Braxton Legg and Zuzana Michalickova win at the Rio World Cup; Maria Casals, 15th
Braxton Legg and Zuzana Michalickova won the Rio de Janeiro 2026 Triathlon World Cup, with both races decided by one second on the Copacabana Olympic circuit.
The race took place this Sunday, August 2nd, over a sprint distance, with 750 meters of swimming, 20,8 kilometers of cycling and 5 kilometers of running.
The two winners achieved their victory in Brazil. first victory in a World CupThe competition also kicked off the South American block of the calendar, which will continue with the events in Asunción and Lima.
Zuzana Michalickova wins by one second
The women's race began with Vittoria Lopes setting the pace in the water. After the first transition, a leading group of about fifteen triathletes formed, which included... Zuzana Michalickova, Kelly Wetteland, Beatrice Mallozzi, Angelica Prestia and Tjasa Vrtacic.
The breakaways worked together during the six laps of the cycling segment and managed to keep the chasing group, where the Spanish riders were riding, at a distance. María Casals and Cecilia Santamaría.
Michalickova emerged from the second transition in a favorable position and defended her lead during the final five kilometers. Wetteland recorded the fastest run split, at 16:12, but couldn't complete the comeback.
The Slovakian crossed the finish line in 58:13just one second ahead of the American. The Italian Beatrice Mallozzi She completed the podium three seconds behind the winner.
María Casals finished in 15th position after making up ground during the running leg, while Cecilia Santamaría was 22ndCasals arrived in Rio after having finished second in the Olsztyn European Cup.
Top 10 women's team at the Rio 2026 World Cup
| Pos | Triathlete | Country | Time | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zuzana Michalickova | Slovakia | 58:13 | |
| 2 | Kelly Wetteland | United States | 58:14 | + 0: 01 |
| 3 | Beatrice Mallozzi | Italy | 58:16 | + 0: 03 |
| 4 | Angelica Prestia | Italy | 58:23 | + 0: 10 |
| 5 | Tjasa Vrtacic | Slovenia | 58:27 | + 0: 14 |
| 6 | Manami Hayashi | Japan | 58:33 | + 0: 20 |
| 7 | Erika Ackerlund | United States | 58:33 | + 0: 20 |
| 8 | Ainsley thorpe | New Zealand | 58:43 | + 0: 30 |
| 9 | Mariana Vargem | Portugal | 59:08 | + 0: 55 |
| 10 | Iida Reini | Finland | 59:13 | + 1: 00 |
Braxton Legg completes the men's breakaway
In the men's race, Dylan McCullough He was the fastest in swimming and led a team that included Mitch Kolkman, Diego Moya, Braxton Legg and Jordan Rieck.
The leading group solidified after the first transition and eventually grew to seven riders. Their cooperation during the cycling leg allowed the breakaway to reach T2 with a lead of just over a minute on the large chasing peloton.
Legg, McCullough, and Kolkman battled for the win during the running leg. The American withstood the New Zealander's final attack and won. 50:56with just one second to spare. Kolkman finished third, eight seconds behind.
Behind, Manoel Messias and Porter Middaugh They recorded the best running splits, both with 13:52, but the advantage gained by the breakaway riders on the bike proved decisive.
The only Spanish representative, Kevin Tarek Viñuela finished in 49th position.
Top 10 men's rankings for the Rio 2026 World Cup
| Pos | Triathlete | Country | Time | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Braxton Legg | United States | 50:56 | |
| 2 | Dylan McCullough | New Zealand | 50:57 | + 0: 01 |
| 3 | mitch kolkman | Netherlands | 51:04 | + 0: 08 |
| 4 | Diego Moya | Chile | 51:21 | + 0: 25 |
| 5 | Manoel Messias | Brazil | 51:25 | + 0: 29 |
| 6 | Porter Middaugh | United States | 51:25 | + 0: 29 |
| 7 | Mathis Beaulieu | to Canada | 51:27 | + 0: 31 |
| 8 | Sullivan Middaugh | United States | 51:29 | + 0: 33 |
| 9 | Liam Donnelly | to Canada | 51:33 | + 0: 37 |
| 10 | Andree Buc | Chile | 51:34 | + 0: 38 |
500 points for Olympic qualification
The World Triathlon World Cups award 500 points for the winner towards the Los Angeles 2028 Individual Olympic Qualification RankingThe qualifying period began on May 18, 2026 and will run until May 18, 2028.
The next race will be held on August 9th in Asunciónbefore the circuit continues on August 23 in Lima. Dates can be found at the 2026 Triathlon World Cup Calendar.
Rio de Janeiro thus recovered international competition on Copacabana beach, ten years after this same venue hosted the triathlon events of the 2016 Olympic Games.
This content has been created with the support of AI tools and reviewed by the Triathlon News editorial team.
