Olympic and world champions Germany claimed an incredible gold medal in the first Mixed Team Relay since their Paris triumph as they came from last-to-first in a drama-packed race in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Last of the 11 teams after Selina Klamt’s first leg, Jan Dienar, Tanja Neubert, Henry Graf then turned things around spectacularly.
However it should be said that a bike crash, which brought down all five leaders on the second leg completely changed the complexion of the race.
Even so, Neubert was still out of the water last of the remaining eight teams on leg three before she transformed the race on the bike and run to handover to Graf to bring it home.
He crossed the line 16 seconds ahead of a charging Morgan Pearson and the USA, with Italy rounding out the podium in third.
Read on to find out how a remarkable relay unfolded…
Leg 1 – Shocking start for Germany
There wasn’t much separation on the initial 300m swim but it was Jolien Vermeylen (BEL) and Beth Cook (GBR) who had a narrow lead as they exited the water first.
And it was 20-year-old Cook who was quickest through T1 and led out the bike, with Vermeylen and Anna Godoy (ESP) just behind.
Taylor Spivey (USA) produced a big turn though to help herself and Alice Betto (ITA) close the gap so we had a front group of five and six chasers.
However by T2 all 11 teams were back together but Selina Klamt for favourites Germany had struggled to get on terms on the bike and she went backwards on the run to give the Olympic and world champions a mountain to climb.
After the second of two loops, things splintered on the 315m run to the beach for the changeover – Vermeylen made it there first, a second ahead of Spain, with Spivey and the USA now eight seconds back.
Switzerland, GB, Italy and the Netherlands were all close up but the big news was that gap back to Germany, with Klamt 42 seconds adrift.
Leg 2 – Crash takes out leading pack
It was all change on the swim and we suddenly had a group of eight men within seven seconds of each other.
Max Stapley had led GB to the front, just ahead of Vasco Vilaca (POR) and they quickly managed to drop three other teams, meaning that we now had a front group of five, with David Cantero (ESP), Simon Westermann (SUI) and Mitch Kolkman (NED) the others and 19 seconds and upwards back to the rest.
But news the came through that two of those five – Portugal and Spain – had picked up 10-second penalties for swim behaviour.
However the turning point of the whole race than suddenly happened when Westermann slipped out on a corner and the front five – bar Cantero – all went down like dominoes.
Kolkman was up relatively quickly but unfortunately none of Westermann, Stapley and Vilaca were able to resume, meaning Italy, USA and Belgium suddenly became third, fourth and fifth.
There was talk about the race being stopped but that didn’t happen and up front Kolkman had opened up an 11-second gap on Cantero by T2.
Cantero had been quickest in the men’s individual race on Saturday so it was no surprise to see him eat into that lead and the catch came early on lap two before the Spaniard pulled clear.
Leg 3 – Casillas serves Spain penalty
So Miriam Casillas (ESP) set off first, eight seconds ahead of Luna De Bruin (NED) and 17 in front of Nele Dequae (BEL).
The USA with Erika Ackerlund were in fourth at +29, and Ireland were fifth at +46s via Hollie Elliott.
Italy were far from out of it in sixth at +52 either given that they were represented by Bianca Seregni who led out the women’s individual swim on Saturday.
De Bruin swam her way to the front by T1, with Casillas just a second behind, USA third at +16s, Belgium fourth and Italy in fifth having halved their deficit.
So Netherlands and Spain led it out on the bike – worth remembering at this point that the Spanish still had a 10-second penalty to serve.
There was relative calm for the rest of the bike and Casillas reached T2 first, four seconds ahead of De Bruin but it was only 10 seconds back to the next five teams and remarkably they now included Germany through Tanja Neubert as well as Belgium, USA, Japan and Italy. And the German revival continued on the run with Neubert powering into the lead!
A contributory factor was the experienced Casillas making the call to serve Spain’s penalty.
So handing over for the final leg it was Germany – stone last after leg one remember – who were now first, USA second thanks to a storming run from Ackerlund, Italy third via Seregni and then Casillas and Spain in fourth.
Leg 4 – Graf brings it home
What more drama was to come on the final leg?
Graf was off first for Germany, nine seconds ahead of Pearson for the USA, with a further seven seconds to Euan De Nigro (ITA) and three more to Roberto Sanchez (ESP).
And exiting the water Graf had extended his lead to 12 seconds over Pearson, with Italy and Spain holding firm in third and fourth.
On the bike it was Graf solo, Pearson solo but De Nigro, Sanchez and now Gjalt Panjer of the Netherlands riding together in third, fourth and fifth.
And it soon became one versus four as Pearson joined up with the three behind and began trying to reduce what was a 21-second advantage for Graf early on the second of two laps. However the quartet weren’t working well together so it was no surprise to see the gap actually go out further.
Leaving T2 and starting the run and Graf now had a massive 33 seconds to play as the others were seemingly left to scrap for the silver and bronze medals.
And though Pearson closed late on, Graf never looked under threat as he sealed a memorable victory.
Post-race update
Simon Westermann later posted on his Instagram and the most important news was: “I’m okay, thanks everyone.”
He added: “Frustration outweighs the bruises atm. Devastated having ended my team’s race and having taken down others with me.
“Slipped out in a corner. A combination of sand and a minor change of the cones, narrowing the corner compared to yesterday.”
WTCS Abu Dhabi 2025 Results
Sunday February 16, 2025 – Mixed Team Relay, 300m swim, 7km bike, 2km run x4
- 1. Germany (Selina Klamt, Jan Dienar, Tanja Neubert, Henry Graf) – 1:32:05 (24:43 / 22:00 / 23:45 / 21:37)
- 2. USA (Taylor Spivey, John Reed, Erika Ackerlund, Morgan Pearson) – 1:32:21 (24:09 / 22:11 / 24:16 / 21:45)
- 3. Italy (Alice Betto, Nicola Azzano, Bianca Seregni, Euan De Nigro) – 1:32:24 (24:13 / 22:30 / 24:00 / 21:41)
- 4. Spain (Anna Godoy, David Cantero, Miriam Casillas, Roberto Sanchez) – 1:32:38 (24:02 / 21:49 / 24:55 / 21:52)
- 5. Netherlands (Barbara De Koning, Mitch Kolkman, Luna De Bruin, Gjalt Panjer) – 1:33:01 (24:14 / 21:45 / 24:57 / 22:05)
- 6. Belgium (Jolien Vermeylen, Arnaud Mengal, Nele Dequae, Erwin Vanderplancke) – 1:34:07 (24:01 / 22:07 / 25:19 / 22:40)
- 7. Japan (Mako Hiraizumi, Kenji Nener, Kanae Takenaka, Kazushi Jozuka) – 1:34:21 (24:55 / 21:51 / 24:52 / 22:42)
- 8. Ireland (Erin McConnell, James Edgar, Hollie Elliott, Russell White) – 1:35:11 (24:52 / 21:45 / 25:22 / 23:12)
- DNF Switzerland (Nora Gmür, Simon Westermann, Leana Bissig, Adrien Briffod)
- DNF Great Britain (Bethany Cook, Max Stapley, Isabella Hayes, Hugo Milner)
- DNF Portugal (Maria Tomé, Vasco Vilaca, Madalena Amaral Almeida, Ricardo Batista)
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