In a race defined by grit, strategy and a last minute twist, Miriam Casillas (ESP) claimed victory in the women’s race at the San Pedro de la Paz World Cup. It was a landmark result: the first World Cup win by a Spanish woman in ten years, and the drama of a 10-second penalty added an unforgettable layer to a tense finish. Casillas’ win came ahead of Jeanne Lehair (LUX) who surged into silver, with Sophie Howell (CAN) completing her maiden World Cup podium after a hard-fought chase.
Cloudy skies greeted 49 women lining up for a wetsuit swim at Laguna Grande, in San Pedro de la Paz, for the debut of the beautiful Chilean location in the World Cup circuit. From the outset, Kanae Takenake (JPN) seized the lead, with only Vittoria Lopes (BRA) able to match the pace on her feet. In the chase pack, Luxembourg’s Jeanne Lehair trailed by 27 seconds, with Sandra Dodet (FRA) and Sara Guerrero (ESP) about 20 seconds behind. As the swimmers hit the exit, Takenake, Lopes, Howell (CAN), Casillas (ESP) and Katie Rodda (GBR) formed the lead group, sprinting the 150 meters along the blue carpet to transition.
A hiccup at transition for Lopes cost her a chance to stay with the leaders, and the escalating bike leg saw Takenake, Howell, Casillas and Rodda open a gap that fluctuated from 15 seconds to roughly a minute as Lehair tried to work to organize the chasers. By the time the lead group reached the second transition, they had built a lead of almost one minute and a half, with Lehair and the chase group trying to bridge the gap.
The drama exploded in transition when Casillas and Howell dismounted after the mount line, triggering a 10-second penalty on the run for each. Oblivious to the penalty, both pursued the pace with a blistering start, leaving Takenake and Rodda behind as the chase group emerged roughly 1 minute 15 seconds back. The race settled into a high-speed contest as the leaders hit the two-lap run course.
Casillas and Howell ran shoulder-to-shoulder for the first lap, while Lehair, Marta Pintanel (ESP), Maria Carolina Velasquez Soto (COL) and Sara Guerrero Manso (ESP) began to close the deficit. As they started the final 2.5 kilometers, Lehair had moved into third, with Pintanel still in contention and Velasquez Soto and Guerrero Manso close behind.
With about 1 kilometer to go, Casillas found another gear, pulling away from Howell and signaling that the finish line would be contested to the very end. When she was almost in the blue carpet, she had to stop for the famed 10-second penalty moment before continuing to finish first. Howell, also serving the same penalty, followed closely but could not regain the lead; Lehair overtook Howell in the penalty zone to claim silver.
Casillas spoke emotionally about the win, on what she considered a pivotal moment in her career. “I learned about the penalty on the first lap of the run. Sometimes when you have a bad moment it makes you push more and that’s what I did,” the 33-year-old said. Casillas last World Cup podium was back in 2019, and the last two years she has been struggling with injuries. “I actually think that the penalty gave me an extra gear, and it’s a great recap of my last two years. I’ve had really tough moments, but today I’m here, and it feels amazing to win from a swim breakaway.”
Lehair, proud of her performance and continuity after her victory in Vina del Mar, said she stayed focused despite the drama. “When I moved to third I thought that was it, but then I heard something about the penalty and I wasn’t sure. I kept pushing and managed to pass Howell to claim silver. I’m happy with the second place today.”
Howell celebrated her best World Cup result to date, describing the podium finish as a dream come true: “I didn’t expect this today, I’m over the moon.” Pintanel completed the top four, earning valuable points for the world rankings, followed by Velasquez Soto and Sara Guerrero Manso rounding out the top six, with three Spaniards among the leaders.
Rounding out the top 10 were Verena Steinhauser (ITA), Barbara de Koning (NED), Katie Rodda (GBR) and Aviv Levi (ISR).
