Q COSTA RICA — Costa Rican Victoria Arce won the silver medal at the Americas Triathlon Junior Cup, held in Lima, Peru, after completing the race in 1:05:48 and delivering one of the day’s standout performances.
The competition was a sprint format, consisting of a 750-meter swim, an 18.7-kilometer bike ride, and a 5-kilometer run.
Arce started strong, exiting the water first and maintaining her position within the leading group during the cycling segment.
The race was decided on the run. Ecuadorian Manuela Ortega made her move in the final five kilometers, securing the gold medal with a time of 1:05:16.
Arce crossed the finish line in second place, while fellow Ecuadorian Renata Oña completed the podium with a time of 1:06:21.
The result came after an international experience that began weeks before the competition.
The Costa Rican athlete was part of Team Americas and participated in a Pan American triathlon development camp that brought together 23 athletes and eight coaches from 11 national federations.
The program lasted almost three weeks and included activities in Paraguay and Peru, combining training, competition, and development for young triathletes from across the continent.
The Asunción Regional Development Cup was one of the first competitions in this process, while the events held in Lima served as the camp’s closing event.
For Arce, this journey meant sharing training and competition sessions with athletes from different countries before facing them again at the Junior Cup.
The Costa Rican athlete also already has experience in this type of competition.
In 2025, she finished third in the Americas Triathlon Junior Cup in Iquique, Chile, with a time of 1:07:01.
Now, Arce’s schedule focuses on two key events for her season.
The first will be the World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain, from September 23 to 27.
After that comes the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, which will be held from October 31 to November 13 in Senegal.
With these two challenges on the horizon, Victoria Arce continues to make steady progress and raise Costa Rica’s profile in international triathlon.