the Yas Marina race track. Zaferes crashed hard within the tunnel section (believed to be caused by a combination of fuel / oil on the roadway and (rare) rainfall immediately prior to / during the race) and was unable to continue, registering a DNF. The remaining race of the season, Edmonton, resulted in a 6th place for Zaferes, notable as an uncharacteristically low finishing position in an otherwise high-placing and consistent season. At the grand final in Gold Coast, Zaferes came into the race needing to finish ahead of her rival Vicky Holland to take the series and the title of World Triathlon Champion. On the run leg, Zaferes, Holland and the Australian athlete Ashleigh Gentle were together by the second lap of four at the head of the race. Gentle managed to distance her rivals, ultimately finishing clear in first place. Zaferes opened a gap to Holland which remained for some time before Holland managed to close the distance to Zaferes and they entered the finishing chute together, with Holland beating Zaferes in a sprint finish to take silver in the race and the overall title of ITU World Champion. Zaferes finished the 2018 season in 2nd place overall in the World Triathlon Series rankings. 2019 season Of the eight World Triathlon Series races in 2019, Zaferes finished in first place in five of them, taking the wins in Abu Dhabi, Bermuda, Yokohama, Montreal and the Grand Final in Lausanne. Of the other races, Zaferes took a second place finish in Leeds having been outrun by Georgia Taylor-Brown, a 35th place finish in Hamburg following a crash, and a DNF at the Tokyo Olympic Qualification event which resulted in facial injuries. Despite this accident, some 15 days before the Grand Final in Lausanne, she took gold in the final to seal the overall title. In recognition of her achievements, USA Triathlon awarded Zaferes the "Women’s Olympic/ITU Triathlete of the Year." 2021 season Zaferes didn't automatically qualify for the Olympics due to a cycling event crash, but was picked for the final team spot by a selection committee. She won two medals in the triathlon at the Tokyo Olympics. On July 27, 2021, she won the bronze medal in the women's individual event. On July 31, she followed that up with a silver medal in the inaugural mixed relay event. Zaferes became the first Syracuse athlete since the 1928 Games