Duffy switches to longer distances to spice up Olympic defence
Bermuda’s golden woman Dame Flora Duffy has introduced she is going to concentrate on longer distances in a bid to spice up her probabilities of efficiently defending her Olympic triathlon title in Paris subsequent yr – which she describes as her “massive purpose”.
Along with her Olympic title, Duffy has twice received Commonwealth Video games gold, six Xterra World Championships, and a document 4 World Triathlon Sequence Championships (WTSC), however was a notable absentee when the brand new WTCS season opened in Abu Dhabi final weekend.
As a substitute, the 35-year-old has signalled her intention to step up in distance and compete on the Skilled Triathletes Organisation (PTO) 100-kilometre Tour this season, which begins in Ibiza, Spain, on Might 6, the Royal Gazette newspaper stated.
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“My complete life purpose was to win on the Olympics, and I did that,” Duffy, the one Bermudian ever to win Olympic gold, stated in a brand new PTO video function on fulfilling her childhood dream in Tokyo in 2021.”
“Something that I do in my profession from now could be icing on the cake.”
“My purpose for this yr was to do some differing kinds and types of racing. I’ve solely really ever performed one kind of longer-course race, and that was at first of 2020, which appears like a lifetime in the past as a result of that’s pre-pandemic.”
“Paris [2024 Olympic Games] is my massive purpose, however I might additionally love to leap into 100k distance.”
“The gap just isn’t what I’m snug with, however it’s new for me to be someplace the place I’m uncomfortable or uncertain of how the race will play out for me.”
Regardless of her relative lack of expertise over the longer format, which consists of a two-kilometre swim, an 80-kilometre bike trip, and an 18-kilometre run, Flora Duffy heads into the marketing campaign twelfth within the PTO rankings after encouraging shows on the 70.3 World Championships, US Open, and Collins Cup shows final season. She additionally received Ironman 70.3 South Africa in January 2020.
Flora Duffy is conscious that she might be within the unfamiliar place of underdog on the tour, which boasts a star-studded line-up headed by Switzerland’s Daniela Ryf, a five-time winner of the Ironman World Championships and Ironman 70.3 World Championships.
“I are available in because the reigning Olympic, World, and Commonwealth champion and I assume my repute precedes me slightly bit,” added Duffy, who was crushed by Ryf within the opening race of the Collins Cup sequence in Bratislava, Slovakia in August final yr.
“For me, I haven’t confirmed myself over this distance in any respect. I’ve performed one race and to be completely trustworthy, it wasn’t the most effective efficiency in any respect. So I feel I’ve loads to show that I can race effectively at this distance.”
Regardless of Duffy’s reservations, Ryf, additionally 35, says she is bound the Bermudian will deal with the transition to the longer distance after observing her unimaginable success over the previous few years.
“I raced her again after we had been juniors, and it’s wonderful to see how she has developed as an athlete,“ Ryf stated.
“She had wonderful races after which was additionally for some time, I feel, struggling. It’s actually spectacular how she rotated and actually introduced up this wonderful profession.
“The final couple of years, she’s simply been completely good. She improved that efficiency when it actually counts. When the strain is on, some folks crack, Flora received’t crack, she’s very robust.”
CMC/