Photos, Video: Duffy Wins World Championship
Following an outstanding season on the international circuit, Bermuda’s Flora Duffy secured her place in triathlon history by winning the 2016 ITU World Championship, marking the first time a Bermudian has won the title.
The three-time Olympian won the World Triathlon Grand Final race in Mexico which gave her enough points to also win the overall series to become the 2016 ITU World Champion, meaning that she claimed two very prestigious titles in one day.
Duffy, who was leading by over a minute, savoured her victory, slowing down at the finish line to ‘high-five’ the fans, grabbing the Bermuda flag and flying it above her head as she crossed the finish line to collect her first ITU world title.
El día de ayer, la numero 1 del mundo @floraduffy llegando a la meta en #WTSCozumel 2016 #triatlon pic.twitter.com/Rbp5YpCCyx
— Aspid Triatlón (@TAspid) September 18, 2016
“I am speechless right now,” Duffy told Triathlon.org after the race. “I just have no idea how that happened. You always hope and wish and train for the perfect day and the perfect day came right when I needed it.”
The 2016 Olympic gold medalist Gwen Jorgensen of the USA placed second behind Duffy, and speaking after the race, Jorgensen said, “Flora had a great race. She was better today than me and that was a great win for her, she basically led from start to finish.”
In addition to this ITU World Title, Duffy has also won the Xterra World Championships titles for the past two years, meaning that she has won multiple world titles, cementing her status as a world class athlete.
Speaking after winning her first Xterra world title back in 2014, Duffy said: “I’ve dreamed of being a world champion since I was 8-years-old, so to make that dream a reality today is pretty special. It means a lot to me to do this from Bermuda, we’re a small little country and I love to represent them and put them on the map.”
In congratulating her after this weekend’s World Championship win, Premier Michael Dunkley said, “This is a huge achievement for Flora, and Bermuda proudly celebrates her victory on the world stage.
“This is also an amazing follow up to her stellar performances over the past year and by winning the 2016 World Triathlon Series Flora has undoubtedly solidified her legacy as a world champion.”
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Better than winning any gold medal and sweet revenge (even though I am sure you are all friends!). ENJOY your victory – you worked so hard for it and you are at the top of the world!
“sweet revenge” – Kathy?
‘Revenge’ in the sense of getting one over on Gwen after Gwen claimed Olympic gold. Nothing malicious there.
It was your day Flora! AMAZING RACE. World Champion AND you beat the Olympic Gold Medalist – be proud of yourself, we are! You have come a long way from TriHedz litle Flora….you had it back then, and yah still got it!
what an event! only if we just kept our initial triathlon going, but ‘God’ said no, never on a Sunday ;-(
Is that how it went? The church lobby objected to the International Triathlon being run on a Sunday morning? Good lord (no pun intended).