Vasco Vilaza and Ricardo Batista made a splash in the Olympic triathlon race on Wednesday, finishing fifth and sixth respectively, 13 and 15 seconds off the podium.
The two friends helped each other during the race and only left their destination in the final sprint. The hug at the end crowned their friendship and the success of their Olympic debut. The gold went to Britain’s Alex Yee, who won in 1:43.33 hours. “I believed until the last moment. I didn’t feel 100% at the end of the race, but in the last five kilometers I gave everything I had to try to beat the two Frenchmen and win a medal. I gave more than I had. I reached the finish line exhausted. This is my first Olympic experience, there is a lot to learn, and I believe that in four years I can do even more. This experience will help me,” said Vasco Vilaça, highlighting the performance of his friend Ricardo Batista: “It was beautiful. We won two Olympic diplomas for Portugal.”
Ricardo Batista was speechless after finishing sixth. “I had very ambitious expectations for this race, but to be able to achieve them was definitely the icing on the cake,” said the 23-year-old after the 1,500m swim, 40km bike ride and 10km run. The results set the stage for the mixed triathlon relay in Paris next Monday, August 5.
Author: Mario Figueiredo
Source: CM Jornal
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