Tyler Mislawchuk arrived in Mexico looking like a man on a mission and left with it fully accomplished, a second successive World Triathlon Cup Huatulco gold to his name and a perfect stepping stone towards Tokyo 2020. After a puncture had put the skids on his return to action in Lisbon last month, nothing other than a podium would have satisfied Canada’s number one, and it was a composed display that secured the win.
It was to be silver and bronze for
Brazil, with Manoel Messias second over the line followed by training partner
Miguel Hidalgo, the youngster thrilled to pick up a first podium on the
circuit.
“I’m over the moon,” said Mislawchuk.
“I worked my socks off, Matt Sharpe and I wanted to control the race and rip a
quick run. I’ve trained so hard over the last 18 months, we emptied our souls
training in Hawaii and I’ve not been home in 14 months, living out of a
suitcase. I dedicate my life to this and everything goes into this.”
The mercury was again pushing 30C in
the air and the water temperature was likewise, the athletes taking to the
beach start at 8am for the sprint-distance race and the last action of the
Olympic Qualification period.
Igor Polyanskiy was fastest through
the 750m swim, emerging on to the sand first with David Castro Fajardo of Spain
and Brazil’s Miguel Hidalgo for company. Right there too was Mislawchuk and
home favourite Crisanto Grajales, but it was the Canadian who attacked on the
long route into transition to take up a position at the head of a group that he
never relinquished.
In fact only 10 seconds separated the
top 20 out of the swim and in no time at all the athletes came together in one
huge pack of over forty riders navigating the course. Positioning became key,
and pace was sacrificed for security with nobody really looking to roll the
dice and force a break.
Sweden’s Gabriel Sandor was one of
those determined to keep driving things forward, but it was Hungary’s Gabor
Faldum who worked his way to the front as transition came into view or the last
time, and he was rapidly into his running shoes and out shoulder to shoulder
with Mislawchuk.
Kevin McDowell was going well too
over the opening stages of the run, moving to the front with Mislawchuk,
Faldum, Castro and the Brazilians Messias and Hidalgo working well, setting up
a grandstand 5km finale.
It was the Canadian who put the
hammer down first though, easing into rare air out front and managing to open
up breathing space to the chasers behind. It was the Brazilians right with
McDowell, the American knowing that a strong finish would put him to the front
of the USA selection committee ahead of Wednesday’s Tokyo team announcement,
while Mexico’s David Nunez was also going through the gears and eyeing
home-podium glory.
Mislawchuk pulled yet further away,
however, and took the tape with an assured 14.50 run, while the battle raged
behind.
First Castro dropped off then
McDowell, Nunez threatening to strike only to run out of course as Messias and
Hidalgo took silver and bronze. It was still a strong fourth for the highest
place Mexican, Castro edging fifth from McDowell, Crisanto Grajales, Faldum,
Canada’s Jeremy Briand and Ecuador’s Juan Jose Andrade Figueroa rounding out
the top 10.
“Me and Manoel (Messias) have been
training together for the past three months so I am very happy to share the
podium with him and Tyler as well, very strong athletes going to Tokyo and the
fact I could manage to be third leaves me very happy," said a delighted
Miguel Hidalgo.
ABOUT WORLD TRIATHLON
World Triathlon is the international
governing body for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of triathlon and all
related multisport disciplines around the world, including duathlon, aquathlon,
cross triathlon and winter triathlon. Triathlon made its Olympic debut in
Sydney 2000, with a third medal event, the Mixed Team Relay, added to the
programme at Tokyo 2020, while paratriathlon was first added to the Paralympic
programme at Rio 2016. World Triathlon is proudly committed to the development
of the sport worldwide, with inclusion, equality, sustainability and
transparency at our core as we seek to help triathletes at all levels of the
sport to be extraordinary.
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