Non Stanford opened her 2016 season with a victory at World Triathlon Series Cape Town – the third year in a row this race was captured by a woman from Great Britain.

In the first sprint distance race on the 2016 WTS calendar, Stanford jetted away from her rivals in the final kilometer on her way to a race-best 16:18 5k run, bringing her to the finish in 59:49 with a 7 seconds margin of victory over fellow Brit Jodie Stimpson and 10 seconds on Flora Duffy of Bermuda.

Stanford was apprehensive about her debut race, telling ITU Media: “I came in really apprehensive, some of my friends and family told me they were going to watch me on TV and I had to tell them they probably would not see me! But I was really shocked to be up there at the front. I was a little worried about the run because I did quite a bit of work on the bike, I thought I might pay for it, but it was just about going out there today and having fun and going through the processes. I didn’t really think about the outcome to be honest with you.”

In her second WTS podium of the year, albeit not in the one race that counted for her quest to make Great Britain’s women’s Olympic triathlon team, Stimpson ran a 2nd-fastest 16:26 5k to grab the silver. “To be honest I didn’t really expect anything from this race, the last two weeks have been pretty dreadful,” said Stimpson of her heartbreaking 12th place finish at WTS Gold Coast that gave rival Helen Jenkins the final spot on the British Olympic team. “If anyone follows me on social media you have seen that it has been a really rough couple of weeks, so I am just psyched to come away with a podium.”

In a strong bid to make her first podium of the 2016 WTS season, Flora Duffy led the 750 meter swim in 8:55, which gave her a 2 seconds advantage on Carolina Routier of Spain and a half minute lead on all the major contenders.

Duffy immediately dropped Routier and South African Mari Rabe and opened a 30 seconds lead after the first of four laps. While top cyclists Stanford, Stimpson, Vicky Holland, Sarah True, Lisa Norden and Anne Haug tried to bridge the gap, Duffy held to the lead until the final lap.

Approaching T2, Duffy surrendered and fell into a 35-woman scrum at transition.

Right from the start, Duffy, Haug and Brits Stanford, Stimpson and Haug broke away. Halfway through the run, Stanford broke away to the lead, followed by Stimpson and Haug. While Stanford and Stimpson held on for a 1-2 finish, Duffy put on a sprint that caught Haug in the final 10 meters to earn her first podium, of the year.

“I don’t know if it was brave, stilly, stupid or what but I came out of the swim with a bit of a gap and I thought, well it is only a 20K so let me see,” Duffy told ITU media. “There was 30 seconds at one point and then I got caught coming into transition. But I did have a little bit of time to soft pedal and catch my breath and mentally prepare myself for a tough 5K. I actually felt pretty good on the run, and I thought there was no way I was finishing fourth again! I have to get to third!”

In a promising performance that bodes well for her quest to earn the third and final spot available for the U.S. women's Olympic triathlon team in the decisive WTS race at Yokohama next month, Kirsten Kasper finished 5th – top American and just 19 seconds off the win.

World Triathlon Series Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa
April 24, 2016
S 750m / B 20k / R 5k

Elite Women Results

1. Non Stanford (GBR) 59:49
2. Jodie Stimpson (GBR) 59:56
3. Flora Duffy (BER) 59:59
4. Anne Haug (GER) 1:00:07
5. Kirsten Kasper (USA) 1:00:08
6. Vicky Holland (GBR) 1:00:15
7. Ai Ueda (JPN) 1:00:21
8. Yuri Kato (JPN) 1:00:26
9. Sarah True (USA) 1:00:33
10. Kaidi Kivioja EST) 1:00:34
16. Lindsey Jerdonek (USA) 1:00:48
32. Taylor Spivey (USA) 1:01:43