Racing Return Delights Dame Flora Duffy
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Dame Flora Duffy admits it was a relief to return to the “blue carpet” following an 18-month injury lay-off after her superb seventh-place finish at the World Triathlon Championship Series event in Yokohama, Japan, on Friday [May 10].
Duffy, who had not raced since clinching a record fourth world title in Abu Dhabi in November 2022, completed the standard-distance course [1.5-kilometre swim, 40km bike and 10km run] in 1hr 53min 38sec.
The 36-year-old will look to build on her stunning return when she races in the WTCS Cagliari, Italy, on May 25, which will be her final outing before she defends her Olympic title at the Paris Games on July 31.
“Back on the blue carpet! First race since November 2022, a major injury, and spending most of 2023 wondering if I would ever run again let alone race,” Duffy wrote on Instagram yesterday.
“A big thank you to everyone who helped get me back to the start line.
“I enjoyed being back out there and really happy with my seventh place. It certainly was a shock to the system especially the first lap of the swim!”
This is what it means ????
The #Olympic Champion is BACK people ????????????#Triathlon #OlympicTRI #WTCSYokohama pic.twitter.com/YNp8SlRWf6
— World Triathlon (@worldtriathlon) May 11, 2024
