ALBUFEIRA SUPER SPRINT CROWNS GUSTAVO DO CANTO AND MARIA TOMÉ AS NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 

The 12th edition of the Albufeira Triathlon took place last Sunday (15), bringing more than 300 athletes to the municipality. The event featured multiple races across different categories and age groups. In the elite competition - the National Super Sprint Championship - victory went to athletes from Clube de Natação de Torres Novas, with Gustavo do Canto winning the men's title and Maria Tomé taking gold in the women's race.

On a morning dedicated to triathlon, Albufeira hosted the National Super Sprint Championship, with over 300 athletes from various age groups competing in an edition marked by a high level of performance.

The results reflected the intensity of the competition, with very small margins separating the top finishers. In the men's elite race, Gustavo do Canto secured the national title with a time of 20 minutes and 45 seconds, finishing just three seconds ahead of his teammate João Nuno Batista. Tomás Figueiredo, representing Outsystems Olímpico de Oeiras, completed the podium with a time of 20:56.

In the women's race, the outcome was decided in a sprint finish, with Maria Tomé, also from Clube de Natação de Torres Novas, taking the win. She completed the course in 23 minutes and 14 seconds—the exact same time recorded by runner-up Madalena Almeida (Outsystems Olímpico de Oeiras). Cassilda Carvalho, also representing Clube de Natação de Torres Novas, finished third with a time of 23:32.

The Super Sprint race consisted of a 300-metre swim, a 7.4-kilometre bike segment, and a 1.85-kilometre run. This format has been gaining prominence in recent years and is now included in the Olympic programme as part of the mixed relay event.

At the awards ceremony, Albufeira's mayor congratulated the winners and highlighted triathlon as "a particularly important sport in our municipality." Rui Cristina also emphasised the key role of sports clubs in developing young athletes, many of whom competed alongside elite participants.

The competition took place at Albufeira Marina and was part of the official programme for "Albufeira European City of Sport 2026."