DUATHLON: Second World Championship gold for Claire Steels
Bourne's Claire Steels has won a second gold medal at the ITU Aviles Duathlon World Championships.
Steels won the 30-34 Female AG race with a time of 02:19:06.
It was the personal trainer’s second visit to the world championships after winning gold on her debut last season having taken up the sport the same year.
This year was not so straight forward. Battling the Spanish heat Steels was sick during the first run but still completed it in 41:03.
The race was Steels first outing for Great Britain at the further ‘standard distance’ rather than ‘sprint.’
She competed the cycling segment in 1:09:31, before finishing the second run in 24:26 to give her victory by 1:47 over home athlete Tenreiro Alvarez Beatriz in her age group.
Steels wrote on Instagram: “Well that was harder than I thought it was going to be! Hottest race ever and a race of firsts too!
“First race as 30-34, first standard distance for GB, First time I’ve been sick on the first run. First time I have a ‘toilet break’ in a race, but second time I’ve come away with the gold. Delighted but exhausted now.”
South African triathlete Richard Murray and British star Emma Pallant claimed victory in the elite races.