Canadian Junior star shines at Huatulco World Cup a day after Canadian team DQd in mixed relay
Dominika Jamnicky doesn't finish in Mexico - Olympic hopes now rest on a big day at WTCS Cagliari
Photo by:
Kevin Mackinnon
It was a good news/ bad news kind of weekend for the Canadian triathlon team at the World Triathlon Cup Huatulco. The highlight was the incredible silver-medal performance by 19-year-old Mathis Beaulieau (pictured at WTCS Montreal in 2022), who took the silver medal behind Richard Murray (NED) at the race in Mexico.
“This race was just magical,” the Quebec City native said after the race. “It feels so good. Every sacrifice that I have made is paying off today.”
“The swim was a fight. I was just trying to get with that first pack. I thought (heading into the race) if I could get on the first pack, this was possible,” Beaulieu continued. “There is usually a breakaway here, but I worked hard to get back on the front and then decided to just stay at the back and wait and then kick it on the run. When I saw the everyone (in the front pack), I said ‘today is my chance.’”
After finishing the swim in 35th, 20-seconds behind the leaders, Beaulieau hit T2 as part of a large group, and found himself in 34th place as he started the run. He surged through the field to fight for the medals, eventually finding himself in the medal hunt over the 5 km run.
“It was just an unreal feeling crossing the finish line,” said Triathlon Magazine’s 2022 junior triathlete of the year. “I didn’t know if I had the legs to do it. I am now running with (the top names) and it gave me the confidence that I can stay with the best in the world.”
Comeback win for Murray
After having to undergo heart surgery just months before the Tokyo Games, Murray’s win marked an incredible comeback that will see him compete for the Netherlands (he formerly represented South Africa) at the Games in Paris this summer. Murray was part of the silver-medal mixed relay team at Friday’s Olympic qualification event, guaranteeing the team a spot at the Games – the top two teams from the race earned automatic qualifying slots for Paris.
Other Canadians in the field included Liam Donnelly who earned a career-best 10th, Brock Hoel (12th) and Clayton Hutchins (34th).
You can find full results here.
DQ for Team Canada
There was lots of drama in the mixed relay qualifying event – during the first leg South Africa’s Jamie Riddle crashed. After that Canada’s Brock Hoel managed to tag off to Sophia Howell in first place, but the rising Canadian star would inadvertently enter the water through the swim exit, which meant the team would be disqualified. Howell would hand off to Beaulieau, who would manage to keep Canada in the mix by staying within seconds of Norway’s Casper Stornes and almost a minute ahead of Murray.
In the final leg, though, Solveig Lovseth powered away from Canada’s Desirae Ridenour, who would eventually be caught by Hungary’s Zsanett Kuttor-Bragmayer and the Netherland’s Rachel Klamer. Klamer would run her team to second and that Olympic spot, leaving Hungary to third. Ridenour would cross the line in fifth despite the DQ, and wouldn’t start the individual race on Saturday.
You can find full results here.
Jamnicky heads to Cagliari for final Olympic push
Canadian Dominika Jamnicky could still earn Canada, and herself, a chance to compete in the mixed relay in Paris with a big performance at WTCS Cagliari this weekend. Jamnicky isn’t currently high enough on the Olympic rankings to make it to Paris, but a big finish in Huatulco might have been enough to get her there. Unfortunately, after a solid swim and bike, she would end up not finishing the race, which means that her Olympic hopes (and Team Canada’s for the mixed relay) will depend on her performance in Cagliari this weekend.
The race was won by Denmark’s Alberte Kjaer Pedersen, who got to the line ahead of Klamer and Lovseth. Canada’s top finisher was Howell, while Maira Carreau, like Jamnicky, didn’t finish.
You can find full results here.
