STOCKHOLM, Sweden, CMC – Bermudian Flora Duffy secured her fifth ITU World Triathlon Series (WTS) success of the season by storming to victory here on Saturday and holds a big lead over her rivals going into next month’s Grand Final in the Dutch city of Rotterdam.
Duffy, 29, won in a time of two hours and nine seconds, with Britain’s Jessica Learmonth second in 2.01.30, for her first WTS podium. Australia’s Ashleigh Gentle was third in 2.01.42.
Duffy will go to Rotterdam on September 16 with 4,000 points in the bag as she seeks to retain her world title.
“I was very happy with today to execute a solid race in the swim, bike and run. My swim has been a little shakier this year so it was nice to come out third behind Jess (Learmonth) and Lucy (Hall),” Duffy said.
“It was a perfect position. And then on to the bike, we were hammering on that first lap to create a gap and that kind of set the race up perfectly.”
Gentle is second in the standings with 3,507 points with New Zealand’s Andrea Hewitt, 10th on Saturday, next on 3,224 points.
Duffy is now only the second woman to record five first-place finishes in a season, after American Olympic champion Gwen Jorgensen.
