Sports
Yago Alves Targets Middle Distance and the T100 Circuit
The triathlete outlines his transition to the 70.3, the value of speed workouts, and his drive for international growth.
In an interview on the stemma podcast, Yago Alves explained why he shifted his focus to middle-distance triathlon. The Brazilian athlete assessed areas for improvement across the swim, bike, and run while sharing his ambitions to race regularly in the Ironman Pro Series and the T100 tour.
Transitioning to middle- and long-distance triathlon is often a natural progression, but for Yago Alves, it was also a strategic and practical decision. After wrapping up his time with Pinheiros and returning to Balneário Camboriú, the athlete identified the middle distance as the ideal path to stay competitive at the highest level alongside coach Palito, leaning into endurance strengths his coaches had highlighted for years.
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Balancing Race Distances and Cultivating Raw Speed
Although his primary focus is on IRONMAN 70.3 events, Alves continues to race shorter formats, including Olympic distance, sprint triathlons, and hybrid setups like the 60/15. For the triathlete, the aggressive pacing of short-course racing serves as an indispensable speed engine required to sustain fast paces in longer events.
Pursuing high speeds helps compensate for his physiology, as he is not inherently an explosive athlete. High-intensity pack swimming, hard bike surges, and aggressive 5K or 10K runs keep his race pace sharp. Regarding the full IRONMAN distance, Alves notes he had a one-off trial with Palito's backing—with no pressure to finish—but remains committed to steady development in the middle distance before taking on new challenges.
Refining Performance Across All Three Disciplines
Reflecting on his current form, Alves aims for balanced progress across the board. Possessing a well-rounded skill set across all three sports, he is fine-tuning the tactical details needed to challenge the world's best. In the swim—his strongest discipline—the goal is to consistently exit the water among the top two or three contenders.
On the bike, his priority is building the power to ride hard solo while covering surges within the professional pack. On the run, which continues an upward trajectory, his target is finding the consistency to clock 1:12 half-marathon splits in every race.
Global Ambitions: Ironman Pro Series and the T100 Tour
Looking toward the international stage, Alves aims to make racing premier global events a regular habit. Rather than sporadic appearances like the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, his roadmap for upcoming seasons centers on competing in the Ironman Pro Series and earning a spot on the World Triathlon and PTO T100 circuit.
The 100km format—a 2 km swim, 80 km bike, and 18 km run—appeals strongly to the Brazilian athlete due to its fast and aggressive nature. For Alves, consistently lining up against the world's elite is the only way to build the race resilience needed to climb the international rankings.
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