An in-depth interview with world number 2 Vasco Vilaça
Vasco Vilaça is a 20-year-old triathlete from Portugal and is currently based in Sweden. As a junior athlete he won two European titles and was second at the World Junior Championships. We caught up with him after a breakthrough season which saw him become World Vice Champion and fourth on the ITU World Rankings. We talked about Covid-19 and training, his transition from Junior to Senior athlete and his aspirations for next year.
Tomos Land – How did you first get started in Triathlon?
Vasco Vilaça – It was 14 years ago, when I was six years old. My parents really wanted me to learn how to swim and I enjoyed the bike and the run. Vanessa Fernandes, who was the 2007 World Champion and Olympic Silver Medalist in Beijing was well known in Portugal at the time, therefore there was a lot of triathlon on the television. The combination of a lot of exposure to triathlon on the TV and my parent’s willingness for me to swim led to me joining a triathlon group.
TL – Were you six when you raced for the first time?
VV – No, to begin with I only raced Duathlon as I didn’t like the idea of swimming in dirty water! However, I ended up racing a triathlon for the first time when I was 7.
TL – Did you participate in any other sports growing up?
VV – Before triathlon I did Gymnastics. Whilst I was growing up, I played Basketball, Football and Handball, mainly just as a way of having fun with my friends.
TL – Why was Triathlon your favorite?
VV – I had a good group of close friends at the triathlon club, so I always wanted to go to training to spend time with them. When you have fun there it is always easy to turn up at training.
TL – You’ve already mentioned Vanessa Fernandes, who else would you say was a big influence on you growing up and who do you still look up to now?
VV – I think Vanessa was my biggest influence throughout my childhood. She did things that no other Portuguese triathlete had done and was influential for many years. She is still one of my biggest influences to this day, but I would also say (Javier) Gomez. I admire his career, he spent so many years at the top and is a great athlete.
TL – As one of the youngest guys on the ITU circuit, is there anyone else you look up to? Or do you kind of feel now that you’re on their level you just want to compete against them?
VV – I look up to a lot of them, Vincent Luis, the Brownlees and Mario Mola. However, the mentality you must possess when racing them is to let go of that feeling. Too much respect for them in a race is bad because you believe they’re better than you. It’s tough in the beginning to let go of that idolization, you must see them as your competitors.
TL – You have to think of yourself as an equal to them.
VV – Yes exactly.
TL – What was training like for you during lockdown? You’re based in Sweden now aren’t you?
VV – Yes, I’m in Sweden now. At the start of March, I was in the Playitas Resort in Fuerteventura training. Everything got locked down, so I had to fly back to Portugal which was also locked down. I was there for 5 months, 3 months without swimming before we bought a small pool like a lot of other athletes. I spent a lot of time in the gym and concentrating on my bike and run. It wasn’t until June that I flew back to Sweden, where I could swim, and then there I had two months of training before racing returned.
TL – So when you could start back swimming, what did an average week look like?
VV – An average week for me consists of between 25 to 30 hours of training. I swim around 25-35km, bike for between 10-12 hours (300-400km) and run around 70km.
TL – When you returned to racing, your first event was the Super League Arena Games where you finished second. What was that like and how much do you enjoy Super League races?
VV – I really enjoy Super League, as for a young athlete it’s the best way to get used to racing the elite. I raced in Jersey and Malta last year and it’s a great step up. Because the race in the arena games was 50% virtual, you didn’t feel like you were racing against the best in the world, you were just racing someone on a screen. This made it a lot easier to fight against them and I ended up beating people like Gomez, Brownlee and Murray which was a big breakthrough.
Racing Super League in Jersey was one of my best experiences, everyone is supporting you and the crowd are really vibing with the race. Super League does a really good job with the media which is what makes it so popular. They make the races a great way of connecting with people at the race venue too, throughout the week we’re there they put on a load of activities, from doing PE lessons at local schools to leading training sessions at sports clubs. We do fun stuff too like cooking competitions and hair dressing at local salons.
TL – What is the most interesting change SL have done to racing and what’s your favorite format?
VV – I would say the short chute, as it means you always have something to work for. Super League are good at listening to the athletes to find out how they can make the racing more interesting and exciting. With regards to my favorite format, I haven’t tested them all, but I would have to say the equalizer.
TL – Let’s talk about your Junior career, you were a two-time European Champion and podiumed at the World Championships, but what was the transition from Junior to Senior like?
VV – It was a big step up, as it is such a large gap to the top. I think this is the time where a lot of good juniors leave the sport, because it is so hard to get there and requires a lot of time and effort. In 2018/19 I had a tough time with several poor performances. I started to question what I was doing and even asked my coach what was going so wrong. However, 2020 showed that it was time that I needed. The athletes above me all have an extra 10 years of training behind them, so I must try my hardest to catch up. Lockdown was good for me as I could get my head down and work hard without any distractions or the stress racing brings. The key to making the transition was patience, which is what everyone tells you, but it’s hard to look ahead.
TL – After a great race at the Arena Games, what were you hoping for at your first Senior World Championships in Hamburg? Confident?
VV – I was confident, the arena games contributed a lot to that. I went there fighting for a medal and did it. Beating so many of my idols at the arena games gave me the confidence to aim high.
TL – How did you feel after the race?
VV – Naturally I felt happy, but at the same time I wasn’t 100% satisfied. As an athlete you are always thinking right, what is my next goal? What is my next target? It is hard to be completely satisfied, especially after finishing second, even if it was a strong performance. The World Champs did give me the confidence however to believe that I could without a doubt race against the best in the world, and that’s what I did in Karlovy Vary. (Where Vasco finished 2nd to Vincent Luis in only his third Olympic Distance Race)
TL – Now that you have established yourself as a real contender on the ITU circuit, what are your hopes for 2021? Tokyo?
VV – Every triathlete wants to go to the Olympics, but because I am so young, I missed a whole year of the Olympic cycle, which meant I lost out on a lot of points. I am focused on my development and have told the Federation I don’t want to risk my career by racing too much in a bid to make up for lost ground. I will have plenty of opportunities in the future, however if I get to the point where I am the best contender (for Portugal’s team to Tokyo), like I showed in Hamburg, then we can talk about it so I guess we’ll see. It would be a dream to make it into the Olympics, but next season I’ll concentrate on the WTS races and training as well as possible.
TL – Right, onto the quick-fire round. First question, favorite course?
VV – Lausanne.
TL – Favorite book?
VV – Harry Potter! The Philosopher’s Stone.
TL – Can’t believe you didn’t say the Half-Blood Prince! Right, who is the funniest person on the ITU circuit?
VV – Gustav Iden, no doubt about it. He makes all races so much fun.
TL – Have you seen the picture of him riding a bike naked in Sierra Nevada? That’s hilarious.
VV – Yes, he’s the funniest. He’s always telling funny jokes and stories. I remember at the World Championships, where he tried to drink from a water bottle with a mask on his face!
TL – Favorite pre-race song?
VV – Queen, I have listened to them since I was six. My Dad would play them on the way to triathlon races when I was younger, that’s my pre-race routine.
TL – Last question, what is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you during a race or training?
VV – That is a tough one as I usually forget things that embarrass me! However, I am awful at remembering names, and have had so many awkward moments with sponsors or other competitors and just trying to introduce people to my friends.
TL – I can imagine that’s a tricky one. Thanks so much for the interview and your time, good luck next year!
VV – Thank you.
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