Filipina Kira Ellis rules junior women’s race in Riga Triathlon

Filipina triathlete Kira Ellis delivered a golden performance in her international return, ruling the junior women’s division of the 2025 Europe Triathlon Junior Cup over the weekend.

The 20-year-old national team standout clocked 1:05:07 in the sprint-distance race, which featured a 750-meter swim, a 22-kilometer four-lap bike course, and a 5.1-kilometer two-lap run. Ellis powered through the opening swim leg in 12:09, sustained her pace with a 34:27 bike ride, and sealed her victory with a 17:41 run, plus two transition times of 27 seconds each.

Belgium’s Luca Vanderbruggen trailed by just 10 seconds at 1:05:17 for silver, while Germany’s Sarah Walter settled for bronze at 1:05:22.

The triumph marked a resounding comeback for Ellis, who admitted she had doubts about her readiness to compete after a challenging season.

“This year has been quite tough for me. There were definitely a lot of low moments, but also so many lessons that helped me grow as an athlete,” Ellis shared on social media. “A few weeks before Riga, my coaches and I were still debating whether I was ready to compete. To me, just getting on the start line again was all I wished for.”

Ellis’ gold in Latvia adds to her growing international résumé. She previously helped the Philippines capture the aquathlon mixed team relay gold medal at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia, alongside Matthew Hermosa, Erica Burgos, and Inaki Lorbes.

With her successful return to competition, Ellis proved she can stand tall against Europe’s best juniors, further cementing her status as one of the Philippines’ rising stars in triathlon.