Crown Racing closed out the 2025 Supertri League Series with a silver overall team finish, led by Bahrain Victorious 13’s Vasco Vilaça who took podiums both on the day as well as overall.

The men’s racing kicked off the afternoon with Vilaça joined by teammates Ricardo Batista, Roberto Sanchez-Mantecon, and last-minute substitute Aurelien Jem for three consecutive, non-stop supersprint triathlons. The Portuguese star, who entered the finale ranked second overall after third in Toronto and second in Jersey, recovered from a slow first swim to fight back into contention. He ultimately finished third on the day to secure silver in the overall standings.

“It was really hard for me seeing Seth [Rider] in the front together with Csongor [Lehmann] helping each other,” Vilaça said post-race. “I had to do the work by myself. I didn’t get that much help. I kind of feel like I kept the same gap the whole time — around 10 seconds. I did my best.”

Batista crossed the line just behind Vilaça to secure a surprise third overall in the series. He said, “I was not expecting to finish third in the series. I think I had no podium during the season but I had a couple of good finishes, and it’s really nice to finish on the podium in my first Supertri season.”

Sanchez Mantecon finished 10th while Jem was eliminated, leaving Crown Racing only 20 points behind the series leaders halfway through the day’s racing. The women’s event was set to decide the final standings.

Georgia Taylor-Brown lined up alongside Miriam Casillas Garcia, as well as Supertri debutants Aspen Andersen and Elena Polaert. After exiting the first swim in third, Taylor-Brown pushed the pace early on the bike before being reeled back by the field. The multiple Olympic medalist and three-time Supertri champion stayed in the fight throughout, narrowly missing the podium but securing third overall in the series.

“I was just really focused on trying to hang onto third, and yeah, I just about did that,” Taylor-Brown said. “This is better than I could have expected. I was hoping to maybe scrape a top six in the series considering the work I’ve done this year, so I’m really, really happy. I’ve just enjoyed every minute of it and it’s been fun to get out there and go hard.”

With the furious pace up front, Polaert was the first Crown Racing athlete eliminated, followed by Andersen, who crashed earlier in the race. Casillas Garcia was the last to bow out in 10th on the day but secured 6th overall in the series.

Crown Racing’s runner-up finish marked the end of a demanding season that tested the team’s grit and determination.

All eyes now turn to Kona, Hawaii, where the world’s best female long-course triathletes take on the Ironman World Championship – the final year the women race separately from the men. Kat Matthews returns in pursuit of gold after taking silvers in 2022 and 2024, while Taylor Knibb is looking to improve on her fourth place in 2023 and India Lee makes her long-awaited debut on the Big Island.

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Lauren Parker Leads Bahrain Victorious 13’s Medal Haul at World Championships

Lauren Parker Leads Bahrain Victorious 13’s Medal Haul at World Championships

The Bahrain Victorious 13 captured an impressive medal haul at the World Triathlon Championships in Wollongong, Australia this weekend.

Lauren Parker led the campaign, winning two medals including her fifth paratriathlon world title.

The paratriathlon races opened the elite competition on Saturday, where Parker once again proved untouchable. She led from the front, exiting the 750-metre swim first, hammering the 20-kilometre handbike leg with the day’s fastest split, and then powering through the 5-kilometre wheelchair run to cross the line 70 seconds clear of her nearest rival.

Unbeaten all year, Parker’s home victory carried extra meaning as she reclaimed the crown she relinquished last season.

“Everyone was so supportive out there and it definitely made me push a little bit harder,” Parker said post-race. “I wanted to get back on top again and I really worked hard for this one and I’m just happy to get it done.”

She also revealed her next sporting ambition: to qualify for the Winter Paralympic Games, with ongoing training in cross-country skiing and biathlon.

On Sunday, Parker added to her tally with a silver medal in the Para Mixed Relay World Championships, helping the Australian team to a podium finish.

In the men’s elite race, Vasco Vilaça placed fifth to secure the overall World Triathlon Championship Series bronze medal, returning to the world podium for the first time since earning silver at the one-day championship in Hamburg in 2020.

Emma Lombardi also delivered a standout performance, claiming bronze in the women’s race – her best finish of the season – and vaulting seven places to 11th overall in the Series standings. She swam into the pointy end on the 1.5-kilometre swim alongside compatriot Cassandre Beaugrand, then attacked on the 40-kilometre bike to lead onto the 10-kilometre run where she battled against the eventual winner and series champion Lisa Tertsch and a hard-charging Bianca Seregni to hold onto the final spot on the podium.

Beaugrand, who had stayed in the lead pack throughout the swim and bike, was forced to withdraw on the run to conclude her season ranked seventh overall.

The results in Wollongong wrap up the Bahrain Victorious 13’s short course season. The team now turns its attention to middle distance racing with the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Marbella, Spain and Ironman 70.3 Bahrain on the horizon, as well as the T100 Tour’s final two stops in Dubai and Qatar.

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Kat Matthews Runs to Silver and a Record Finish in Kona

Kat Matthews Runs to Silver and a Record Finish in Kona

Kat Matthews led the charge for the Bahrain Victorious 13 on Saturday, taking her third IRONMAN World Championship silver medal at the historic final all-women’s race in Kona, Hawaii. The British star also set a new run course record on the way to her first-ever...

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