Turkey boosts Keighley triathlete but Commonwealth pain real

And while that effort will allow Lund to build towards competing in the coveted World Series, both he and his sport have suffered a hammer blow in the last few days.

A trimmed down 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow has been confirmed, with triathlon dropped from the programme.

The marquee international event was one that Lund and hundreds of others had in their sights, not least because it would have offered a useful bridge towards the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Lund told the Keighley News: “It’s a big shame, and with there only being 10 sports at those Commonwealth Games now, there’ll be lots of athletes disappointed by that.

“It’s brilliant to have the Commonwealth Games, just so it’s not only the Olympics every four years where you’ve got a major competition.

“Having a go at a major championship like the Commonwealth gets you ready for the Olympics, so you’re not having to go into it having never experienced the immense pressure that a mass broadcasted event brings.

“It’s so good for triathlon to be at the Commonwealth Games, as it’s a very under-broadcasted event globally, so this decision will have a big impact on sports like ours, which have less money to put into the media side of things.

“There would have been big home support for us Brits with the Games being held in Glasgow too, so it was a big target of mine for 2026, with next season being the main qualifying year.”

Even so, 2025 will certainly not be a write-off for Lund, whose performance in Turkey at the weekend backed up his 13th place finish at the World Triathlon Cup event in Rome earlier this month nicely.

Reflected on his efforts in Alanya on Sunday, the Keighley ace said: “I was really happy with my performance and I’m on such a good run at the moment.

“In the race itself, for once, my sprint was a bit of a weakness, just because I got my tactics slightly wrong.

“I didn’t come out of the swim that highly, but that worked well anyway as there was a big group of 60 on the bike, which ended up being quite sketchy and treacherous, as the route is largely over cobblestones.

Jimmy Lund had to get his tactics right for the cycling section in Turkey on Sunday, given the tricky route. (Image: Yagiz Gurtug/Yagyshoots)

“I managed to get off the bike unscathed, but it meant I was quite far back going into the run, maybe five or six seconds off the leaders.

“There were three laps to run and the first two were about making my way through the field, which I did to get to the front group of five.

“After that, I decided to attack early as some of those lads are very quick sprinters, and I managed to see off two of them doing that.

“But the other three kicked on with 800 metres to go and I didn’t have the legs to keep up, then another young Brit Michael (Gar) just managed to outsprint me on the blue carpet to pip me to fourth.”

As for what his efforts in Italy and Turkey mean going forward, Lund said: “Because Turkey was a Europe Cup rather than a World Cup, I was targeting a podium there.

“But getting fifth means I’ll have World Cup events again all next year.

Jimmy Lund made a decent enough start with his swim in Turkey, completing the 750-metre section in just under nine minutes. (Image: Yagiz Gurtug/Yagyshoots)

“For me now, with there no longer being the triathlon at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, all I want to do is race World Cups, not so much on the European circuit.

“Doing that will help with my funding and will help me try and get on to the World Series, those are the two main aims next year.

“2023 was about getting more racing experience in the bank, while this year was more about executing my performances, but the injury I picked up in the summer limited that.

“Next year is definitely going to be focused on delivering the performances I’m capable of.”