Gold was awarded to Team USA in the 2023 America’s Triathlon Mixed Relay Championships in Huatulco, Mexico, featuring triathlon royalty Katie Zaferes and Gwen Jorgensen and young guns Darr Smith and Brent Demarest. Team Mexico earned a standout silver with incredible performances in front of a cheering home crowd while Team Canada stormed across the line to claim a brilliant Mixed Relay bronze.
GOLDEN DAY IN HUATULCO FOR LEGENDARY TEAM USA
1. Darr Smith
2. Katie Zaferes
3. Brent Demarest
4. Gwen Jorgensen
“It was awesome being on the team with these athletes, two absolute legends Katie and Gwen and Brett (Demarest) have been on mixed team relays since we were sixteen years old. Definitely really fun today and awesome to do it today,” said Darr Smith.
“I did want a little bit of redemption out there today, I do love the Mixed Team Relay and I know you just go hard the whole time so that was the plan and Darr (Smith) set up the team well and I wanted to set up the rest of the team well and am happy with what we did,” said Katie Zaferes.
“It’s just to keep the team in the race, I was just so happy that Katie put such a great effort out there and Gwen (Jorgensen) was there to finish it off. It’s not every day you’re on a team with a couple of World and Olympic champions so I am just so excited to be on this team,” said Brett Demarest.
“I just can’t thank this team enough, I just had to not mess it up and we came away with the win. It was super hot out there and I am so happy that we came away with gold,” said Jorgensen.
“It just shows how strong we are, men and women and we’re just getting stronger because we have options,” added Zaferes.
TEAM MEXICO CELEBRATES WITH SILVER
1. Aram Michell Peñaflor Moysen
2. Rosa MariaTapia Vidal
3. Rodrigo Gonzalez
4. Lizeth Rueda Santos
“I am super happy and excited, it’s all teamwork. Respect to the team and the goal to be on the podium was achieved,” said Peñaflor Moysen.
“Since the beginning when I saw Katie, I just thought I had to go with her and when I looked back and I saw the three of us, I was very happy that we did a breakthrough. I am very happy that I am going home with a medal as that is what I was expecting,” said Tapia Vidal.
“There was a lot of pressure as even though it’s a great opportunity to be in the relay in first place, it’s also the responsibility that I have to keep it in first place because Aram (Peñaflor Moysen) and Rosa (Tapia Vidal) did a great job so I just received it first place and I fought until the end to hand to Lizeth (Rueda) in first place,” said Gonzalez.
“I am nervous at the end to be running with the Olympic champion, we know she’s a really tough runner. I tried to give it all. She (Gwen Jorgensen) made a sprint in the second lap and then surged to close the gap on me and the truth that I am so happy to be running against her. It’s a huge challenge and well we get the second place and we are so happy.
“Today’s race was really important and also alot of pressure but it’s really nice to have so many Mexicans cheering all the way along the course. Yesterday, it was amazing, even though I wasn’t having the greatest day, I was all the time hearing people cheering out. It’s always wonderful having people supporting and having a World Cup here and the people here really wanting the Mexican team to be at its best,” added Gonzalez.
BRONZE TO TEAM CANADA
1. Martin Sobey
2. Sophia Howell
3. Mathis Beaulieu
4. Dominika Jamnicky
“We came in today with big goals to secure that Mixed Relay spot on the Pan American Games later this year, I knew we had three good athletes coming after me so I just did the best I could and let them take care of the rest,” said Sobey.
“It was hard, it was my first World Cup experience but I had a lot of people older than me to guide me through it so I felt confident with my team and we worked really well together,” said Howel.
“I was just trying to stay with the guys in front and give the best for Dominika (Jamnicky),” said Beaulieu.
“I missed out just by a few seconds yesterday on that bronze medal so I am really happy, I am riding on a high today, I am really proud of these guys,” said Jamnicky.
Review the full results online and watch the race on-demand over on TriathlonLive.tv
