Mario Mola on who will be World Triathlon champion in 2023
We catch up with Mario Mola in Mallorca and find out his plans for the year ahead, and hear who he thinks will take the championship in 2023
Given he’s been World Triathlon champion three times, it’s fair to say that Mario Mola knows a thing or two about what it takes to win on the big stage.
So, in all his wisdom, who does he think is going to be standing on the top step of the podium come the end of the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS)?
It’s something we asked him in Mallorca last weekend, just hours before he made short work of Triathlon Portocolom to take the win in his first triathlon of the year.
Mola completed the 500m swim, 50km bike and 5k run in 1:49:18, finishing eight minutes ahead of the next best finisher.
Speaking the day before the race the Spaniard said: “My focus is still on short distance and Olympic distance. At this point I go year by year and look for a couple of races a year that motivate me.
“This year we have the European Champs in Madrid and then the Grand Final in Pontevedra – two off the biggest events, in our country.
“You know, I’ve been in many European Champs and Grand Finals but the fact that they’re happening in Spain makes it special. That’s why I’m trying to focus on those.
“Of course, I will race more, but after so many years focusing on the World Series, I’m trying to target less races and avoid the extra travel that the World Series involves.”
One last shot
Could he see himself moving to longer distances like many of his competitors have done? “Not at all,” he laughed. “I love short distance racing. It’s what suits me better. I’ve been doing this for so long and putting so much into it.
“Now I feel like I’ve got to give myself maybe the last opportunity to go to the Olympics and try my best… Personally, I feel I can be better than what I did [in Tokyo], and I’ll try that in Paris.”
Mola’s tip for World Triathlon champion
As for who he thinks will be holding the WTCS trophy come the end of the season, Mola said: “From what we saw in the first race, Alex [Yee] is going to be hard to beat. Hayden [Wilde] had a problem on the bike, but from what we saw last year, they looked the strongest.
“Although at the end we had Leo [Bergere], who proved the series doesn’t finish until you cross the finish line in the last race.
“Then there’s guys like Vasco Vilaça, Vincent [Luis], Jelle Geens. I know they’ll be in good shape.”
Top image credit: Rafa Babot/Triathlon de Portocolom
Rob Slade
