The Rio 2016 triathlon test event brought huge excitement to Copacabana on Sunday (2 August), but things did not end when the athletes won their medals and Olympic Games places.

On Monday morning, triathletes from the USA and paratriathletes from Great Britain shared their knowledge and experience with Brazilian amateurs during a workshop on Copacabana beach, organised to say thank you to the local community for supporting the event.

Doctor and amateur triathlete Feliciano Azevedo said: “It was a wonderful initiative to bring elite athletes to talk to us. This brings the event closer to local people.”

Luiz Lima, a coach who represented Brazil in swimming at the Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 Games, was also present, and said: “It was a joy to share experiences with the best triathletes in the world, who are fighting for a place at the Rio Games or are already Olympians. It's a real gift for us.”

While the locals requested information about training, and asked what the professionals thought of the Copacabana venue, the Americans and Britons wanted to get local tips on how best to swin in a location subject to constant changes in currents and wave conditions.

“For me it was clear that I need to train more on how to go over the waves as well as how to get in and out of water,” said US triathlete Erin Jones.

Jones’ team-mate Chelsea Burns said: “It’s good to learn about reference points because sometimes we can’t see the buoys because of the waves.”

The workshop was organised by the Rio 2016 engagement team. “The idea to organise a meeting between locals and Olympic and Paralympic triathletes emerged as a way to thank the city for the ‘loaning’ its spaces for the test events,” said Mariana Behr, head of engagement at Rio 2016.