Sara Guerrero narrowly misses the podium and Antonio Serrat finishes sixth in the Chengdu World Cup
Sara Guerrero finished fourth and Antonio Serrat sixth in the Chengdu 2026 World Cup, held in sprint format under intense heat in China.
The race featured two very close races with sprint finishes. In the men's category, the Australian Luke Willian took the victory with a time of 50:14, the same time as the Frenchman Nils Serre GehriSecond. The Canadian Tyler Mislawchuk He completed the podium just two seconds behind.
In the women's race, the German Laura Lindemann won on 55:27 after winning in a very close finish Valentina Riasova, who competed as an individual neutral athlete, and the British Kate Waugh. Sara Guerrero She finished fourth, just two seconds away from victory.
Sara Guerrero falls just short of the podium
The women's race was decided in a very fast run, after a swim and a bike segment that left a large group with options in T2. Sara Guerrero She arrived well positioned at the final stage and once again demonstrated consistency in a high-level international competition.
The Spanish woman crossed the finish line in 55:29She was two seconds behind Lindemann and one second off the podium. She was one of the protagonists of the final part of the race, staying in the leading group until the last few meters.
Behind, Ana Carballo He finished in 21st position with a time of 56:14While Cecilia Santamaría finished 29th in 56:35.
Top 10 women in Chengdu
| Pos | Triathlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laura Lindemann | GER | 55:27 |
| 2 | Valentina Riasova | AIN | 55:27 |
| 3 | Kate Waugh | GBR | 55:28 |
| 4 | Sara Guerrero | ESP | 55:29 |
| 5 | Mariana Vargem | POR | 55:30 |
| 6 | Sian Rainsley | GBR | 55:35 |
| 7 | Julia Brocker | GER | 55:40 |
| 8 | Aspen Anderson | AUS | 55:40 |
| 9 | Sophie Malowiecki | AUS | 55:41 |
| 10 | Ilona Hadhoum | From | 55:43 |
Antonio Serrat is back in the spotlight
In the men's category, the race was also decided in the final meters. The cycling leg didn't break up the race, and a large group arrived at the second transition, leaving everything open for the final 5 kilometers.
Antonio Serrat He remained in contention for the win until the decisive stage. The Galician finished sixth with a time of 50:21, just seven seconds behind the winner and with the best race split among the Spaniards: 14:13.
The victory went to Luke Willian, who recorded the best walking split of the day with 14:03Nils Serre Gehri finished second with the same total time, while Tyler Mislawchuk was third. 50:16.
They also competed Pelayo Gonzalez, 11th in 50:35, and Stephen Basanta, 24th in 50:48. Izan Edo He was unable to finish the test.
Men's Top 10 in Chengdu
| Pos | Triathlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luke Willian | AUS | 50:14 |
| 2 | Nils Serre Gehri | From | 50:14 |
| 3 | Tyler Mislawchuk | CAN | 50:16 |
| 4 | Nathan Grayel | From | 50:19 |
| 5 | Callum McClusky | AUS | 50:19 |
| 6 | Antonio Serrat | ESP | 50:21 |
| 7 | Brayden Mercer | AUS | 50:21 |
| 8 | Liam Donnelly | CAN | 50:26 |
| 9 | Arnaud mengal | BEL | 50:30 |
| 10 | Roman Mineev | AIN | 50:34 |
Results of the Spanish
| Category | Pos | Triathlete | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | 6 | Antonio Serrat | 50:21 |
| Men | 11 | Pelayo Gonzalez | 50:35 |
| Men | 24 | Stephen Basanta | 50:48 |
| Men | DNF | Izan Edo | Retired |
| female | 4 | Sara Guerrero | 55:29 |
| female | 21 | Ana Carballo | 56:14 |
| female | 29 | Cecilia Santamaría | 56:35 |
A race marked by very close finishes
La Chengdu World Cup It was another fast-paced race, with little difference between the favorites and finishes decided by the smallest of margins. In the men's race, the top ten were separated by just 20 seconds. In the women's, the top five finished within a mere three seconds of each other.
For the Spanish team, the overall result was positive due to the presence of Sara Guerrero y Antonio Serrat In a direct battle with the best, Guerrero narrowly missed the podium, while Serrat reaffirmed his ability to compete at the front in fast and tactical races.
