Sergio Baxter (Totana, 22 years old) has taken a new firm step this weekend in Sunderland (England) to end up qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. He was the second best Spaniard in the penultimate test of the season in the World Series and also contributed to the mixed team achieving a creditable fifth place, its best historical position in a race of the main event of the world triathlon calendar.
On Saturday, in the men’s individual event, the totanero finished in 13th position. Despite serving a 10-second penalty for a penalty, Baxter brushed the ‘Top 10’ and was very active throughout the race, pulling the chasing pack and fighting until the last moment. In fact, after an attack by Baxter in the middle of the fourth lap of the bicycle sector, the chasing group hooked up with the leading group and 40 triathletes got together to fight for the victory in the decisive 5 kilometers of athletics.
In the end, the Frenchman Pierre Le Corre, with a great run, reached the sprint together with his compatriot Leo Berger and narrowly beat him. Bronze went to New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde. Antonio Serrat from Vigo was ninth, 33 seconds behind the winner. And Baxter finished 13th. The other two Spaniards finished far behind: Alberto González was 45th and Mario Mola, 49th.
great performance
Baxter, like Antonio Serrar, Miriam Casillas and Noelia Juan, scored a double at Sunderland. The four formed yesterday the mixed Spanish team that achieved a historic fifth position, the best of all time in this modality for the national triathlon. The totanero did the first relay, starting 13th in the swimming segment, just 7 seconds behind the leader. In the cycling segment, a group of 15 teams was formed that definitively left Brazil, Japan, Belgium and the Netherlands out of the fight. Baxter handed over the baton in eighth position, 6 seconds behind first.
Only Antonio Serrat surpassed him in the individual event and his relief in the mixed was key to the success of the Spanish team
Casillas, Serrat and Juan then finished off the job in a mixed test in which the relays consisted of 300-meter swimming segments, 7.7 km cycling and 1.7 km running. France won (01:26.53), followed by Great Britain, Norway, New Zealand and Spain (01:28.17). The Final of the Triathlon World Series will take place in Pontevedra, from September 20 to 24. There, Baxter will try to confirm his good form and consolidate himself in the triathlon elite.
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