Team
Norway -Vetle Bergsvik Thorn, Lotte Miller, Casper Stornes and Solveig Løvseth-
executed their race plan to perfection to take the tape at the 2024 Huatulco
World Triathlon Mixed Relay Olympic Qualifier, securing their team a spot on
the Mixed Relay race at the Olympics this summer. The Netherlands made a
remarkable comeback in the last leg to take the second place and the final spot
to the Olympic Games for the Mixed Relay. On the bitter side of the story, Team
Hungary came home with a creditable third place, but just missed out on
qualification.
Nine
teams lined up in the Chahué bay beach, in Huatulco, knowing that the best two
on the day will get an automatic ticket for their team for the Paris 24
Olympics, as well as two men and two women on the individual races. And that
meant a lot for some of the countries toeing the start line today, since they
had not qualified a Team -or two men and two women- through the individual
rankings. This is the case for Hungary -they have three men and one woman
qualified as of today-; Norway -two men and one woman as of today-; South
Africa -two men and one woman qualified-; Netherlands -two women and one man
qualified-; Canada -one woman, two men qualified-; and Ecuador -only one female
qualified-. For other countries, like Mexico, Spain and Austria, they already
have two men and two women relatively secured on the start lists in Paris.
With the
Olympic qualification in mind, it was Jamie Riddle (RSA) who led the small
group of nine athletes out of the water. The young South African, one of the
best open water swimmers in the circuit, navigated extremely well the swallow
waters at the end of the 300m swim and started the long run to transition in
the lead, but with Mitch Kolkman (NED), Vettle Thorn (NOR) and Brock Hoel (CAN)
shoulder to shoulder with him. Bence Bicsak (HUN), though, struggled to get out
of the water as the strong current pulled him in when he was trying to stand up
to start running, losing some seconds that proved to be precious as he lost
contact with the lead group.
Riddle,
Kolkman, Thorn and Hoel jumped on their bikes and started pushing hard to try
to open a break, until at the beginning of the second lap the South African hit
a manhole and crashed, putting a sad end to South African hopes to qualify the
team for Paris. The other three managed to stay away of trouble and together
they went on the run, with Hoel tagging his teammate Sophia Howell in first
place, followed closely by Team Norway.
And it
was when Howell and Miller were running to the beach when the drama of the
Mixed Relays when into full scene. Howell, running in front of everyone, took a
wrong turn and entered the water through the swim exit, an involuntary action
that will end up costing Team Canada being disqualified for not following the
prescribed course, even though they continued in the race and eventually
crossed the line in fifth place.
Howell
and Millner got on their bikes together, opening a significant gap with Barbara
De Koning (NED), that had to ride solo and run solo. Behind her, Karolina Helga
Horváth (HUN), Sara Guerrero Manso (ESP) and Julia Hauser (AUT) where in chase
mood, getting closer and closer by the minute.
Millner,
for whom qualifying the team will mean a ticket to the Games for herself -she
is ranked 121 on the Olympic rankings, therefore eligible- gave it all on the
bike and run to tagg Casper Stornes on the lead, and the second Norwegian man
also delivered, despite doing solo all his leg. He exited the choppy water on
the lead, and managed to open a few seconds break with Mathis Beaulieu and
almost one minute ahead of Richard Murray (NED), who managed to stay solo on
the bike but had to fight hard to keep the third place on the run, with Csongor
Lhemann (HUN) and Pelayo Gonzalez Turrez (ESP) approaching quickly, both of
them setting the fastest splits of the day.
All the
pressure was put on Solveig Lovseth (NOR) for the last leg, knowing that she
would have to be by herself for the 300m swim, 6.8km bike and 1.8km run to
cross the finish line in first place, guaranteeing Norway a Team at the Paris
2024 Olympics. And she did deliver. The young norwegian put her head down as
soon as she was out of the water, showing once again that she is one of the
most powerful bikers on the circuit. Behind her, a hopeless Desirae Ridenour
(CAN) was trying her best to stay as close to her wheel as she could, but on
the second lap of the bike she was chased first by Zsanett Kuttor-Bragmayer
(HUN) and then by Rachel Klamer (NED).
Lovseth
started the run one minute ahead of Kuttor-Bragmayer, a difference that proved
to be too much for the chasers. Never looking back and cheered by her teammates
as she passed through transition for the last lap, she crossed the finish line
in happy tears to be hugged by her three teammates that made the Olympic dream
for team Norway come true. “We really wanted to win, and is even more special
to do it today, May 17, which is the Norway’s National Day”, said Lovseth.
“We’ve been working for this since the last Olympics. It was a close call, the
last shot we had, but we delivered” explained Thorn. “Today we felt in control
from the first leg on the bike. I managed to stay out of trouble when Jamie
(Riddle) crashed and pushed really hard and we all delivered today, Im really
proud of the team”, he said.
Team
Norway seems to have found a line-up that has put them in contention when it
comes to the relays, having won gold at the European Games Mixed Relay, and a
bronze medal in Sunderland Mixed Relay Series last year. “Conditions like this
make it even better for us, and we are now so estable all of us, that we can
race really well together”, explained Miller. “This was our race to lose today
but we nailed it”, she finished.
With a
magnificent sprint, Rachel Klamer passed Kuttor-Bragmayer with only 500m to go
and was crying when crossing the finish line, also knowing that her second
place today will mean that the Dutch Team will be able to race at the Olympics.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet”, said Richard Murray on the finish line. But what a
team we have. This was a crazy race, we went up and down. We were in 6th place
at some point and here we are, we managed to get second due to the amazing team
effort”.
“I have
to say that when we were 4th or 5th and I was waiting for my leg, I cried. The
pressure was so high that I was not sure that what I could do. But thanks to
the girls that helped me get back together, and I fought hard until the end.
And it paid off!”, said Klamer. The Dutch team, though, will need to have two
female and two male eligible for the Games before the end of the Olympic
qualification period, on May 27, so it is key for them that Mitch Kolkman,
currently ranked 146, gets enough points on the individual race this Sunday to
secure the spot for the team. Otherwise, the spot will roll down to the third
team on the line today, Hungary.
And
Hungary was indeed the face of disappointment today, with Kuttor-Bragmayer
crossing the finish line exhausted knowing that the last spot on the podium was
not enough to secure the team a start on the Olympics Mixed Relay. “I just
didn’t have the extra gear to keep up with the pace on the run, but I gave it
all”, explained Zsanett. “We can all be really proud of our performance today”,
said Csongor Lehmann. “It was not this time for us but the chance will come for
us in the future”, he said.
Maria
Casals Mojica had a splendid run -second fastest split of the day- that put
Team Spain on a brilliant fourth place, while Lisa Perterer put Team Austria on
the fifth place and Team Mexico closed the table on sixth place.
Results:
Mixed Relay
1.Team I
Norway NOR01:20:08
2.Team I
Netherlands NED01:21:04
3.Team I
Hungary HUN01:21:16
4.Team I
Spain ESP01:21:51
5.Team I
Austria AUT01:22:38
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