The best of 2016: Swim performances of the year
Until the end of December, TMC is rounding up best performances of the year in pro triathlon. For swim, bike and run we’ve picked one international and one Canadian athlete who stood out all year for consistent top results in each discipline.
International: Richard Varga
When it comes to swimming in triathlon, ITU athlete Richard Varga of Slovakia is second to none. He has more than proven himself as the top swimmer on the circuit, clocking the fastest time in all but one race in 2016. He was the first man out of the water in four WTS races this year — Gold Coast, Cape Town, Stockholm and Edmonton and was the leader at the Rio Olympics, as well.
ITU looked at the stats and determined that by the end of 2016, his career resume will include the swim leader title in 28 of the 35 WTS races he has participated in.
Canadian: Brent McMahon
Brent McMahon earns our 2016 swimmer of the year recognition for his consistency in triathlon’s first discipline, throughout the year. He made the lead pack of swimmers at the majority of his races this year — that includes his 47:47 swim split at Ironman Brazil, where he set the overall course record (with the second fastest swim only by a second), a 48:06 time in Kona, and also at Ironman 70.3 St. George. As a former ITU triathlete, McMahon has almost two decades of fast swimming behind him, which help make him the current fastest Canadian pro in the swim at any long distance race.
