A new season, a new venue, a revived format, and 10 debutants - Supertri League Toronto promised a lot and it certainly delivered.
With a shock win in the women’s, and the return of some old favourites to the scene, a famous face getting eliminated early and some real drama, there was a lot to digest.
Here's five things we learned from Supertri League Toronto:
Class is permanent
Alex Yee hadn’t done a triathlon in 2025 until he rocked up to Toronto. There was so much focus on him, so much pressure, so many people watching and waiting to point out that his marathon endeavors had hampered his efforts in multisport…and then he put on a masterclass.
It must have been difficult for the other athletes to watch, as a man who has been out of the sport pulled out a stellar return to run away with the win, but that is just the quality he possesses.
In the women’s, Georgia Taylor-Brown was back for only a second race of 2025, and though perhaps lacking a bit of top end speed, she still came in for 6th and the knowledge that she is going to improve as she races.
2. Tim Don is the master manager
Whatever you think of Tim Don’s decision to ditch Podium Racing and make the move to Brownlee Racing, any team would be lucky to have him.
He really raised the bar for the Teams with his man management, tactical nous and meticulous preparation, and he proved again what a star he is.
Brownlee Racing struggled last year, but they topped both the men’s and the women’s podiums in Toronto.
While picking Alex Yee is hardly an unexpected masterstroke, Don’s recruitment of Jolien Vermeylen is. He worked hard to recruit her for the team, and she more than justified that faith.
Brownlee Racing will potentially have less illustrious days over the League season with so many young athletes, but if they are competitive then it will be testament to Don’s management mastery.
3. Debutants shine
Jolien Vermeylen was of course the pick of the 10 debutants. An incredible performance, and a gutsy and confident move to overtake the Olympic and World Champion, Cassandre Beaugrand, on the final run to seal victory.
The Belgian may have bossed the women’s race, but this was a true next generation of Supertri.
The post-Olympic year has seen a turnover of athletes in the sport as you would expect, and Supertri has a reputation for giving the young up and comers the opportunity to learn their craft in the white heat of battle with the world’s best.
4. Crown holding their crown?
Despite Brownlee Racing taking a women’s and men’s win, Crown finished Toronto at the top of the Teams League.
It’s a testament not only to the depth of their team but also their ability to pick up discipline points.
Team Manager Chris McCormack sounded slightly concerned before Toronto, believing a four-event League series, and Crown being forced into changes for Chicago, would be an equaliser for the other teams.
If he is correct then it was essential for Crown to get off to a fast start, so despite Brownlee grabbing the headlines, it is Crown who heads away from Toronto smiling.
5. It can happen to anybody
Triathletes don’t get much more experienced than Jonny Brownlee. He’s been there, seen it, and learned all the lessons you could ever wish to learn in the sport.
And yet…
The British star admitted he made every error in the book in Stage 1 in Toronto, and it cost him dearly as he was dramatically eliminated.
It’s not a position the 3-time Olympic medallist would ever expect to find himself in, but Supertri is merciless in its requirement for the best of the best at all times. All mistakes are exposed.
Brownlee has put a lot into preparing for the Supertri League season and will race all four events. In a format where an athlete’s best two results plus the Grand Final count, he has a margin for error. But he has used that margin for error, so the pressure will be on in Chicago to make an impact.
