EDMONTON— Tyler Mislawchuk beat the heat and all but one of the 68 athletes in the World Triathlon Cup field to win the silver medal on Saturday in Edmonton.
Wearing the number 1 on his swim cap, the 31-year-old from Oak Bluff, Man. lived up to his billing while taking the world’s best through a swim, bike and run in Edmonton’s river valley. Mislawchuk secured the silver medal by .01 seconds at 52:20 following a four-man sprint finish.
“We put on a good show. That’s about as good as it gets. There are so many guys so close in triathlon right now,” said Mislawchuk after picking himself up at the finish line. “I would have loved to have won at home but that’s the sport – seconds here and there. But anytime you are on a podium, it’s pretty darn good. I can’t complain.”
Great Britain’s Solomon Okrafo-Smart won the epic photo finish at 52:20. Reese Vannerson, of the United States, locked up third place behind Mislawchuk.
It was the 10th World Triathlon Cup podium of Mislawchuk’s impressive career. One of the most accomplished Canadian triathletes became the only Canadian male to win a World Triathlon Championship Series podium when he battled to the bronze on Canadian turf in Montreal (2019). He also won the Olympic Test event prior to the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Mislawchuk came out of the 750-metre swim in the heart of Hawrelak Park in sixth pace. He quickly settled into a pack of 17 that broke away on the bike course, leading many of the world’s best triple-sport specialists on the 20-kilometre technical ride out of the park down Emily Murphy Park Road, through Saskatchewan Drive and the University District before crossing the Groat Bridge to make their way back into the stadium.
A massive pack of nearly 50 riders came together in the third and final lap on the bike to set up a foot race to the finish.
“My legs were not good at the start of the ride. But it’s different racing at home. Every 30 metres out there I saw someone I knew. There were so many Tylers out there,” said the pint-sized Canuck. “Usually, I’m pretty good in the heat, but I felt it a lot today. You just got to find a way. I dug as deep as I have in any race today so I’m proud of the effort.”
Mislawchuk and his teammate, Martin Sobey (Charlottetown, P.E.I.), were at the front of a group of six for the punishing five-kilometre run. Matching stride-for-stride in second and third place in the final lap, with just over one kilometre remaining, the 29-year-old Sobey ran out of gas.
“I don’t have many thoughts – I’m just trying to stay upright. I had a terrible swim. I got wrecked right away. But I came from way back on the bike and got to work with the other guys,” said Sobey. “We rode as hard as we could for 20k and caught them right at the end.
“On the run, I was having a bad day, but you find something different when you race in Canada. I got up there with Tyler and I got a bit of a chill. I wanted to get on that podium with him. I probably paid for the bike and just faded on the last kilometre of the run.”
Sobey settled for seventh spot at 52:29.
Other Canadian men’s results included: Leandre Binette, of Saint-Christophe d’Arthabaska, Que., at 29th (53:34); Victoria’s Aiden Longcroft-Harris in 56th at 1:00:05; and Tristen Jones, of Peterborough, Ont., at 58th (1:01:15).
Canada’s Beatrice Filion had the race of her life in the women’s competition. The Candiac, Que. resident battled the sweltering heat and some of the top female triathletes on the planet to grab the final spot in the top 10 at 1:00:33.
“I don’t have words. It was incredible. I went all out for the swim, and it was really hard. The bike I did one lap nearly alone, I was caught by second group and hung in there,” said Filion. “The run was really, really hard especially with the hill. I just tried to keep my mind calm and at the end I used the downhill to try to take 10th place so I’m pretty stoked.”
Olympic silver medallist, Taylor Knibb, ran away with the women’s race, taking the tape in a golden time of 58:36.
Knibb and Hungary’s Marta Kropko pulled away from the field early in the bike and never looked back. Kropko settled for the silver medal and a time of 59:40. Italy’s Paola Sacchi completed the sprint distance course in a time of 1:00:16 for the bronze medal.
Maïra Carreau, of La Prairie, Que., was solid in 12th spot at 1:00:46. Other Canadian finishers included Toronto’s Kira Gupta-Baltazar in 34th (1:02:46) while Calgary’s 18-year-old Brooke Rousselle placed 35th at 1:03:03 in her first ever World Triathlon Cup. Victoria’s Colette Reimer was 45th (1:05:08); and Regina’ Molly Lakustiak placed 47th (1:05:34).
The mixed relay event is slated for Sunday at 2:30 p.m. MDT.
