well, I was able to develop my running and I got better in this discipline. However, I have a long journey in front of me.

Both Kropkos are 2x World Champs

I was the first to exit the water, but unfortunately, I couldn’t distance myself from the field as much as I wanted. So, I knew I had to pick a faster pace to set the tone and avoid “sleeping in”. I led the race for the first kilometer, then my teammate Zsanett took over the lead. In the end, I crossed the finish line as 5th elite and grabbed the gold as a freshman in U23.

Overall, I am really satisfied with the outcome. It feels great to see the improvement in my running. Although it is impossible to compare one race to another, I ran almost half a minute faster than in last year’s World Championships. Additionally, I secured a spot for the 2023 Bali World Beach Games.

We cannot discuss this topic without mentioning the performance of my brother, Marci. He dominated the junior field with a gap of over 30 seconds to the second-place finisher. He also sprinted in the last few meters and finished fifth overall, as the first Hungarian. He successfully defended his Junior Title and was crowned champion for the second consecutive time.

After the race, we visited a couple of the most famous beaches in Ibiza. I think I am not surprising anyone by saying that Ibiza didn’t become a “buzz-place” by accident.

First time in Africa

The two weeks between the Aquathlon World Championships and Africa Triathlon Cup M’Diq were quite busy for me. In addition to training and preparing for my next competition, I also had to focus on my academic responsibilities. As the semester was coming to an end, I had a number of exams to complete. Despite the stress and hard work, I am proud to say that I have successfully completed the first two years of my Economics Bachelor’s degree program. Although I still have a long way to go, with more than half of the program completed, I am feeling confident and excited to continue my studies and see where they take me in the future.

Fast forward, after a busy couple of weeks between the Aquathlon World Championships and the Africa Cup M’Diq, the time had finally come for me to embark on my journey to Morocco. As someone who had never been to Africa before, I was both nervous and excited about what awaited me in this new and unfamiliar land.

As I arrived in Morocco, the sights, sounds, and smells of this beautiful country immediately captivated me. The vibrant culture, the warm and welcoming people, and the unique character of the place all made me feel right at home. Everything from the bustling markets and colorful streets to the incredible architecture and stunning landscapes left me in awe.

During my time in Morocco, I had the pleasure of sharing an apartment with the German delegation, and we rented a great flat that was perfect for our needs. We all had a great time before the race, getting to know each other and completing the necessary training together prior to tipoff.

First-ever Elite Triathlon podium

After 1500 meters of swimming I made it first out of the water and a 4 people group formed. We pushed really hard and the numbers don’t lie, we created a 3-minute gap to the chasers under the 40 km bike section. Out of T2, all the power has left my legs. To get over this early struggle, I had no other chance than to choose a great and sustainable pace, because I couldn’t afford to waste our hardly-achieved advantage.

Unfortunately, Anabel suffered a crash on the bike, and couldn’t finish the race. I was really worried for Her, the race would have a different outcome if she could finish. But luckily nothing serious happened, furthermore, she finished Top 40 in the latest WTCS race in Cagliari, Italy. (WTCS stands for World Triathlon Championship Series. It is the collection of the hardest Olympic Distance races. It features the top of the top athletes from all around the world)

Returning to the race overview, the run was a struggle. My feet began heavily bleeding after the second kilometer, and the pain prevented me from pushing harder. I had a limit that I couldn’t overcome. Although I knew I had more to give, the hurt intensified with every step.

However, the hard swim and bike paid off, as the chasers couldn’t catch up to us. After the 10 km run, I finished third, and I was over the moon. It was my first-ever elite triathlon podium, and it gave me so much motivation and confidence. This achievement was just the beginning, and I know that there will be more to come.

The idea behind choosing this race was strategic: to collect as many points as possible. With this 3rd-place finish, I believe I achieved that goal. My ascent in the World Triathlon Rankings continues.

What’s next?

I am currently in Switzerland and will be spending the next few weeks training with Nico Montavon’s group. The team consists mostly of Swiss triathletes, but Petra Kurikova and Jamie Riddle also train under Nico’s guidance and leadership. I needed a change of environment, and it’s awesome to train with my old friends. In a few days, the team will reunite again. Everyone in the team is talented and great company. They push me to train harder, and that’s everything I need. I’m sure this training camp will be useful before the next sequence of races.

The next race is the European Games in Kraków. I’m really excited, but there’s a lot of work to do before then. I’ll keep you posted!

Final thoughts

Thank you for taking the time to read this race-summary post. I was busy, so I tried to make a 2 in 1 summary/overview. If you don’t want to miss anything fresh here, follow me on Instagram, where I will always share if a new article is up. If you found a mistake or have an idea for the future, please do not hesitate to reach out to me on the given platforms!

Before you leave, I want to ask for your help! As you may know, I am really into telling stories. This is why we have already had two interviews here on “On Your Mark: A Triathlete’s Blog”. If there is someone who you would like me to interview, please let me know, all the links to my socials are in the footer of my website. Thank you in advance!

Cheers and See Ya next time! :)

Disclaimer: Few of the photos above were taken by World Triathlon and they are the respectful owners.