Mislawchuk gives it his all in men’s triathlon at Paris 2024
After battling injuries for several years, just making it to the starting line of the men’s triathlon at Paris 2024 was an achievement for Tyler Mislawchuk.
Not only did the Oak Bluff, Manitoba athlete compete, he was in medal contention for much of the race, finishing an impressive ninth on a hot day in Paris.
“For me, I did everything I could over the last three years,” an emotional Mislawchuk said after the race. “I’ve come back from an Achilles tear, concussion, crashes… you name it, I had it in the last three years. To stand on the start line healthy and give it my all… I’m proud of the effort. You want more, but that’s all I had in me.”
Mislawchuk is a three-time Olympian but the ninth-place finish is his best ever at a Games. In fact, it is the first time a Canadian has broken into the top 10 of an Olympic triathlon since Simon Whitfield’s silver at Beijing 2008. Mislawchuk finished 15th at both Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. It was in Tokyo where he partially tore his Achilles tendon during the individual race after experiencing some pain during training the week prior, forcing him to withdraw from the mixed relay.
“For me, it’s everything I had,” said Mislawchuk. “Third Olympics. Last Olympics, you know, with injury and all the stuff that happened, it was a lot of ‘what if.'”
Mislawchuk said there are no “what ifs” this time around.
“It was absolutely everything. I vomited 10 times after the race. Got hot in the last laps.”
The men’s triathlon was originally scheduled to take place on Tuesday but the event was postponed a day due to water conditions in the Seine. Mislawchuk sat 20th after the 1500m swim portion and stayed in the same spot after the 40km bike ride.
It was in the 10km run where the 29-year-old began to make his move. Mislawchuk quickly moved up to 10th, then fifth and then into medal position. But the Canadian didn’t quite have enough left in the tank to maintain a spot on the podium.
Mislawchuk said he was mentally looking at the road race in increments of 20 seconds. At the 6km mark, he said he started to run out of gas.
“The last 4km felt like an eternity out there but I just kept repeating, ‘The rest of your life. Let’s go. This is it.'”
After the race, Mislawchuk was reflective about his journey to this point – not just the injuries he’s overcome, but the fact that someone from small town Manitoba made it to the Olympic Games as a triathlete.
“I want to thank my supporters around the world. Without them I wouldn’t be here and just a kid from Winnipeg, Manitoba – or specifically Oak Bluff, where it’s minus 50. I’m here at the summer Olympics. I came fourth in the Manitoba Games. I couldn’t even get on the podium there. Fifteen years later, I’m fighting for a medal at the Olympics.”
It was quite a finish to the triathlon with Great Britain’s Alex Yee passing New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde in the final lap. Leo Bergere of France won the bronze.
Charles Paquet was the only other Canadian competing in the men’s triathlon, finishing a solid 13th. Earlier in the morning, Emy Legault competed in the women’s event and finished 35th.