Having claimed his first Ironman 70.3 world title on debut and successfully defending it, Jelle is the athlete to beat. Having already made history as the first (and only) Belgian to win two World Triathlon Championship Series races, he moved up to the middle distance after his final Olympics in 2024 and won the Ironman 70.3 World Championship on debut in Taupo, New Zealand, overtaking a hometown favourite in the latter kilometres of the run to take the crown. The following year, he executed a masterclass in Marbella to win in a sprint finish against another world champion.

He rose to the Bahrain Victorious winning culture this team expects, has dominated the middle distance landscape and is now looking to step up to the Ironman World Championship.