Julie Derron: Background, career highlights, quotes

Julie Derron had been flying under the radar in the build-up to the Paris Olympics and without a World Series podium wasn’t many people’s choice to be picking up a medal.

But dig a little deeper and the 27-year-old former European champion from Zurich has shown she can be a genuine threat at any distance.

Who is Julie Derron?

Julie Derron is a Swiss triathlete from Zurich who has proved she is world class at both draft-legal short course racing and Ironman competition.

She is coached by Brett Sutton, the Australian who also guided Derron’s decorated compatriots, London 2012 champion Nicola Spirig and five-time Ironman world champion Daniela Ryf.

Derron grew up in a sporting family. Both her sisters, Nina and Michelle, are triathletes and her grandfather was a champion swimmer. Ahead of the Olympic Games, she spent four months training in China at the start of the year.

How old is Julie Derron?

Julie Derron was born on 10 September 1996, making her 28 years of age.

Julie Derron’s career highlights

August 2015: Kicking off career in style

Wins Swiss junior national triathlon championships in Nyon over the sprint distance.

March 2018: Shows strengths on first continental win

A first European Cup success in Portugal, clawing back the deficit with the fastest bike and run splits to take the tape.

October 2018: Double championship joy in Eilat

Becomes European Under-23 champion in Israel, backing it up with team mixed relay success on the Red Sea. 

September 2019: Stepping up a level in China

A first World Cup success. The venue is Weihai in China, a country where she’ll later train for four months prior to Olympic success, but

August 2021: Going longer and hitting the ground running

A first taste of middle distance racing at Ironman 70.3 Switzerland, Derron is only defeated by Swiss legend Ryf.  

September 2021: Puts world on notice as European champ

Proves her mettle over a tough course in Karlovy Vary to claim another World Cup success in Hungary ahead of experienced Japanese star Ai Ueda.

Heads to Spain two weeks later to become European champion in Valencia, the fastest bike-run combination again doing the job.

July 2022: First shot at PTO racing

Receives an invite to the big money PTO Canadian Open over 100km, where she struggles on the bike leg before running through a stacked field to finish fifth.

September 2022: A sub-9 Ironman debut

Steps up in distance to race Ironman Italy and finishes second in 8:43:19, producing a sub-3hr marathon and recording one of the fastest Ironman debuts ever. 

April 2024: Making China feel more like home

A win in Chengdu over the standard distance shows Derron is in strong early season form three months before the Paris Games.

June 2024: Double middle-distance success

Takes the unusual step of racing two middle distance events ahead of the Olympics. Derron wins both Ironman 70.3 Switzerland and Challenge Walchsee in Austria with blisteringly fast 1:13 and 1:12 half-marathon run splits.

July 2024: Career-defining performance

Brings home an unexpected silver splitting pre-race favourites Cassandre Beaugrand and Beth Potter on the podium as France’s Emma Lombardi just missed out in fourth.

The success earns Switzerland a sixth Olympic triathlon medal, putting them second in the all-time leaderboard behind Great Britain.

September-November 2024: Silver, silver, silver

Races the final three T100 events of the year – Ibiza, Lake Las Vegas and Dubai – and finishes second at them all behind Taylor Knibb, the eventual champion, to take third place overall in the series.

Julie Derron quotes

On winning Olympic silver: “I’m so pleased with the silver medal today. I gave it my all. I pretty much had the best race I could have. It was a bit daunting to run at the front for the whole time. 

“Running at the front, you have no idea what’s going on behind, but I feel more comfortable like this. I could run my own stride and run my own rhythm. 

“I think that was just perfect for me to be there, to also dictate, to be in control. I’m so pleased it worked out to finish on the podium.” 

What’s next for Julie Derron

Priority is likely to be targeting the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in New Zealand at the end of the year where she is already qualified and will start among the favourites.