YOUNG triathlon protégé Kira Ellis of the Philippines made a grand return from a long absence due to injury, winning the European Triathlon Junior Cup in Riga, Latvia.
Shaking off the rust after missing five races this year, Ellis completed the 750m swim, 22km bike, and 5km run in 1 hour, 5 minutes, and 7 seconds.
She finished 10 seconds ahead of runner-up Luca Vanderbruggen of Belgium and 15 seconds faster than third-place finisher Sarah Walter of Germany.
Competing against 16 other athletes, Ellis kept pace with the leaders through the swim and bike legs. Her seamless transition helped her gain crucial seconds, and she made a decisive move to secure the lead during the final run.
According to her mother and coach, Doray Ellis, Ellis was medically cleared to compete in Riga just two weeks before the race.
Initially, her goal was to use the event as a test, but she delivered an impressive performance, with the victory serving as a perfect gift for her 19th birthday this Wednesday.
This marks Ellis’ fourth career win and her biggest victory yet in 16 World Triathlon-sanctioned races. Her previous wins include the Individual and Mixed Relay at the 2024 Asian Triathlon Junior Cup Kampar and the Aquathlon Relay at the 2023 SEA Games.
Ellis’ win comes after her participation in a high-performance training camp in Desmor, Portugal, which was supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.
