
In Brazil's return to the triathlon world circuit, the outcome was historic. On Sunday (15), 23-year-old Miguel Hidalgo won the Brasilia leg of the triathlon World Cup, an event that marked the country's return to hosting a competition of this size after 19 years.
It was Hidalgo's first victory in a tournament of this kind, which is worth points towards qualifying for next year's Paris Olympics. The countdown began on 27 May 2022 and runs until 27 May 2024. Hidalgo is currently ranked 11th in the world this season.
Hidalgo faced difficulties at the start of the race in the swimming section, which is 1.5 kilometres long. However, he managed to recover and take the lead with good performances in cycling (40 kilometres) and the ten-kilometre run, which finishes the race.
The Brazilian finished the course with a time of 1 hour, 48 minutes and 1 second, securing first place. Spain's Antonio Serrat took the silver medal, while Canada's Charles Paquet completed the podium.
After the competition, Hidalgo revealed that he had stomach problems in the final stretch of the race, but persevered to bring home the victory in front of the Brazilian fans who watched the competition under the scorching sun.
“É uma sensação incrível, a torcida realmente me empurrou naquela última volta, porque eu estava com problemas estomacais na segunda parte da corrida. Não me senti tendo controle em nenhum momento, na última volta eu nem achava que iria para o pódio. Não consigo acreditar que consegui ainda. Agora só quero desfrutar do pódio”, disse o atleta em declaração à federação internacional.
Hidalgo's victory is an important milestone for Brazil on the world triathlon stage, paving the way for future competitions and strengthening the country's presence in this high-performance sport.