Australia’s Emma Jeffcoat has struck silver in Napier, New Zealand, to secure her first World Triathlon Cup podium since 2019.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympian finished strong in a sprint finish to take second place, three-seconds behind winner Desirae Ridenuor (CAN) and ahead of Ainsley Thorpe (NZL).
Jeffcoat has made a remarkable start to her year, following a challenging couple of seasons spent battling a femoral stress fracture, ankle reconstruction, and a blood clot.
“I am so over the moon,” Jeffcoat said
“I think everyone knows how hard it’s been the last six years. For so long I thought I would never get back on the podium.
“This race isn’t for me, it’s for ever thought they can’t do it and lost that self-belief. Honestly, just keep working, because when you keep showing up magic can still happen.”
The 30-year-old was right in the mix from the start, her trademark swim-bike combination placing her at the front of the field out of the water and establishing her as a key aggressor in the front bike pack of six.
The run leg, something Jeffcoat has admitted to struggling with in recent years, saw her rediscover her best form – matching strides with Ridenuor and Thorpe over the 5km.
With 250m to go, she surged into a sprint finish but was narrowly edged out by the Canadian at the line.
“I felt really, really comfortable,” Jeffcoat said.
“I’ve been running well in training but sometimes it doesn’t translate and that’s really frustrating, but today it felt so good to get off on that run and actually feel like I could go toe-to-toe with Ainsley and Des.
“I back my sprint finish, Des was the better sprinter today, so kudos to her – but I’m so stoked to take a silver medal.”
Australian teammates Ellie Hoitink and Richelle Hill also had top-ten performances, securing 7th and 8th place finishes, respectively.
Sian Munks (11th), Zoe Clarke (15th), and Aspen Anderson (18th) marked strong World Triathlon Cup debuts, while Charlotte Derbyshire finished just behind in 19th.
