The Mixed Team Relay again showed why it’s the most entertaining format in triathlon with an absolute thriller of a World Championship in Hamburg at the weekend..
There was nothing between France, Hungary, Great Britain and the USA heading into T2 in the fourth and final leg but it was the French who came out on top thanks to Dorian Coninx.
And not only did that land a world title for them but it also booked them a Mixed Relay berth and with it four spots (two each gender) at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Lots more places up for grabs
The Mixed Relays have an enhanced importance in the current Olympic qualifying cycle, which started at the end of May, and here’s why:
- The Host Country (USA) is guaranteed two men and two women (one Mixed Relay team), provided they have eligible athletes.
- The winners of the 2026 and 2027 World Triathlon Mixed Relay Championships will each secure 2 men and 2 women quota places for their NOCs. So that’s France now in too.
- 16 men and 16 women spots will be allocated via the World Triathlon Mixed Relay Olympic Qualification Ranking. The highest-ranked NOC from each of the five continents (from continents without NOCs already qualified and within the top 15) will receive 2-2 quotas, with the remaining spots filling the quota based on rank.
And after Sunday’s thriller two of the biggest movers in the standings were runners-up Hungary and third-placed Great Britain. All of which means the latest standings are as follows:
| Position | Country | Events | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇺🇸 United States | 3 | 1874.33 |
| 2 | 🇫🇷 France | 2 | 1800.00 |
| 3 | 🇬🇧 Great Britain | 2 | 1356.75 |
| 4 | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2 | 1310.90 |
| 5 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 2 | 1262.87 |
| 6 | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2 | 1198.58 |
| 7 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 2 | 1195.62 |
| 8 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 2 | 1193.58 |
| 9 | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 2 | 1008.19 |
| 10 | 🇨🇦 Canada | 2 | 964.24 |
| 11 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 2 | 825.95 |
| 12 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 2 | 788.98 |
| 13 | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 2 | 763.54 |
| 14 | 🇦🇺 Australia | 1 | 633.16 |
| 15 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 1 | 585.00 |
| 16 | 🇨🇱 Chile | 1 | 500.54 |
| 17 | 🇵🇱 Poland | 1 | 495.76 |
| 18 | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 1 | 396.15 |
| 19 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 1 | 366.87 |
| 20 | 🇵🇪 Peru | 1 | 366.44 |
| 21 | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 1 | 338.96 |
| 22 | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 1 | 335.73 |
| 23 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 1 | 313.90 |
| 24 | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 1 | 313.54 |
| 25 | 🇯🇵 Japan | 1 | 290.36 |
In the reckoning
There are few more effective finishers of a sprint triathlon than Coninx but he admitted after Sunday’s victory that he had been slightly worried when he was on his own up front on the bike.
He said: “I found myself alone and, it was a bit of tricky situation. I wasn’t sure what to do. So I tried to save some energy and waited for them – I just tried to be as fast as possible in the transition and then wait for the last turn on the run and it went well.”
It was a huge result for Hungary, who are packed with uber swimmers and one of those is Márta Kropkó who set them on their way. She said: “I’m just so happy we could do this because we are such a small nation and we have been always really close up front in Mixed Relays but we never got on the podium until now.”
It was also a significant step for Team GB, with their lead-off athlete Beth Potter admitting: “You feel like you can find something a little bit extra when you’re doing it for the rest of the team. We’re really happy to finally come away with a medal here – it’s taken quite a few years.
She handed on to Max Stapley and he added: “We haven’t been on the podium here since 2022, so it’s good to put GBR back on that. And, we look to stay and climb – so, France, we’re coming for you!”
