TOP Filipina triathlete Kira Ellis stamped her class abroad when she copped the Junior Women crown in the 2025 Europe Triathlon Cup in Riga, Latvia over the weekend.

The lone Filipina and Asian to compete in her category, the 18-year-old Ellis snagged the championship tiara by breasting the tape in one hour, five minutes, and seven seconds.

By defeating 15 other foreign rivals in the 750m-swim, 22km-bike, and 5.1km-run competition, Ellis made a triumphant return after being sidelined for six months due to shin splint (medial tibial stress syndrome).

“Honestly, I was just happy to be back on the start line after not racing for a while. 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 said in a Facebook post.

“A few weeks before Riga, my coaches and I were still debating whether I was ready to compete. I hadn’t really done any interval sessions—mostly just steady runs—so we weren’t sure where my run would stand. But to me, just getting on to a start line again was all I’ve wished for. Based on my swim and bike training, I knew I had a shot at the podium, but I tried not to put too much pressure on myself and just enjoy racing again,” she added.

Belgium’s Luca Vanderbruggen (1:05:17) came in second while Germany’s Walter Sarah (1:05:22) wound up third.

Ellis’ triumph came after her golden finishes in the 2024 Asia Triathlon Junior Cup in Malaysia and in the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia.

Ellis is one of the athletes to watch out for when the Philippine Team competes in the 2025 SEA Games this December in Thailand.(CCM)

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• #Europe Triathlon Cup 2025
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• #Junior Women’s Triathlon Champion
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• #Asian Athlete Abroad
• #Shin Splint Recovery
• #Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome
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