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Performances of the year: Mislawchuk wins Tokyo Olympic Test Event

Tyler Mislawchuk delivered the biggest win of his career at the 2019 Olympic Test Event in Tokyo, out-running a stacked field full of the sport's elite.

Less than two months after becoming the first Canadian man to earn a podium finish on the World Triathlon Series, Tyler Mislawchuk delivered the best performance of his career at the 2019 Olympic Test Event in Tokyo.

Tyler Mislawchuk celebrates the win at the ITU World Triathlon Olympic Test Event in Tokyo. Photo: ITU Media | Delly Carr

Competing against the best the sport has to offer, Mislawchuk won on the 2020 Olympic course in spectacular fashion, setting himself up for a big performance next year.

The Oak Bluff, Man., native sat near the front for the entire race, coming out of the water in seventh before sticking with a large lead pack throughout the 40 km bike.

Out on the run, Mislawchuk, Norway’s Casper Stornes and New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde broke away from the rest of the leaders that included two-time Olympic medalist Jonathan Brownlee and Norwegian Gustav Iden.

Wilde was the first to make a move but it came too early, as Mislawchuk and Stornes moved by him and came down the finishing chute in a mad sprint. It was the Canadian who had the better kick, crossing the line in 1:49:51 to edge Stornes by four seconds for the biggest win of his career.

“I can’t believe it,” Mislawchuk said post-race. “This is the biggest race outside of the Olympics for me, so it is just unbelievable. I just thought (coming down the finishing stretch) I may never have the chance to win a big race again, so I’ve got to take it now. I wanted it more than anything today.”

And while this performance was spectacular in and of itself, it also gives Mislawchuk a huge boost of confidence heading into next summer.

“Now we know how to prepare for next year as well,” he said. “I need to thank all of my supporters who have been around me through this entire journey, and the people who believe in me. This is a big moment for everyone in my circle.”