Jess Learmonth delighted with T100 Triathlon podium
Learmonth took third place in Canada behind defending champion Taylor Knibb and Julie Derron.
It marked a breakthrough result for Learmonth, who upgraded from finishes of 13th and seventh in Singapore and San Francisco respectively to stake her claim as a contender heading into the rest of the season.
'I am totally shocked to get on the podium,' she said. 'It was enjoyable, I was having the best time. I've not ran much so I thought if I could have a good swim and bike, we will see what happens.
'Taylor keeps it very honest and keeps the pressure on, which helps a lot. I got a nice gap and felt pretty comfortable on the run.
'It is so difficult to push the pace at the front and [Taylor] does that so well. It was really good to have someone to ride with, it helps to have someone to keep the pressure on. I was just focussed on staying together.']
Third place moves Learmonth into fourth in the overall standings behind Derron, Knibb and fellow Brit Kate Waugh, who was absent in Vancouver.
Compatriot Lucy Charles-Barclay is just a point behind in fifth after she finished fourth in Canada, with the Brits likely to all be eyeing up a home race in London on 9 August.
It is the next stop on the global T100 Triathlon Tour, which will also make stops on the French Riviera, Valencia, Las Vegas and Dubai before culminating in its final in Qatar in December.
A place on the podium is particularly poignant for Learmonth, as she continues her return to the top of the sport after giving birth to her son Frederick in September 2023.
The Olympic gold medallist now balances her training with motherhood, but is thrilled to be back amongst the very best.
She added: 'It means a lot, certainly with all the help and support I get for Fred. To get a result like that makes it all the more worthwhile. I love the circuit, I love being with the girls and having a laugh. This just tops it off.
'I hope I can take confidence from it. I just need to recover well from this and put some training together on the run.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
16 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Lewis Hamilton declares himself 'useless' in tough to watch interview at Hungarian GP
Lewis Hamilton declared himself "useless" and said Ferrari "probably need to change driver" in a gut-wrenching interview after qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. He had failed to make the top 10 after a disappointing Q2 exit and is set to start Sunday's race 12th on the grid. Charles Leclerc sparked jubilant scenes in the Ferrari garage by securing the team's first Grand Prix pole of the season. But in the other red car, Hamilton had a wretched time and was visibly emotional as he spoke to Sky Sports and made it clear he feels he is the problem. The Brit said: "It's just me, every time. I'm useless, absolutely useless. The team has no problem – the other car is on pole. They probably need to change driver." Hamilton had put in some decent times in practice on Friday. But still he had been complaining about a lack of balance and had told reporters that he had not felt as comfortable in the cars as his lap times had suggested, and those problems came back to haunt him in qualifying. In contrast, it was a joyous day for Leclerc who, earlier in the weekend, had declared the Hungaroring his "worst circuit of the season". But he produced one of his very best qualifying laps to see off both the McLaren cars which had dominated all three practice sessions but could deny the Monegasque when it mattered. ---
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Hungarian GP qualifying: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri denied as Fernando Alonso shines
Charles Leclerc got the better of both McLaren stars to finally secure a first pole position of 2025 for Ferrari at the Hungarian Grand Prix. And Fernando Alonso also starred in qualifying at the Hungaroring by going fifth quickest as Aston Martin flexed their muscles. But the day belonged to Leclerc who could only laugh over the radio when he was told what he had achieved at a track he had labelled his "worst of the year" earlier in the weekend. It sparked jubilant scenes of cheering and jumping for joy among the mechanics in the Ferrari garage. For McLaren were the ones who looked set to take pole with ease. They were first and second quickest in all three practice sessions and dominated the first and second part of qualifying, but neither Lando Norris nor championship leader Oscar Piastri could find an improvement on their final runs. Piastri pipped Norris to the front row while George Russell joined his fellow Brit on the second for the start of Sunday's race. But the other stars of qualifying were the Aston Martin cars who showed great pace throughout and capitalised by locking out the third row, Alonso starting ahead of Lance Stroll. But there was disappointment for other big names, including Lewis Hamilton who failed to make it to the top 10. Max Verstappen did progress to Q3, but could manage to go only eighth quickest in a Red Bull about which he constantly complained, telling his team that it was "literally like driving on ice". Williams were worried that this track would not suit their car so would have been happy to see Carlos Sainz make it through to the second part of the session. But the same was not true for Alex Albon who has had an excellent season so far but qualified 20th and last in Budapest. The bottom five was made up of drivers all from different teams. Nico Hulkenberg is set to share the last row with Albon, behind Esteban Ocon in 18th in his Haas and, one place ahead, the Alpine of Pierre Gasly. And there was another Q1 exit for Yuki Tsunoda who continues to struggle in qualifying in that second Red Bull. It was also rather pedestrian for a qualifying session until the heavens unexpectedly opened in Q2, wetting the track not enough to have a dramatic effect on lap times or force drivers off the slick tyres, but to make it more tricky to find grip in key areas which was upsetting some teams who had previously shown good pace, like Ferrari, and suiting others like Aston Martin who were flying high. The wet weather had caught many off guard as it did not appear on the radars until it hit, but it also did not stick around for long and, by the time everyone emerged from the pit lane for their final runs of that second part of qualifying, there was no rain falling and the part of the track that had been slightly dampened were drying again. By the end of it, it was again five drivers from different teams who found themselves right where they did not want to be. Hamilton was the big casualty, only 13th quickest while Kimi Antonelli could manage only 11th which meant a third car from the top four teams would not be in the top 10.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Proud dad McEvoy going straight to the 'newborn trenches' a winner
Aug 2 (Reuters) - With a newborn baby and another gold medal, life just keeps getting better for Cameron McEvoy, who became Australia's oldest world champion after winning his second 50 metres freestyle title in Singapore on Saturday. Since putting retirement plans on hold to reinvent himself as a bulked-up sprinter in 2022, the 31-year-old Gold Coast native has enjoyed a glorious late-career flourish and continues to push boundaries. The Olympic champion added another chapter to what should be a compelling post-career book as he saw off Briton's Ben Proud, the man he beat in Paris, for the 50 gold in Singapore with a cracking time of 21.14 seconds. McEvoy, who went through a 17-week training bloc to prepare for the meet, will now take a break from swimming to soak up the joys of fatherhood, having welcomed son Hartley into the world last month with wife Maddi. 'I'm going straight to the newborn trenches," said McEvoy, toting a plush toy for his boy. "I'll start to do the night routines, help Maddi, and just enjoy the bubble, really. "Maddi put the little (baby's) jumpsuit together, saying 'Number 1 fan, go Dad' on it. It was so cool to see. "Hopefully next time, they'll be in the stands, and that'll be even more special." Nicknamed "The Professor" in Australia, McEvoy is renowned for his cerebral approach to swimming, designing his own training programme and dispensing with traditional methods. He said his winning time was "really exciting for the longevity". "Not sure when I'll be back in (the pool), but I'm not stopping," he added. "Imagine telling myself in 2022 this is where I'd be. You couldn't write a script like that. "The dream lives on, right?"
