San Pedro de la Paz, Chile — Canadian triathlete Sophia Howell reached a career milestone on Sunday, capturing her first-ever World Triathlon Cup podium with a bronze medal in San Pedro de la Paz, Chile.
The 23-year-old from Airdrie, Alberta, delivered a consistent all-around performance in the sprint-distance race, finishing in one hour, one minute, and 12 seconds (1:01:12). Competing over a 750-metre swim, 20-kilometre bike, and 5-kilometre run, Howell stayed in contention from start to finish in one of the final international events of the triathlon season.
“I’m so excited. I didn’t expect this today so I’m over the moon,” said Howell. “I’m super excited to finish a long season with so many ups and downs on a good note.”
Strong Start Leads to Career Breakthrough
Howell began the race among the front pack, emerging from the water in third place. She pushed the pace through the bike segment, taking control of the lead group and entering the second transition in second position.
Exiting transition just one second behind the leader, Howell maintained her composure during the run, matching stride-for-stride with Spain’s Miriam Casillas García, who eventually pulled ahead in the final kilometre. Both athletes were forced to serve 10-second penalties for dismount line infractions during the final stretch.
Despite the setback, Howell managed to hold onto third place to secure her first podium finish on the World Triathlon Cup circuit.
“Unfortunately, I had a bit of confusion at the dismount line and got a penalty which cost me second place in the end. I saw on the first lap (of the run) I had the penalty. I was going to serve it at the end, and I did just as I was getting ready to sprint the last 50 metres,” said Howell. “I was hurting at the end when Miriam was putting some time into me. I was pretty worried but as soon as I was finished with the penalty I knew I had some time and would be okay.
“I was really happy with my run that kept me in podium contention until the end of the race.”
Spain and Luxembourg Claim Top Spots
Spain’s Miriam Casillas García took the gold medal with a time of 1:01:03, while Jeanne Lehair of Luxembourg claimed silver in 1:01:09. Howell’s bronze finish represents a key step forward for the emerging Canadian triathlete, who has been steadily improving on the international stage throughout the 2024 season.
Canadian Team Results
Canada’s Emy Legault of L’Île Perrot, Quebec, who represented the nation at the 2024 Olympic Games, finished 12th with a time of 1:02:22.
In the men’s competition, Martin Sobey of Charlottetown, P.E.I., led the Canadian contingent, placing 14th in 55:21. Blake Harris of Sanford, Manitoba, followed in 44th, while Liam Donnelly of Campbellville, Ontario, finished 47th (57:55). Clayton Hutchins of Victoria, B.C., was close behind in 48th (57:56), and Pavlos Antoniades of Trois-Rivières, Quebec, rounded out the group in 54th (59:38).
The event marks the latest stop in the World Triathlon Cup series, which attracts top-tier athletes from around the globe competing for international ranking points and Olympic qualification opportunities.
Rising Star for Triathlon Canada
For Howell, the Chile podium symbolizes not only a personal achievement but also a promising sign for Triathlon Canada’s growing pool of young talent. The result comes as the organization continues to invest in athlete development through partnerships with sponsors and national sport agencies.
Triathlon Canada, the national governing body for the sport, supports more than 22,000 members, including athletes, coaches, and officials across all levels. Backed by partners such as Z3R0D, Tribe Solutions, NIRVANA, Austral, Training Peaks, Champion Systems, BOCO Gear, Outway, SCICON, ZiZU Optics, and Fulgaz, along with institutional support from the City of Victoria, the Government of Canada, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee, and Own the Podium, the organization continues to foster Canada’s next generation of Olympic and world-class triathletes.
For full race standings, visit www.triathloncanada.com.
