The shortest event of the Townsville World Multisport Championships took place this morning with the aquathlon and Spain’s Kevin Tarek Viñuela Gonzalez (ESP) came out on top. The race was made up by a first run of 2.5km, a 1km swim, then a final 2.5km run and it was Viñuela’s speed late on that proved the difference and allowed him to hold off his rivals.

After the race he said, ”I’m very very happy (to be world champion). I have completed the triple: Spanish champion, European champion and world champion. I’m very happy to win in the original format: run-swim-run. I prefer this format.”

In the opening run, there was not a huge amount of separation between the leaders. Luke Bate (AUS) led the front pack into T1 with his goggles dangling around his neck. Cristian Fernandez Nieto (ESP), the defending world champion, was well placed in the pack, as was Viñuela.

In still conditions, the Spanish duo made their move in the swim. They out-split the other seven men in the lead group by the best part of 20 seconds. Šimon Koblížek (CZE) actually managed to clock a similar split, however he had already conceded significant time in T1. Viñuela was the better of the two Spanish athletes in T2 as Fernandez struggled. Meanwhile, Bate led a pack of Australians trying to make up the ground.

Over a rapid final 2.5km, Bate charged ahead. His split of 7:15 was the fastest of the day by a full 10 seconds and was enough to see him past Fernandez. Viñuela, however, kept himself out of reach and won by 3 seconds.

“It’s fun doing it in the morning rather than in the heat of the day,” said Bate in the aftermath. “I think it was Fernandez that had an issue in transition (T2) which brought him back towards me and gave me someone to chase and I was trying to catch up to the leader but I just didn’t have it in the end.”

Fernandez then commented, “I am very happy with the result. Kevin was the strongest. I am very happy with this format as I’ve never had an aquathlon as here.”

In the same race, Joel Lange (NZL) took the U23 title and Joel Offord (AUS) claimed the junior crown.