(Reuters) – Bermuda’s Flora Duffy became the first triathlete ever to win Olympic gold and the triathlon world championship in the same year on Saturday, after finishing third in Edmonton’s grand final.
The 33-year-old led in the standings by a 467-point margin headed into Saturday’s race and got a fast start diving off the pontoon under pristine conditions.
But she was unable to fend off winner Taylor Knibb of the United States, who put on a gutsy performance on the bike to seize an astonishing 2:44 lead after the transition into the run.
The 23-year-old, who brought home silver with the U.S. mixed relay team in Tokyo, grinned as she approached the finish line, winning the race in 1:54:47, with France’s Leonie Periault finishing second.
Periault and Duffy were running shoulder to shoulder but the Frenchwoman pulled away from the Bermudan on the third lap of the run.
The performance was enough to net Duffy a record-equalling third world title, however, becoming the most decorated female athlete in the history of the sport weeks after she delivered Bermuda its first-ever Olympic gold.
“It was a very hard race. I had a pretty mediocre swim,” said Duffy. “It’s very hard to come and try to do this series off the back of winning the Olympics.”
She won the world title in 2016 and 2017, as well, and took silver at the 2020 championships.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
