Malaga triathlete narrowly misses out on second Olympic diploma

Malaga's Alberto González experienced an emotional conclusion to his Olympic debut as the Spanish mixed relay triathlon team finished ninth.

Despite a strong performance, González was hampered by two penalties in his opening stint, leaving the team just shy of an Olympic diploma.

González, who had already secured an individual eighth-place finish earlier in the Games, was the first to compete in the newly introduced mixed relay event in Paris. Each team member swam 300 metres, cycled eight kilometres and ran two. Spain competed fiercely but ultimately fell short.

González's initial swim put Spain in a leading position, despite some athletes jumping the gun at the start. He transitioned to the cycling segment first, maintaining a lead for over seven minutes. However, the pack closed in during the eighth minute, pushing him to the back.

Known for his strong transitions, González regained the lead at the start of the run but eventually dropped to the middle of the group. He finished his leg ninth, handing over to Anna Godoy.

Godoy and the rest of the team fought valiantly, with Antonio Serrat maintaining the fight for the diploma and Miriam Casillas facing the 20-second penalty burden from González’s infractions. These penalties, one for using a boat for leverage and another for contact with a competitor, ultimately cost them crucial seconds.

Spain improved on their previous tenth-place finish but missed the diploma by a mere seven seconds. González clocked the fastest time among his teammates, completing his leg in 20 minutes and 18 seconds.