PETALING JAYA: Julie Derron was a picture of calm and serenity as she crossed the finish line of the Ironman 70.3 Langkawi - the half-distance version of the gruelling full Ironman course - under the sweltering Malaysian sun.
The Swiss triathlete, all smiles after securing a commanding victory, drew attention for more than just her performance.
Her pistol-shaped earrings caught the eye, and when asked about its meaning, Derron revealed it was a gift from her longtime coach, Brett Sutton.
"Oh, those! When I joined my coach, he gave me the nickname ‘Little Pistol’," said the 29-year-old, who won a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"When he believed I could have a great race at the Olympics, he gave me these earrings as a sort of talisman - something to bring me good luck on race day. And so far, they’ve done a pretty good job!"
Derron dominated the women’s professional category, clocking 4'13:52, ahead of Australia’s Natalie van Coevorden (4'18:11) and France’s Justine Guerard (4'22:17).
The Swiss athlete had been sidelined earlier this year after a bike crash in August.
"It wasn’t too bad, but the recovery took a bit of time," she explained.
"I took things slow, focused on healing, and now I’m really glad to have had a few good weeks of training and a solid race here to see where I’m at and build forward."
Derron will next compete at the T100 in Dubai in two weeks, followed by the series grand final in Qatar in mid-December.
Meanwhile, in the men’s professional category, Australia’s Josh Ferris emerged victorious with a time of 3'46:56, fending off Denmark’s Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (3'50:25) and Canada’s Tyler Mislawchuk, a three-time Olympian, who clocked 3'55:30.
For Ferris, the scorching conditions made it one of the toughest races of his career.
"It was a really good day out - though also a very hot one," the 24-year-old said.
"Around 9km into the run, I started to really feel it. The last 12km were tough. I was overheating and using every aid station I could, pouring as much water on myself as possible just to cool down.
"But it all came together, and I just tried to hang on for the win."
Langkawi was familiar territory for Ferris, who previously raced in Malaysia at an Asian Cup event three years ago. But this year marked his full leap into 70.3 and half-Ironman racing.
"It’s been a pretty good season - I won in the Philippines earlier this year, came second back home in Australia, and now first here today," he said.
"So yeah, 2025 has been a really solid year, and I’m really happy with how it’s gone."
