Team World Triathlon athletes delivered an outstanding weekend of racing at the 2026 World Triathlon Cup Rio de Janeiro, highlighted by a breakthrough victory for Zuzana Michalickova (SVK) and a series of impressive performances that included three top-five finishes and four top-10 results across the elite women's and men's races. It was an impressive start for the Team World Triathlon program as athletes head towards LA2028.

Michalickova produced the performance of her career to claim her and her country's first-ever World Cup victory on the iconic Copacabana Beach course. The 23-year-old exited the swim just 14 seconds behind the leader before positioning herself in the lead bike group. She then produced the third-fastest run split of the day to out-sprint Kelly Wetteland (USA) by just one second in a thrilling finish. The victory marked a significant milestone for an athlete who has progressed through the World Triathlon development pathway and also highlighted the strength of the Team World Triathlon programme in supporting emerging international talent from developing NF's. ' I have been waiting for this moment for a while, but it is just the beginning,' - she said after the race.

The women's team enjoyed further success throughout the race. Tjasa Vrtacic (SLO) remained in contention throughout the race after exiting the swim with the lead athletes. She produced the fastest bike split of the entire field, working with the front pack before putting together a strong run to secure 5th place and another top 10 World Cup result for Team World Triathlon. Margareta Vrablova (SVK) was just outside the top 20, finishing 21st. Margareta had a strong swim to position herself in the main race before remaining competitive on the bike and finishing with a solid run. Hannah Newman (RSA) was 28th, staying connected through the bike after a competitive swim before recording another consistent World Cup performance. Daniela Moya Chamorro (CHI) rounded out the women's team in 29th, building her race on a strong swim that kept her in contention before producing composed bike and run legs to finish only seconds behind Newman.

The momentum continued in the men's race, where the two-time Olympian and team role-model, Diego Moya (CHI), narrowly missed the podium with an outstanding 4th-place finish. Moya exited the swim in third position, immediately established himself in the lead bike group and remained among the race favourites throughout the bike. A strong run kept him in podium contention until the closing stages as he crossed the line just 25 seconds behind race winner Braxton Legg (USA). Andree Buc (CHI) continued his impressive development by finishing 10th. After exiting the swim just behind the leaders, Buc successfully bridged into the main bike group before producing one of the fastest runs of the day, lifting him into the top ten. Julian Birkel (RSA) continued his steady progression at World Cup level with 32nd place, remaining well positioned after the swim and staying with the main chase group before recording a consistent run. Gabriel Terán Carvajal (ECU) was 56th, gaining valuable international racing experience after a competitive swim and solid bike leg against a high-quality field.

Team World Triathlon Results

Women

• 1st – Zuzana Michalickova (SVK)

• 5th – Tjasa Vrtacic (SLO)

• 21st – Margareta Vrablova (SVK)

• 28th – Hannah Newman (RSA)

• 29th – Daniela Moya Chamorro (CHI)

• DNS – Shanae Williams (RSA) due to illness

Men

• 4th – Diego Moya (CHI)

• 10th – Andree Buc (CHI)

• 32nd – Julian Birkel (RSA)

• 56th – Gabriel Terán Carvajal (ECU)

The Team World Triathlon results in Rio demonstrated the strength of the athlete development programme. By providing emerging athletes with opportunities to race internationally against the world's best, the programme continues to develop the next generation of elite triathletes and prepare them for success on the World Triathlon circuit.

Team World Triathlon

Back Row L-R: Diego Moya (CHI), Tjasa Vrtacic (SLO), Zuzana Michalickova (SVK), Team Leader Rolf Ebeling (GER), Andree Buc (CHI), Team Manager Ognjen Stojanovic (SRB), Julian Birkel (RSA)

Front Row L-R: Gabriel Terán Carvajal (ECU), Hannah Newman (RSA), Margareta Vrablova (SVK), Shanae Williams (RSA) DNS, Daniela Moya Chamorro (CHI)

Full results can be found here.