Cathia Schär

Since starting on the junior European Cup circuit in 2017, she barely has a poor result to her name and most recently retained her Swiss national title.

After gaining much-needed experience, a fourth place in Weert, Netherlands in the 2019 junior European Championship was the first time she was in sight of the podium, and following a runners-up spot in the Swiss national junior champs in Nyon, she switched attention to Lausanne where – with more home support – she placed 16^th in the junior worlds. Buoyed by these results, Schär finished 2019 with a runner-up spot in Turkey.

Having missed the entirety of 2020 due to the pandemic, last year there were more improvements with a ninth place in the European Under-23 Championship in Kitzbühel and 16^th on World Cup debut in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic.

This year Schär has stepped up a level again, finishing fourth in European Cup starts in Spain and Italy, third in Olsztyn, Poland over the super sprint distance – where she was also the first Under-23 triathlete – and then second a week later in Rzeszów, Poland.

Stepping up to the World Triathlon Championship Series in June, Schär made the penultimate round in the eliminator format in Montreal and then an impressive 18^th place in a 50-plus strong field in Hamburg, where she also helped the Swiss to fourth in the mixed team relay.

“This year I have achieved my best results,” she says. “It’s so motivating to be able to line up with all the athletes I admire and have always watched on TV. I hope soon to be able to fight with them at the front of the race from the beginning.”

Schär trains at the new national centre in Sursee, where she is coached by Nicolas Montavon, trains with the national team and lives with fellow triathletes Simon Westermann and Fabian Meusen.

She says her parents have always been a fantastic support and credits Westermann for keeping her spirits up every day in training. Schär is also looking forward to taking on the challenge of Super League.

“I think this type of format is going to be very interesting for me,” she says. “I think I will be able to make a difference with the transitions and the bike part especially – and I’m really looking forward to Malibu!”

Schär is returning to Super League Triathlon racing to take part in the 2023 Arena Games Triathlon Powered by Zwift Series, this time on home soil, in Sursee Switzerland.