Igor Bellido leaves triathlon due to a knee injury and begins a new chapter in cycling
Igor Bellido, junior triathlon world champion in Quarteira 2021, has announced that he is leaving triathlon due to a knee injury and will begin a new stage in cycling with the High Level-GSport team.
The Sevillian announced his decision via Instagram with a clear and very personal message. Bellido explains that he has been living with a “Unbearable” pain in the kneea situation that no longer only affected him in training, but also in his daily life.
"I am forced to leave triathlon and start a new chapter in cycling“,” wrote the Andalusian triathlete, who added that, after much thought and after assessing the situation with doctors and physiotherapists, he came to the conclusion that it was the best decision for his health.
A premature farewell for one of the great talents of Spanish triathlon
Igor Bellido's retirement marks the premature end of the triathlon career of one of the most promising names of his generation. His greatest success came in 2021, when he proclaimed junior world champion in Quarteira, a title that confirmed his international projection.
Before that world championship gold, Bellido had already shown signs of his talent in lower categories. His development led him from his beginnings in the Isbilya Triathlon Club including high-performance structures such as the Joaquín Blume residence and other leading training groups within Spanish triathlon.
However, his progress at the elite level was hampered by physical problems. At the beginning of 2026, he was still publicly discussing his attempted comeback after a long knee injury, a sign that he had been trying to extend his sporting career for some time before making this final decision.
Igor Bellido's statement
In his post, Bellido wanted to express his gratitude for the support he has received throughout his career. He specifically mentioned colleagues, coaching staff, federations, sponsors, and the Isbilya Triathlon Clubwhere he began his journey in this sport.
See this post on Instagram
He also gave a special mention to Samer Aliwhom he described as his greatest role model, coach, and friend. This is no small detail. Samer's influence has been present in Bellido's career since the early years and forms part of the sporting and personal foundation upon which he built his career.
The message leaves a clear impression: this is not a change sought out for competitive motivation or simple mental exhaustion, but a decision forced by an injury that had become incompatible with practicing triathlon at the highest level.
A new era in cycling with High Level-GSport
The other big news in the announcement is his move into cycling. Igor Bellido will now compete with the High Level-GSport team, an active structure in the Spanish road cycling calendar in the elite and under-23 categories.
The change isn't surprising given his background. Bellido comes from endurance sports, with a very solid physical foundation and experience in highly competitive environments. The challenge now will be to see how far he can transfer that drive to road cycling.
His final message sums up well the tone with which he is approaching this turn of events: One door closes, but another opensHe leaves triathlon at just 24 years old, after more than a decade linked to the sport, and begins a new adventure away from swimming and running, but still within high performance.
What Igor Bellido leaves behind in Spanish triathlon
Bellido's departure also has a broader implications. Spanish triathlon loses an athlete who reached his peak as a junior and seemed destined to carve out a place for himself among the international elite. This doesn't always happen. The transition from junior to elite is one of the toughest phases in triathlon, and injuries often make as much of a difference as talent.
In the case of Igor Bellido, the list of achievements will be headed by that 2021 junior world title in QuarteiraBut also because of the feeling that his career was cut short too early by physical problems. Now the focus shifts. His sporting future will be in the peloton.
Thus ends the triathlon career of one of the most promising Spanish talents of his generation. Now, Igor Bellido embarks on a new path in cycling. From Triathlon News we wish you all the best in this new sporting stage.
