MOLA Mario

General
RIO DISAPPOINTMENT
Despite being among the favourites for a medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, he finished eighth in the triathlon event. He says he does not regret the performance and that he is looking ahead to improve on it at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. "I do not consider it a chip on my shoulder because I gave everything I had and could not do more. What I have learned with the experience of years is that in a one-day race, no matter how well you are prepared, success depends on many factors, and there are some you cannot control. [Tokyo] will be a special race and I will prepare as best as I can, but I don't harbour any regrets about Rio." (lasprovincias.es, 05 Apr 2019)

TRIATHLON COUPLE
His long-term partner is Spanish triathlete Carolina Routier and he says she motivates him to perform at his best. When she was hit by a car in April 2018 and left with serious injuries that needed surgery, he heard the news hours before competing in a World Series event in Bermuda. "She has always been a motivation for me, but in this case, even more. Her positivism, and knowing how she sees things, is what made me forget how badly she was doing. No one is prepared for these things. During the two hours of the race, aware that things were developing well, that helped me to focus on what I had prepared for." (as.com, 13 Jul 2018, 25 Apr 2018)

FRIEND AND RIVAL
Despite being one of his main rivals, he is a close friend of Spanish triathlete Javier Gomez Noya. "We really get along. Our rivalry helps both of us to improve and I am very lucky and proud to be able to compete with Javier. I think he is the best [triathlete] ever. Javier has been an inspiration to me my whole career, someone I always look up to, and who has set the path for all Spanish athletes." (Facebook page, 06 Apr 2019; 220triathlon.com, 16 Sep 2018; avancedeportivo.es, 05 Sep 2014)

FURTHER STUDIES
He has also studied a master's degree in international finance through the National University of Distance Education in Spain, and has studied financial management at the Chartered Financial Analyst [CFA] Institute. (Instagram profile, 01 Jan 2019; LinkedIn profile, 01 Jan 2020)

In 2018 he became the second triathlete from any nation, after compatriot Javier Gomez Noya, to have won the overall World Series title three times in a row. (220triathlon.com, 16 Sep 2018; triathlon.org, 15 Feb 2018; SportsDeskOnline, 01 Aug 2019)