A sore knee had threatened to keep her sidelined, but Australian Nikki Egyed shook off the niggle in time to share the limelight with boyfriend Tyler Butterfield yesterday as both triumphed in the Bank of Bermuda Individual Triathlon.

The 23-year-old Butterfield was the runaway favourite to the win the men?s event this year ? and the soon-to-be professional cyclist certainly lived up to the pre-race billing, crossing the line at Albouy?s Point in a time of 59 minutes and 15 seconds, over five minutes ahead of national cycling coach and veteran triathlete Greg Hopkins.

And not long after it was a smiling Egyed who cantered through the finish in third overall in one hour, five minutes and 50 seconds, having hauled in second-placed Karen Smith who was a good minute in front at the start of the five-kilometre run.

As a former Under-23 world triathlon champion, it was clear before the race began that Egyed ? who like Butterfield converted to cycling after starting life as a triathlete ? was going to be a serious threat to a local women?s contingent boasting the likes of Smith, Julia Hawley and Karen Bordage.

And though she was a little anxious about how the inflamed knee would cope with the rigours of her first triathlon in two years, Egyed said afterwards she felt ?terrific? all the way round the course ? which included a 750-metre swim, a 20-kilometre cycle and a five-kilometre run.

?I was a bit worried that it would hurt but I did not feel it at all,?said Egyed, who won her Under-23 world title in New Zealand three years ago.

?I gave up triathlon two years ago to concentrate on cycling and I haven?t done a huge amount of running or swimming since then. I injured my back and I?d been doing triathlon non-stop for around eight years and I decided it was time for a change.

?But I really enjoyed today and Karen certainly made me work very hard for the win. She was quite a way out in front on the run and though I could see her and I felt like I could close the gap, it seemed to take me forever to catch her and it wasn?t until the second lap (out of three) that I eventually did.

?One thing I would say about today though is that the standard of the race was very good. There were a lot of people out there going fast and it was very competitive, which says a lot about the high standard of triathlon in Bermuda.?

Butterfield, meanwhile, emerged from the swim almost a minute and a half behind leader John Legge ? this year?s Trunk Island Swim champion ? though such was his dominance on the bike that he captured the lead within the first of the five laps.

?I was a little ways back in second after the swim, but I was really happy with how the swim went because I have done hardly any swimming,? said Butterfield, whose last triathlon was the same event two years ago ? which he also won.

?But I managed to close the gap pretty quickly after that. It?s not always easy being out in front by yourself, but it helps that I?m a strong runner and I knew I could hold back a bit on the bike.

?But today was just about having a good time really. It was a bit of a family affair. I managed to persuade my dad (Jim Butterfield) to come out ? I didn?t give him much of a choice really ? while my auntie Peggy Couper and my cousin Ashley were both racing as well which was great to see.

?I don?t get too many opportunities these days to come back and compete at home, so today?s been a good day.?

The event attracted entries from 65 athletes this year, including the likes of Shadow Sports Minister Jon Brunson and NABC world super middleweight boxing champion Teresa Perozzi.