Even the ever-unpredictable Mixed Relay format has rarely produced fireworks like we saw in Hamburg on Sunday afternoon, as Australia’s Matt Hauser reeled in a 20-second deficit to bring home the gold at the end of sterling work from Sophie Linn, Luke Willian and Emma Jeffcoat, Team Australia crowned World CHampions for the first time since 2017.

It had been Dorian Coninx of France with a narrow lead out of T2 before Hauser’s charge. Coninx, along with his Team France teammates Leonie Periault, Yanis Seguin and Cassandre Beaugrand, taking home the silver ahead of defending champions Germany, Henry Graf crossing in third to be embraced by teammates Lisa Tertsch, Lasse Nygaard Priester and Tanja Neubert.

Sophie Linn: 'It's always a team effort, but it’s so great to come up with the win, you can not ask for more. Asked about being the first one: It’s very nerve wrecking. You always want to start things well but I knew that I have a great team behind me. I knew that I just had to stay in contact all day and we would be fine.'

Luke Willian: 'I was trying to stay in touch but Vasco came like a rocket. I ended up having to give it all on that run to try to stay in touch as much as possible.'

Emma Jeffcoat: 'I knew Cassandre was gonna come past flying on the run so I was trying to stay in touch as long as I could. Im pretty confident with the leg that I put together.' 

Matt Hauser: 'The Relay is go from the start, and having these guys behind your back makes you feel even more strong. Team Australia back on top of the podium for the first time since 2017... I can’t be happier. We set ourselves the goal of a top 5 and when I saw that I could fight for the podium I just thought 'let’s go!''

LEG ONE 
The first swim quickly strung out as Brazil’s Vittoria Lopes set the pace, Jolien Vermeylen for Belgium and Lisa Tertsch and Germany also going well from the gun. Ana Godoy for Spain and Marta Kropko of Hungary followed the leaders out of the lake, up the steps and into transition, Beth Potter (GBR) and Taylor Spivey (USA) some 13 seconds back onto the bikes. 

Portugal and Netherlands were then part of a second chase pack as Leonie Periault put the hammer down for France, but after a brilliant battle with Periault over the two-lap run, it was to be Vermeylen taking the Belgian team down the chute first and handing over with a narrow lead over the French, Tertsch third just six seconds back with Britain and Mexico, USA and Spain.

LEG TWO
Team newcomer Joris Basslé took up the effort for Belgium with an excellent swim and out onto the bike with Yanis Seguin (FRA), Lasse Priester (GER), Chase McQueen (USA) and Michael Gar (GBR), Hungary six seconds back, Australia, Canada and Mexico 14 seconds adrift. 

Vasco Vilaça put in a huge shift to haul Portugal right back into the race and he was first out onto the run but the lead pack had now become 15 thanks to his efforts. Over the second run lap, however, it was Priester for Germany with the legs to put Germany right into pole position at the halfway mark, David Cantero pulling Spain into the mix, Tyler Mislawchuk and Tayler Reid doing likewise for Canada and New Zealand.

LEG THREE
Gar had given Olivia Mathias and Great Britain a strong platform, and she drilled the swim to come out ahead of Tanja Neubert (GER) and Emma Jeffcoat (AUS), Cassandre Beaugrand and France 8 seconds off the lead at this stage. 

Mathias, Jeffcoat and Neubert were able to breakaway on the bike, but the packs came together and eleven athletes were as one coming into T2. It may not have been a vintage Beaugrand transition into the shoes, but within two minutes she was back on the front and pulling clear all the way to the handover, GB second with Germany third 7 seconds back followed by USA, Switzerland and Hungary, Australia 20 seconds back at the handover.

LEG FOUR
Cue the Matt Hauser show. With the wind in his sails after the individual win on Saturday, he charged down the ramp and into his mission like a man possessed. Out of the water the gap was incredibly down to just 7 seconds and onto the final bike he was right alongside Switzerland’s Simon Westermann, Bentley for GB, Graf for Germany and Coninx. 

John Reed (USA) and Csongor Lehmann (HUN) were 10 seconds back and drifting at the halfway mark on the bike, making it a five-way shootout for the medals. Out of T2, Coninx had a slender lead, Hauser looking to burst through on his shoulder with Westermann and Bentley, Graf slipping as he put on his shoes and with ground to make up. 

Five became two as Hauser and Coninx took their teams to the brink, before a second detonation of the weekend from the Australian proved decisive, Coninx left chasing shadows as Hauser clocked the fastest run for the second successive day. Behind, Graf had delivered a brilliant run into third, Britain fourth and Switzerland in fifth. 

Full results found here, report to follow.