Search
shop

Gomez and Baptista take IRONMAN 70.3 Pucon 2022 honours

IRONMAN 70.3 Pucon kicked off the 2022 Pro racing season. Javier Gomez and Luisa Baptista topped the podiums in Chile
Chief Correspondent
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

The 2022 professional triathlon racing season got under way on Sunday in Chile at IRONMAN 70.3 Pucon.

There wasn’t too much surprise to see that Spain’s Javier Gomez topped the first podium of the year – something he is likely to repeat several times between now and Christmas.

Brazil’s Luisa Baptista finally ended the victory streak of Barbara Riveros at this event in the women’s Pro race, which dated back to 2015.

Advertisement

Gomez runs to victory

With his incredible draft-legal racing career now behind him after a disappointing showing in Tokyo, the Spanish legend will now be ‘all in’ on middle and long distance racing for the remainder of his career. Given that he has already won the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships twice and qualified for the full distance world’s in St. George having won IRONMAN Malaysia in 2019, don’t write off Gomez at the top level just yet.

In what was a mostly South American field in Chile, Gomez was the clear favourite to kick-off his partnership with Orbea with victory aboard his new Ordu bike. That script wasn’t going to be threatened, though in a format we have seen many times before, it would be on the run that the race-winning move was made.

The opening swim saw a trio of athletes reach T1 with a lead of almost 45 seconds – Gomez, alongside home athletes Vincent Trewhela and Gaspar Riveros. Argentina’s Lucino Taccone and Reinaldo Colluci were part of the chase group.

Riveros was quickly dropped from the leading three, but 90km of cycling later the leading group was now five, as Gomez and Trewhela were joined by Colluci, Taccone and another home athlete, Martin Ulloa.

Nobody would bet on anything other than a Gomez win from that position, and sure enough he was clear within the first mile and never threatened, crossing the line with a 1:10:04 run time and a winning margin of almost two minutes over Taccone. with Brazil’s Collucci completing the podium.

Posting on Instagram afterwards, Gomez said: “First race of the year. Happy to take the win.

“They say this is the most beautiful race in the world, which might be true. What they don’t tell you about is that brutal run course! I loved it though. Incredible support from the Chilean crowd out there, thanks everyone.”

Big win for Baptista

32nd at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Brazil’s Luisa Baptista prevented a home win in the women’s race where she finished more than eight minutes clear of Barbara Riveros. That ended the Chilean’s run of success at this race, Riveros having previously won in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

In what was a small female Pro field, five athletes exited the opening swim pretty much together, with Baptista and Riveros joined by Romina Palacio (ARG) plus Macarena and Catalina Ezquerra (CHI).

90km later and Baptista was in a different post code, more than seven and a half minutes clear of the five time winner, with nobody else within realistic contention.

There would be no dramatics on the run either, as Baptista (1:19:31) and Riveros (1:20:03) ran similar times, to leave the Brazilian athlete a full eight minutes clear to kick off her season with a victory.

Sad news in the swim

There was horrible news from the age group race in Pucon, where the organisers confirmed the death of a 38 year-old athlete, following a heart attack during the swim section of the race

IRONMAN 70.3 Pucon, Chile – Sunday 9th January 2022
1.9km / 90km / 21.1km

PRO MEN

  • 1. Javier Gomez (ESP) – 3:50:54
  • 2. Lucino Taccone (ARG) – 3:52:51
  • 3. Reinaldo Colluci (BRA) – 3:58:12
  • 4. Vincent Trewhela (CHI) – 4:02:05
  • 5. Gaspar Riveros (CHI) – 4:11:19

PRO WOMEN

  • 1. Luisa Baptista (BRA) – 4:17:12
  • 2. Barbara Riveros (CHI) – 4:25:16
  • 3. Romina Palacio (ARG) – 4:42:54
  • 4. Macarena Ezquerra (CHI) – 4:45:08
  • 5. Pamela Tastets (CHI) – 4:46:17
John Levison
Written by
John Levison
TRI247's Chief Correspondent, John has been involved in triathlon for well over 30 years, 15 of those writing on these pages, whilst he can also be found commentating for events across the UK.
Discover more
French Riviera T100 bike course Esterel
Let’s race… French Riviera T100
TRI-FIT VANGUARD tri suit review
The entry-level tri suit with a serious amount of performance for the price point – TRI-FIT VANGUARD review
Challenge St. Pölten 2024 - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
Expert swim coach on the three most common swim mistakes age group triathletes make (and how to fix them!)
Gustav Iden aero position body rocket
How to get better at holding your time trial position – Expert tips from former PRO time trial cyclist Alex Dowsett
SunGod FORTY2s running sunglasses review
First look at the NEW SunGod FORTY2s running sunglasses – TRI247 Review
latest News
Lucy Gossage Winter Spine Race 2024
Triathlon star and doctor Lucy Gossage hails new research which says exercise is medicine in the fight against cancer
Paris 2024 Olympics - Cassandre Beaugrand wins
Olympic triathlon greats Beaugrand and Brownlee head star-studded Supertri cast for 2025
Riana Crehan IRONMAN Cairns 2025
SAS Australia superstar Riana Crehan ACES triathlon by passing epic IRONMAN Cairns test
Lionel Sanders training pic August 2023 photo credit Talbot Cox
Triathlon superstar Lionel Sanders is injured and seeking answers as he confirms IRONMAN Lake Placid DNS
Hiromu Inada IRONMAN 70.3 Cairns 2025
92-year-old IRONMAN triathlete completes 70.3-mile course in iconic Australian race
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...