Italy win the Mixed Relay World Championships for the first time, ahead of France and Switzerland

Italy has been crowned world champion in mixed relays for the first time after winning this Tuesday in Montreal. The team composed of Filippo Ganna, Mattia Cattaneo, Matteo Sobrero, Vittoria Guazzini, Monica Trinca Colonel, and Elisa Longo Borghini completed the 40.4 kilometers in 51:32 and beat France by 8 seconds and Switzerland by 19. Spain once again delivered a solid performance to finish sixth.

Italy dominates both parts of the relay

The Mixed Relay World Championship is a very particular discipline that is contested with three men and three women per team. The men's trio completes their 20.2 kilometers first and hands over to the women, who cover the same distance. The final time is taken from the second runner to cross the finish line.

Italy arrived at this event with one of the strongest teams and responded from the first relay. Filippo Ganna, Mattia Cattaneo, and Matteo Sobrero recorded the best time among the men, leaving France 11 seconds behind and the reigning champion Australia 12 seconds behind.

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Switzerland was affected very early on by a mechanical problem with Stefan Küng. Mauro Schmid and Stefan Bissegger had to continue without him and handed over the relay with a 35-second deficit compared to Italy.

The Italian advantage not only held when the women entered the race. Vittoria Guazzini, Monica Trinca Colonel, and Elisa Longo Borghini managed to extend it to 16 seconds over France at the last intermediate point.

Juliette Berthet-Labous, Marion Borras, and Cédrine Kerbaol managed to recover some of that difference in the final stretch, but not enough. Italy crossed the finish line with 8 seconds of advantage and thus claimed its first rainbow jersey in this discipline.

Behind them, one of the great comebacks of the day occurred. With Marlen Reusser as the main engine, Switzerland managed to reduce a good part of the 35 seconds they had lost in the first relay and finished third, just 19 seconds behind Italy.

Australia, champion in 2024 and 2025, found itself outside the podium this time. Michael Matthews, Cameron Rogers, and Conor Leahy had handed over the relay still in contention, but Georgia Baker, Mackenzie Coupland, and Felicity Wilson-Haffenden could not contain the Swiss comeback. Australia finished fourth, 40 seconds behind.

Spain finishes sixth again after being in the virtual leaders' chair

Spain had finished sixth in Kigali 2025 and repeated the position in Montreal, although with two changes in their lineup. Iván Romeo, Héctor Álvarez, Mireia Benito, and Paula Blasi were the same as in the last World Championship, while Eñaut Urcaregui and Sandra Alonso entered this year in place of Raúl García and Usoa Ostolaza.

The Spanish performance was once again competitive. Iván Romeo, Héctor Álvarez, and Eñaut Urcaregui kept the team in contention during the first relay, before Sandra Alonso, Mireia Benito, and Paula Blasi completed a great second half.

Paula Blasi's performance was particularly noteworthy, as she set the pace for the women's trio and helped Spain initially establish the best reference among the teams that had already completed the event.

Spain's 52:43 significantly improved the times previously set by Norway and Poland and allowed the team to stay in the "hot seat" for a while. The arrival of the big favorites later pushed them down in the standings.

Italy, France, Switzerland, Australia, and Germany finished ahead, leaving Spain sixth, 1:10 behind the new world champion. This is exactly the same position achieved a year earlier in Kigali, although at that time the difference to Australia, the champion in that edition, had been 1:55.

Italy ends the dominance of Australia and Switzerland

The result in Montreal also breaks the succession of victories that Australia and Switzerland had maintained since 2022. The Swiss won the World Championships in 2022 and 2023, and Australia took over with the titles in 2024 and 2025. Italy now inaugurates its trophy cabinet in a discipline that celebrated its seventh world edition.

Top 10 Mixed Relay World Championship 2026

1. Italy — 51:32
2. France — +0:08
3. Switzerland — +0:19
4. Australia — +0:40
5. Germany — +0:48
6. Spain — +1:10
7. Norway — +1:49
8. Poland — +1:49
9. Canada — +2:07
10. Estonia — +3:25