Get ready day two of the action in Rome and the Mixed Team Relay
After the women’s and men’s individual races dazzled the crowds in Rome today, attention now turns to tomorrow’s Mixed Team Relay event. This will be the first time the venue hosts the relay, and it comes with a particular relevance for all teams.
Next year, Rome will welcome the World Mixed Team Relay Championships, an event that will not just offer the world title but also four automatic qualification slots for LA 2028. As such, it is of little surprise that twenty teams are eagerly awaiting tomorrow’s race and the potentially invaluable insight to the course that comes with it.
Among those starting will be a mixture of those flying high from today’s events, such as Olympic champion Alex Yee (GBR), and several looking to bounce back from trying races. Tune in to TriathlonLive or YouTube from 08:30 (CEST) to catch each athlete tackle a 300m single loop swim, two punchy laps of 3.5km on the bike and a final 1.7km loop on the run to wrap things up.
The kids are alright
Having secured four automatic slots for LA 2028 by winning this year’s World Mixed Team Relay Championships in Hamburg, the French have an experimental quartet with an eye more on Brisbane 2032. Manon Laporte (FRA) and Manon Pomme (FRA) will have the opportunity to prove themselves at an early stage in their careers. Meanwhile, after coming away with the silver and bronze medals today, Martin Hubner and Tristan Douche will be raring to go again for Team France.
The strongest quartet?
On paper, Team GB have the strongest foursome with Yee joined by Olivia Mathias, Connor Bentley and Kate Waugh. They are the only team putting forth three WTCS medallists and with Yee on the anchor they have the fastest runner in the business at the sharp end of things.
Equally, Team USA have an impressive quartet of their own, headed by WTCS medallists John Reed and Kirsten Kasper. In World Cup winner Reese Vannerson, the Americans also have an anchor with the short distance running speed to trouble Yee. Moreover, Americas U23 champion Naomi Ruff (USA) ensures this team is strong across the board.
At the same time, fans of the home team will be tapping their feet impatiently for an acknowledgement of the firepower Italy possesses. Bianca Seregni (ITA) and Nicola Azzano (USA) both finished in the top-5 today; Seregni’s monster swim performance also makes her a perfect athlete for the first leg. World U23 Championship medallist Euan De Nigro (ITA) and World Cup medallist Paola Sacchi (ITA) deepen the team, while it is not to be forgotten that Italy won the relay at the Edmonton World Cup and Mediterranean Games. A third gold in a row could lie in wait tomorrow.
Sending for back-up
Some teams are flying in athletes solely for this relay, such as Belgium who will lead off with WTCS medallist Jolien Vermeylen. With last year’s Rome World Cup winner Arnaud Mengal going second for the team, Team Belgium have as good a front half as any.
Moreover, Mexico has summoned María López Faraudo – after placing 8th at the World U23 Championships – and World Cup winner Ana Maria Valentina Torres Gomez to bolster their team.
Always in the mix
Olympic champions Germany have Lasse Lührs, a member of their victorious quartet in Paris, starting alongside World Cup medallist Franka Rust. Hungary, fresh off a medal at the World Championships in Hamburg, will likewise be buoyed by the presence of World U23 Championship medallist Zalán Hóbor.
Strong teams from Australia, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, Brazil, Japan and more will also look to rip up the script, and as a result this race could really lean into the relay’s unpredictable nature.
