In a dramatic sprint through Vina del Mar’s chilly coast, Jeanne Lehair seized her moment for Luxembourg, overcoming the challenging conditions to clinch her first World Cup win -after a few World Triathlon Championship Series podiums and one victory this year-. The tough 750m swim, 20km bike, and 5km run in Chile tested the field, but Lehair’s late-race surge left a beaming Sara Guerrero Manso (ESP) in second and Rosa Elena Martinez Melchor (VEN) taking bronze in a memorable World Cup debut on the podium.
Vina del Mar delivered the kind of racing that fans dream of: a cold-water start, fierce ocean chop, and a run that rewarded nerve and pace. The day’s conditions were unforgiving from the outset—the Pacific swirl biting at the swimmers with 13-degree water and a breeze that nudged air temperature just above that. Waves crashed the entry, turning the opening 750 meters into a test of who could find clean water and stay with a compact group.
In a moment that set the tone for the afternoon, Lehair and Rosa Elena Martinez Melchor timed a perfect wave and surged ahead to anchor a leading pack of seven out of the first transition: Jeanne Lehair (LUX), Rosa Elena Martinez Melchor (VEN), Katie Rodda (GBR), Miriam Casillas (ESP), Sara Guerrero Manso (ESP), Sophia Howell (CAN), and Michaela Sterbova (SVK). Their exit from the water marked a slim but vital edge over the chasers and a surge into a nervous, fast-paced bike.
As the peloton pinned on their helmets for three laps through Vina del Mar’s seaside streets, the lead seven quickly pulled clear, finishing the first lap with nearly a minute advantage over the main chase group. By the time the athletes hit the final 5km run, the gap hovered around a minute and a half, with barbara Riveros (CHI), Sandra Dodet (FRA), Barbara De Koning (NED) and Marta Pintanel (ESP) leading the hard-charging chase behind. But the story of the day would unfold on the run, where Lehair would deliver the decisive move.
From the start of the run, Lehair’s pace was a masterclass in aggression and control. Guerrero Manso, the Spaniard, matched the Luxembourgish athlete’s tempo on the first two kilometers, but Lehair’s speed endurance began to show. Casillas and Martinez Melchor pressed to bridge into podium contention, while Howell battled to hold the line with the front group. With two kilometers to go, Lehair put the hammer down, dropping Guerrero and forcing a split from Casillas and Martinez Melchor. The move wasn’t merely a sprint; it was a statement that Lehair had found again the winning formula after a wobble in Wollongong.
In the final push to the line, Lehair maintained her rhythm and powered clear, crossing first to claim her maiden World Cup victory. Guerrero Manso held on for a remarkable second place—her best World Cup result so far—while Rosa Elena Martinez Melchor completed an extraordinary day for Venezuela with bronze, tears of joy marking a landmark moment just months after abdominal surgery. Miriam Casillas finished in fourth, with Sophia Howell rounding out the top five as the disciplined group behind battled for the last podium spots.
Michaela Sterbova, Sandra Dodet, Katie Rodda, Marta Pintanel, and Maria Carolina Velasquez Soto (COL) followed on the finish line to complete the top 10 on the day.
