If the final two Olympic Mixed Team Relay slots were allocated on the basis of the teams’ walk outs in Huatulco, Ecuador would be going to Paris. Alas, there is no justice in the world. As the racing in Huatulco swung back and forth, there was also a chance that Canada would end the day aggrieved by an even greater sense of injustice. In the end, though, the threat of the slots being decided away from the race course fizzled out.
The male athletes on the opening leg took on choppy conditions during the 300m sea swim. Mitch Kolkman got the Netherlands off to an ideal start as he led into T1. At the last minute, the field appeared to split in two as Tjebbe Kaindl and Bence Bicsák lost ground, as did Genis Grau, a former winner at the World Cup in Huatulco.
After the long run to transition, Kolkman, Vetle Bergsvik Thorn, Brock Hoel and Jamie Riddle started the 6.8km bike together. However, Riddle crashed in the opening minute of the bike to end South Africa’s hopes of sending a relay to Paris. The lead three weathered the loss of their fourth member and arrived into T2 with a lead of 35 seconds over Kaindl. Nicolas Probert Vargas of Mexico followed while Grau, Bicsák and Gabriel Terán Carvajal of Ecuador were almost a minute down.
After the 1.5km run, Hoel handed over to Sophia Howell in the lead. Lotte Miller and Barbara De Koning followed for Norway and the Netherlands, respectively. In another twist, however, Howell went the wrong way into the water and appeared to go down the finish. Last season, Katie Zaferes was disqualified for a similar wrong turn on the run after winning the Vina del Mar World Cup. While De Koning lost ground in the water to Miller and Howell, the officials looked into the Canadian’s error.
Out of transition, the gap to De Koning stood at 16 seconds. Karolina Helga Horvath of Hungary was then 50 seconds back and somehow how to bridge on the bike.
Up front, Miller carried Howell through the second discipline as the Canadian tactically tucked behind the Norwegian’s wheel until the very last second. Howell bolted ahead into T2, arriving 2 seconds ahead of her Norwegian rival. De Koning was then 48 seconds down while Austria, Spain, Hungary and Mexico followed in a loose group over 90 seconds behind the leaders.
Miller passed Howell on the run and handed a 9 second lead over to Casper Stornes, the bronze medallist from the Lievin World Cup. Canada had a bronze medallist of their own lined up; Mathis Beaulieu finished 3rd at the 2023 World Junior Championships.
Richard Murray took on the third leg for the Netherlands and had to make up 45 seconds to Canada but it was Beaulieu that fared better. While Murray was caught by the chase group, Beaulieu limited the deficit to Stornes to 16 seconds. However, before Beaulieu arrived in T2 it was announced that Canada had been disqualified for Howell’s course infringement.
While Norway were away and clear at the front, Canada’s virtual 2nd place now seemed irrelevant and it was then that Csongor Lehmann struck. Having been air-lifted in from WTCS Yokohama with the sole aim to support the relay, Lehmann was the fastest man on the third leg and lifted his country into virtual qualification.
Stornes handed a healthy lead over to Solvieg Løvseth for the final leg. Desirae Ridenour then took over from Beaulieu, who had closed the gap to 11 seconds. Most importantly, Lehmann had put 16 seconds into Murray on the run. If he had not fully locked the door on the Netherlands’ Olympic relay hopes, he had certainly pushed it shut.
All Zsanett Kuttor-Bragmayer had to do was hold off Rachel Klamer, a feat easier said than done.
Ridenour caught Løvseth in the water but was then dropped on the bike as the real action unfolded behind. First, Bragmayer caught Ridenour, sparing any potential official blushes over one country’s qualification being denied over a disqualification. Klamer then passed the Canadian athlete too.
Entering T2, Løvseth led Bragmayer by 66 seconds and could enjoy a crowning 1.5km run to book her country’s relay ticket. Klamer was only 10 seconds further back. Unfortunately, with no camera angle or splits on the run, the only people that have an accurate idea of what happened in the battle between Bragmayer and Klamer are Bragmayer and Klamer.
What matters is that whereas Lehmann had shut the door on the Netherlands, Klamer kicked it open with a magical ran.
Norway won the event on their national day and the team can now look forward to another relay in Paris (except for Stornes as his place will be taken by Kristian Blummenfelt). Netherlands finished 2nd to secure their own Olympic qualification. In another twist, though, their acceptance of the slots will be contingent upon Kolkman rising into the top-140 in the Olympic rankings. Right now, he is ranked 146th and the Huatulco World Cup this weekend will be his final race in the qualification window.
Hungary crossed for a crushing 3rd place ahead of Spain and Austria, both of whom passed Canada on the run.
You can view the full results here.
