Erica Hawley rounded off 2026 pleased with her top-ten finish at the World Triathlon Cup Miyazaki in Japan.

Hawley finished tenth after completing the race in exactly an hour, 52 seconds behind winner Ilona Hadhoum, from France, but only 15 seconds behind Spaniard Maria Casala Mojica, who finished fourth.

After the race Hawley looked back at the transition from the swim leg to the bike leg as one of the areas to improve.

“Miyazaki was a really positive way to finish the season,” Hawley said.

“It was a competitive field and I was pleased with how I executed the race. I came out of the water around 15 seconds back from the leader but unfortunately in the break between packs.

“I was really happy with how I rode and felt like I drove the chase pack to catch the leaders on lap two. I felt a lot more confident here; leading through the technical sections and organising the group and I ran well to finish tenth.

“The racing is incredibly close with just 15 seconds separating fourth to tenth. It’s a little agonising to be so close but my coach reminds me that 15 seconds is very within reach, and it leaves me excited and hungry for more next season.”

Hawley has taken in a lot of races in the past few weeks and has been pleased with the gains from event to event.

“Overall, I've been pleased with how the recent races have gone,” Hawley said.

“It's important to look at the bigger picture rather than individual results. My last three races have seen me finish seventeenth, thirteenth and now tenth, so I feel like there has been positive progression.

“Every race has its own challenges and Beijing and Tongyeong were especially difficult with the weather.”

With competitive action over for the year, Hawley is keen to reflect on her performances as she begins to count down to the final few month of crucial qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“Looking back at 2026, it’s been a busy year with a lot of racing and travel,” Hawley said.

“There have been some highs such as placing sixth in World Cup Edmonton WC and there have been some more challenging moments.

“In terms of racing, I am featuring more consistently in the top third of the swim, bike, and run. I am always trying to improve each discipline and it takes time to put all three together on race day.

“World Cup racing is becoming a lot more competitive and the margins are really narrow. I finish the year with more Olympic points and 45th in the Olympic rankings. I will take my off-season now and planning on taking a full reset before preparing for 2027 and continuing my campaign towards LA 2028.”