Team Great Britain secured victory in the Mixed Team Relay at the World Triathlon Cup in Rome, driven by a dominant third-leg performance from Kate Waugh before anchor runner Alex Yee sealed the title. The result provided the British squad with a successful test on the course slated to host the World Mixed Team Relay Championship next year.
Leg 1: Tight Pack Leads Out of T2
Belgium’s Jolien Vermeylen set the early pace during the opening swim, leading the field into T1 ahead of Olivia Mathias (GBR) and Manon Laporte (FRA). The bike leg saw the majority of the field remain together. A quick transition from Franka Rust (GER) enabled her to take the lead onto the run segment, followed closely by Mathias and Italy’s Paola Sacchi.
Leg 2: Five-Nation Group Forms at the Front
Connor Bentley took over for Great Britain on the second leg, using a strong swim to move into the lead alongside Italy’s Nicola Azzano. On the bike segment, a five-athlete lead group – comprising Great Britain, Italy, Germany (Lasse Lührs), Hungary (Zalán Hóbor), and Switzerland (Simon Westermann)—maintained a narrow gap over a six-nation chase pack. Joao Nuno Batista of Portugal posted a fast run split from the chase group to gain time before Bentley handed off to Waugh.
Leg 3: Waugh Breaks the Race Open
Italy’s Bianca Seregni exited the water first, but Waugh quickly erased the deficit on the bike. Waugh executed a solo break out of T1, establishing a 30-second lead over Italy by the end of her leg before tagging Yee for Great Britain’s final stint.
Leg 4: Yee Secures Victory; Italy Outpaces Portugal for Silver
Yee maintained Great Britain’s lead throughout the final leg to secure the gold medal. Behind him, Euan De Nigro (ITA) and Miguel Tiago Silva (POR) competed for the remaining podium positions. De Nigro created a gap on the run to earn silver for host nation Italy, while Silva finished third to claim bronze for Portugal. Grigoriy Antipov (AIN) finished fourth.
