Second at the Paris Olympics. Second in the inaugural T100 Triathlon World Tour. Then, in 2025, second again in the T100 series.

Fast-forward to 2026, and the podium performances keep coming on triathlon’s biggest stages. Second at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice. Third in her Kona debut. And now, leading the T100 series heading into the final races in Dubai and Qatar.

Meet Julie Derron, also known as “the little pistol.” And something tells us she’s only just beginning to show what she’s capable of in this sport.

Growing Up in Triathlon

Julie Derron is the youngest of three sisters, all of whom have competed at the elite level in triathlon. Nina is the oldest at 33, followed by Michelle at 32 and Julie at 30.

To say triathlon runs in the family would be an understatement. Both parents have raced, including over the full Ironman distance, and the three sisters were entering kids’ triathlons from as young as six years old.

“My mom has still done more Ironmans than me,” Derron said during our interview, “but I’m slowly catching up.”

As for what first drew Julie to racing, there was an early love for the sport, certainly. But there was also the irresistible appeal of the prize table.

“If you won the kids triathlon, you got to go to a table of prizes and pick something off it. My sisters were winning scooters, helmets, and more – I wanted to be part of it!” she shared with glee, almost as if the excitement was coming right back.

Naturally, we had to ask whether the tradition had continued all the way to Kona.

“Did you buy yourself a present for your podium in Kona?” we asked.

“Not yet,” she replied with a laugh.

From Childhood Racing to the World Stage

What began with kids’ triathlons soon developed into something much more serious.

Derron began training with the Swiss national team in 2011 and, in 2015, claimed the Swiss junior national championship alongside second in the elite women’s race.

Around that time, her older sister Michelle was training under renowned triathlon coach Brett Sutton. Julie would eventually follow in her footsteps, joining Sutton’s squad and beginning a coaching relationship that has now spanned more than a decade.

And with that relationship came a nickname. Sutton had already dubbed Michelle “the pistol,” so naturally, her younger sister became “the little pistol.”

“Once you have a nickname from Brett, I think it stays with you forever!” Julie said.

From Paris to Kona: Medals on Triathlon’s Biggest Stages

While Julie had long been establishing herself as a force in triathlon, including at the highly competitive WTCS events, her silver medal at the Paris Olympics was a true announcement of her arrival at the very top of the sport. It was also the moment when those who didn’t follow short-course racing quite so closely began to take notice.

And although Derron had begun dabbling in middle-distance racing in 2021, her Olympic breakthrough year also saw her claim two middle-distance victories, three runner-up finishes in the T100 series, and fifth place at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship.

Her first full-distance Ironman came in 2025 at Vitoria-Gasteiz, where she took the win. She had intended to make her Kona debut that year, but a bike crash derailed those plans.

She requalified for Kona with a victory at Ironman Switzerland earlier this year and, as she told us, was excited to find out how things would unfold in Hawaii and whether racing on the Big Island would live up to all the hype.

We ran into her earlier in the week at the On event, where she shared that the island already felt deeply familiar, despite never having raced there.

“I had watched the race there so closely over the years, that it felt like I really knew the Island despite never actually having been.”

And she arrived feeling well-prepared. After all, she was working with a coach who had guided some of the sport’s biggest names to victory on the island. But rather than burden herself with expectations for her first attempt, she was simply excited to see what all that preparation might deliver in her long-awaited Kona debut.

On race day, Derron exited the water with the front swim pack and began the bike leg just behind Taylor Knibb. It was a promising start. And although she was losing some time to Knibb as the ride was unfolding, the broadcast commentators were already predicting a victory for Julie on debut, given her position near the front and her formidable running ability.

That confidence wasn’t limited to the official broadcast. We’d spoken with other others who, knowing Julie’s talent across distances, felt that Sutton wouldn’t have brought her to Kona unless she was ready to contend for the win.

But Kona rarely unfolds without a few surprises. Derron received a three-minute penalty on the bike and arrived in T2 9:11 behind.

She began the run as the fastest athlete on course, but even for one of the strongest runners in the field, the Queen K eventually took its toll.

“The day was an absolute roller-coaster!” she said, reflecting on everything from the drafting penalty on the bike to finding herself walking along the Queen K.

“I told myself I would run again at the next post, I’m not someone to DNF or give up, so I knew I would go again…but it did become the post after the one I’d said,” she said with a laugh.

Eventually, Derron found her rhythm again and ran her way to the finish line. The joy was written all over her face as she crossed, visibly ecstatic with third place in her Kona debut.

And chatting with Julie’s mom after the race, we learned that once she realized her daughter was in contention for a podium, with some more “Kona chaos” unfolding up ahead, she ran back out onto the course to find Julie and share the news.

There’s something wonderful about a mom who understands the sport and knows just how valuable that information can be when you’re digging deep to reach the finish line! Although she did admit that someone else had beaten her to Julie with the news.

The family celebrated with a huge embrace at the finish line. From those early days of racing triathlons together to celebrating a World Championship podium, it was a moment that showed just how far their shared journey in the sport had taken them.

A Future Full of Potential

In the immediate future, Derron will be looking to hold onto her lead in the T100 series as she heads into the final races in Dubai and Qatar. But first, a little downtime in Hawaii.

When we caught up with her, she was enjoying some beach time and sightseeing in Honolulu, including a hike up Diamond Head, while gradually easing back into training. Remarkably, she was recovering better from Kona than she’d expected, feeling less sore than she had after winning Ironman Switzerland earlier in the year. An encouraging sign as she prepares for those final T100 races.

But looking further ahead? There are plenty of possibilities for this talented Swiss star.

Having come so close to Olympic gold in Paris, Derron admitted that the pull of the Games remains strong. LA 2028 is very much on her radar, although she noted that the ocean swim, particularly the prospect of a wave-affected start, would require specific preparation.

And then there’s Kona. After finishing third on debut, the idea of returning to the Big Island and perhaps one day standing on the top step of the podium is certainly part of the conversation.

Olympic gold. A T100 world title. An Ironman World Championship victory.

Given how much she’s already achieved across the three distances, none of those ambitions feels out of reach for the little pistol.