MANOEL MESSIAS GANHA ETAPA DE BRASÍLIA DA COPA DO MUNDO DE TRIATLO
Na manhã de domingo, o triatleta brasileiro Manoel Messias conquistou a etapa de Brasília da Copa do Mundo de Triatlo, realizada no Parque da Cidade, no Distrito Federal. A competição contou com a presença de mais de 50 atletas de diferentes países e foi a segunda etapa da temporada da Copa do Mundo.
Messias, que é especialista em percurso de velocidade, fez uma prova incrível, liderando a saída do pedal e manter a liderança ao longo do percurso de 750 metros de natação, 20 quilômetros de ciclismo e 5 quilômetros de corrida. Com um tempo de 1h21min41s, o brasileiro venceu a prova com confortável vantagem sobre o alemão Jonathan Zipf, que ficou em segundo lugar.
"Estou muito feliz com o resultado. Era um objetivo para mim conquistar uma etapa da Copa do Mundo e, agora, fiz isso. Foi um percurso difícil, mas eu sou especialista em velocidade e isso me ajudou a levar a vantagem", disse Messias após a prova.
O alemão Jonathan Zipf conquistou a segunda posição com um tempo de 1h22min14s, enquanto o britânico Alessandro Fabian terminou em terceiro lugar com um tempo de 1h22min22s.
Para o brasileiro, a vitória é um grande passo em direção à conquista do título da Copa do Mundo. "Agora, tenho que continuar trabalhando e manter o nível de performance para que possa conquistar o título. É um objetivo muito grande, mas eu acredito que posso fazê-lo", disse.
A próxima etapa da Copa do Mundo de Triatlo será realizada em Miyazaki, no Japão, no próximo mês.
The 2023 World Triathlon Cup in Brasília, Brazil, concluded with a victory for Brazilian athlete Manoel Messias, who won the men’s event on Saturday (9). Messias, from Ceará, completed the 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike ride, and 5-kilometer run in 53 minutes and 35 seconds. He was followed by Australian Callum McClusky and Spanish Sérgio Cabrera, who completed the podium.
The decisive factor in Messias’ victory was the run segment, where he was the only athlete to complete the 5-kilometer course in under 15 minutes, finishing in 14 minutes and 58 seconds. Upon crossing the finish line, Messias was overcome with emotion, celebrating his win.
Messias had a disappointing year in 2024, failing to complete two World Cup events and finishing 45th at the Paris Olympics. However, he was thrilled to end the year with a victory in his home country.
Other Brazilian athletes also participated in the event, with Miguel Hidalgo, the winner of the 2023 Brasília event and 10th-place finisher at the Paris Olympics, finishing fourth. Kauê Willy and Antônio Bravo Neto, both from Brazil, also made the top 10.
In the women’s event, which featured 25 competitors, including five Brazilians, the top Brazilian finisher was Vittoria Lopes, who finished eighth with a time of 1 hour, 0 minutes, and 35 seconds. The victory went to Mexican Rosa Tapia, followed by Frenchwoman Sandra Dodet and American Tamara Gorman.
The event in Brasília was also marked by a tribute to Luísa Baptista, a Brazilian triathlete who was severely injured in a motorcycle accident in December 2023 and spent three months in a coma. Baptista, from São Paulo, was able to participate in the event, walking for five minutes accompanied by the Brazilian athletes who competed in the event. This was her first time running since the accident, and she received a symbolic medal and gave an emotional hug to her mother, Jaqueline.
Baptista, a gold medalist at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, expressed her gratitude to the athletes and the crowd, saying that she knew she had the support of many people and that it was important for her recovery.