The German team, consisting of Tim Hellwig, Lisa Tertsch, Lasse Luhers, and Lindemann, won the title thanks to a remarkable performance by their final leg runner over the 1,800 metres of running that decided the podium. The winning team crossed the finish line with a total time of 1:25:39, which allowed them to edge out the American and British athletes by just one second.

The finish was so close on the blue mat of the Alexandre III Bridge that a photo finish was required to determine the silver and bronze medals. Initially, the officials announced Great Britain as the runner-up, but shortly after, they corrected the result: the United States, by a matter of milliseconds, had recorded the second-best time of the competition.

At the start, Spain led with Alberto González, who was the first participant to exit the water. While he was also leading the cycling section, it was announced that he had received a 20-second penalty for bumping into a boat and for an elbow to another competitor in the water. Subsequently, Dutchman Mitch Kolkman began to lead the race during the cycling section. France’s chances were hampered, losing 40 seconds after Pierre Le Corre fell off his bike and had to stop to fix his chain before resuming the ride.

Alex Yee, who won the individual race last week and led the British team to gold in the Tokyo 2020 relays, soon took the lead in the running section before the second exchange, with his compatriot Georgia Taylor-Brown confirming the lead. Germany and Italy became the main challengers until German Lisa Tertsch moved ahead along with Swiss Julie Derron.

In the second male leg, the battle between Great Britain and Germany intensified. Dickinson and Luhers engaged in a fierce duel. Both emerged from the water together and dismounted their bikes at the same time, with a 15-second advantage over the United States, Italy, and Portugal. At this stage, the defending champions created a gap with Beth Potter leading in the seven kilometres of cycling, but by the time of the transition to the final running segment, the British runner was accompanied by American Taylor Knibb and German Lindemann.

The three contested the medals in a thrilling finish. Potter was the first to attack with her running shoes on but failed to distance herself from her rivals. Then Lindemann made her move, and with a tremendous effort, managed to break the tape marking the access to the gold. "I believed in myself and gave it everything. It’s incredible; I can’t put it into words. The team did a great job, and we deserved it," said Lindemann.

Her teammate Tim Hellwig, who started the relay for his country and was also part of the world championship-winning team last year, said that Lindemann's finish was very exciting to watch. "We know she has one of the strongest legs in world triathlon, but you always have to prove it on the biggest stage, and in the end, she did," concluded the athlete.

The bacteria threat

The staging of the mixed relay triathlon final was in doubt until yesterday, 4 August, as recent rainfall in Paris had worsened the contamination of the Seine. High levels of E. coli bacteria in the water of France’s most famous river had already forced the cancellation of two training sessions and the postponement of the men’s event to late July, raising concerns among athletes, delegations, and fans.

Among those affected is Belgian triathlete Claire Michel, who is hospitalised after contracting the bacteria following her participation in the triathlon held on the Seine last Wednesday, 31 July, according to the Belgian media outlet De Standaard. Similar issues occurred with Swiss athlete Adrien Brifdod, who is also suffering from a gastrointestinal infection. Both were unable to compete in Monday’s mixed triathlon event.

Despite these cases, French authorities went ahead with the scheduled competition on Monday, 5 August, at 8 am. "The latest test results confirm that the quality of the Seine water at the triathlon site has improved in recent hours, and prospective analyses indicate that the water quality will be within acceptable limits," stated the Paris 2024 organising committee in a press release.