Sunday, November 12, 2023 - Vina del Mar, the tourist capital of Chile, geared up for another round of thrilling triathlon one week after the 2023 Pan American Games. 61 men from across the world lined up for a challenging sprint triathlon battle which consisted of a 750m swim, 18.5km bike and 5km run. With a full field of triathletes, spectators were in for an impressive display of top-tier athleticism and competition.
Lone English-speaking Caribbean athlete Matthew Wright stormed his way ahead of the field to capture the gold in 53 minutes and 46 seconds ahead of the Venezuelan pair Luis Velasquez Ramos and Yhousman Perdomo Peña who placed second and third respectively in 53:59 and 54:12 minutes. American Ryan Luczak finished fourth in 54:14 minutes.
With similar temperatures a week ago, participants were outfitted in wetsuits to brace the chilly 13.8-degree waters of El Sol beach. Velasquez Ramos and Perdomo Peña were the first athletes out of the 1-lap swim. Wright emerged 10 seconds behind in fourth place but managed to have an excellent transition which propelled him into second place going into the 3-lap bike course. The trio worked well together to give themselves an initial 10-second gap between them and the chase group of eight. Heading into lap 2, the gap widened to 25 seconds and by the end of the final lap, they amassed a 40-second lead.
In the run Perdomo Peña got off to a quick start but teammate Velasquez Ramos and Wright kept pace closely behind; 1.5 km into the run Wright and Ramos caught up to Perdomo and eventually passed him. With gold in sight, the battle intensified and Wright pulled away with about 1 km left to maintain a comfortable 13-second cushion ahead of Velasquez ultimately securing a well-deserved victory. For a complete list of race results and more information about the event visit www.triathlon.org.
Wright who started the 2023 season ranked 110th, jumped 57 spots to 53rd in the world and 10th in the Americas. BFIT would like to congratulate Matthew on his fantastic race and remarkable season. President Darren Treasure noted, “this is indeed a phenomenal achievement for Matthew; his hard work and dedication throughout the year have clearly paid off, and ending the season on such a high note is quite an accomplishment for the Olympic hopeful.”
The success of Wright’s endeavours on the world circuit would not have been possible without the dedication and support of numerous individuals and organizations. BFIT expresses gratitude to Matthew Wright’s Team and Coach Luke Watson, the Barbados Federation of Island Triathletes, The Barbados Olympic Association, and the Arts & Sports Promotion Fund for their contributions and assistance.
BFIT is the governing federation for triathlon and triathletes in Barbados. BFIT sanctions and organizes multi-sport events, which include Triathlon, Duathlon, and Aquathlon. For more information on future events and the sport of triathlon visit https://triathlonbarbados.com/ and/or contact triathlonbarbados@gmail.com. Join our Facebook Page: Barbados Triathlon and follow us on Instagram: 246bfit to keep informed on local and overseas races as well as new developments surrounding the sport.