The darling of Hungary’s surge through the triathlon scene, double world champion Csongor Lehmann might end making it a hat-trick in the senior ranks. Here's everything you need to know about the Hungarian with tri on his genes…
Who is Csongor Lehmann?
Born into the Lehmann triathlon dynasty (his father Tibor was Hungary’s national champion in the 1990s, while his older brother Bence is also a professional triathlete), Csongor Lehmann’s destiny appears to have been defined at an early age.
Indeed, when he was still only 16, he finished in the top 10 in the elite men’s race at the national championships. After this came a highly productive spell in the junior ranks.
Before he fully graduated to the senior pack, Csongor had conquered the world twice over, taking the junior men’s crown in 2018 and the U23 title three years later.
Being a double world champion might have put untold pressure on his young shoulders when mixing with the legends of the elite set, but Csongor’s steady progress has been made with a mature head, no doubt helped with the guidance and advice of his father, now his coach.
As such, a string of European Cup and World Cup triumphs adorn his palmares. He’s very much in the vanguard of Hungary’s rise as a triathlon power, with two of his compatriots also taking up residence in the men’s top 30 rankings.
Although yet to taste proper WTSC success – just three top 10s so far, none of which came close to threaten the podium places – time is very much on Csongor’s side.
His youth, the depth of his experience, coupled with an innate calmness, surely marks him out as a leader of the pack over the next few years. A third world title could well be the culmination of that lifelong destiny.
How old is Csongor Lehmann?
Csongor Lehmann was born on 2 April 1999, making him 24 years old.
Csongor Lehmann’s career highlights
June 2016: National junior triumph
Csongor claims his first title when he inherits the crown of Hungary’s national junior champion. His victory in Baja, set up by an imperious bike leg, sees him also placed fifth among the elite men.
July 2016: European championship silver
In the familiar waters, and on the well-trod streets, of his hometown of Tiszaujvaros, Csongor and the rest of the Hungarian mixed youth relay squad take silver at the European champs behind the Russian quartet.
June 2017: Double medal haul in Kitzbühel
The Hungarian teenager takes bronze in the junior men’s race at the European championships in the Austrian resort, with just a single second separating the top three of Portugal’s Vasco Vilaça, Spain’s Javier Lluch Perez and Csongor.
But it’s a gold medal the day after with Hungary securing the mixed junior relay title. A week later, Csongor adds two more medals to this month’s haul at the national championships: bronze in the men’s elite category and gold as a junior man.
September 2018: On top of the world
After a couple of seasons where he’s rarely finished off the podium, Csongor stands atop the one that matters. At the WTS Grand Final on Australia’s Gold Coast, he claims the world junior men’s title.
His run ensures the margin of victory is comfortable, leading home France’s Paul Georgenthum and Germany’s Philipp Wiewald.
August 2019: U23 world silver
Having now left the junior ranks, Csongor comes home second in the U23 world championship race in Lausanne, where he is outpaced by Spain’s Roberto Sánchez Mantecón.
May 2021: First elite victory outside his homeland
At a European Cup race in the Italian coastal town of Caorle, Csongor breaks the tape for his maiden elite win outside of Hungary’s national championships. He posts the only sub-15-minute run leg in this sprint-distance event to take a narrow, three-second victory.
In July, a second European Cup triumph arrives, this time on the familiar turf of Tiszaujvaros.
August 2021: A second world crown
Dipping back into U23 competition, Csongor upgrades the U23 world silver he won two years earlier when he claims top spot in a strong field in Edmonton. Germany’s Tim Hellwig takes silver and the Australian Matt Hauser bronze.
September 2022: A maiden World Cup win
Csongor continues to make his stamp on the sport globally when he triumphs in a World Cup race in Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic, ahead of the American Matt McElroy and Germany’s Lasse Lührs.
October 2022: First appearance in a WTCS top 10
After a series of top-20 finishes in WTCS races, Csongor finally manages to break into the top 10. It’s a tight race in Cagliari where, despite coming home ninth, he’s still 30secs down on the winner, Britain’s Alex Yee.
May 2023: A second WTCS top-10 finish
Following his ninth place in Cagliari the previous season, Csongor comes home in the same position in Yokohama, finishing just five seconds behind Olympic champion Kristian Blummenfelt.
His tenure among the WTCS elite is cemented a fortnight later when he returns to Sardinia to take seventh. Another seventh place in Pontevedra in September elevates Csongor into the upper echelons of the world rankings.
July 2023: The ultimate hometown hero
The World Cup returns to Tiszaujvaros, where Csongor religiously watched the race as a kid. Now all eyes are on him as he takes a glorious and emotional victory in front of family, friends and neighbours. It’s a very special moment indeed.
Csongor Lehmann in quotes
On watching World Cup races as a boy in his hometown of Tiszaujvaros: “The World Cup was like Christmas for us. We’d work the aid stations and it was a dream come true when they’d take a bottle from us.”
On his World Triathlon Series debut in Yokohama in 2019: “I got burned a little bit there! But I think I needed that race too, to see how fast these guys started and to know what to expect from a race at this level.”
On winning the 2023 World Cup race in Tiszaujvaros: “It’s an unbelievable feeling. I’ve dreamt about winning a World Cup in my hometown and that last 100m, when I knew I had the win, was so emotional.”
What’s next for Csongor Lehmann?
Csongor’s record in WTCS racing – where he’s yet to register a top-five finish – suggests it’s too early to expect him to make an impression on how the medals are distributed at the forthcoming Olympics, so his focus for 2024 is surely on improving his placings through the season-long series.
Top image credit: Janos Schmidt/World Triathlon
