The Portuguese mixed relay still had their sights set on a podium finish at Paris 2024, but despite a great race, Ricardo Batista, Melanie Santos, Vasco Vilaça and Maria Tomé were unable to overcome stronger teams and finished in fifth place.
When Vasco Vilaça left Maria Tomé in third place in the final relay, the possibility of Portugal winning a second medal in Paris 2024 crossed the minds of fans, those responsible for the Portuguese mission and the triathletes themselves.
Little Maria Tome – who had to reach the shoulders of the four triathletes behind her – struggled against the current and left the swim segment in fourth place, already well behind North American Taylor Knibb.
The young Portuguese held fourth place until the arrival of Frenchwoman Cassandra Beaugrand, the Olympic individual champion, who had recovered significantly from Pierre La Corre’s fall in the first relay.
The race, which consists of a 300-metre swim, seven kilometres of cycling and 1,800 metres of running, got off to a bad start for Portugal, with a false start forcing Ricardo Batista to pause for 10 seconds before mounting his bike.
However, the sixth place finisher in the individual race was not afraid to come out last in the cycling segment and by the end of the first lap was almost right next to the group ahead, which he achieved before entering the race, which ended in seventh position.
She was followed by Melanie Santos, the team’s most experienced member, who always kept Portugal in the top eight and even reached fourth place at the end of the bike section, passing the baton to Vasco Vilaza, who finished eighth.
After a fifth place in the individual, which equalled the Portuguese’s best result in triathlon (João Pereira in Rio 2016), behind only Vanessa Fernandes’ silver in Beijing 2008, Vasco Vilaça showed that he is in excellent shape, immediately regaining three places in swimming.
Always leading the pursuit group, in search of the leading duo formed by Britain’s Samuel Dickinson and Germany’s Lasse Luers, Vilaça managed to put Portugal in contention for the medals, leaving Maria Tomé, who was 11th in the individual race, in third position.
However, a small delay that saw bike specialist Taylor Knibb leave the water was never resolved and Portugal still managed an excellent fifth place on their mixed relay debut.
Portuguese triathlon leaves Paris with three diplomas, as well as Maria Tomé’s 11th place, the best combined result for this sport at the Olympic Games.
Ricardo Batista, Melanie Santos, Vasco Vilaza and Maria Thome completed the race in 1:27.08, 1.29 minutes behind Germany, who won the race in 1:25.39, behind the United States (silver) and Great Britain (bronze), both within two.