Flora Duffy underlined her reputation as an up-and-coming superstar of international triathlon yesterday, producing a sensational performance to claim the silver medal in the ITU World Junior Triathlon Championships.

Competing against 173 of the world?s best triathletes aged between 16 and 19 in Lausanne, Switzerland, Duffy completed the 750-metre swim, 20-kilometre bike ride and five-kilometre run in an impressive one hour, five minutes and seven seconds ? a mere nine seconds behind winner Kirsten Sweetland of Canada.

After shocking the world of triathlon by placing eighth in the Commonwealth Games in Australia earlier this year, and winning the prestigious London Junior Triathlon last month, the pressure was on Duffy over the weekend to claim a place on the winner?s podium.

And the young Bermudian responded magnificently, emerging from the swim in 9 minutes 21 seconds ? which left her well placed in fourth ? before a 35.13 bike time saw her slip back marginally to eighth.

A minor accident in transition cost her a few more valuable seconds, as she collided with another cyclist while running into the transition area, causing the pair?s bikes to get tangle up momentarily.

But putting that mishap immediately out of her mind, Duffy surged out at a punishingly-quick pace on the run ? averaging well-under six-minute mile pace the whole way round which pushed her into second ? though she was just marginally too far back after the bike to catch the eventual winner.

?Flora?s very happy with the result,? said proud Dad Charles Duffy last night from the UK where Flora has gone for a few days rest before heading to Hamburg next week for a senior World Cup event involving the world triathlon elite.

?She knew going into the race that she had a very good chance of winning it. She had a good swim but the bike did not go as she had hoped ? she said she felt a little bit lethargic and missed a break which cost her a few seconds. There were also a couple of incidents in transition where her bike cut stuck on the rack and she collided with another rider which cost her time as well.

?But overall she?s pleased with the result and looking forward to the next challenge.?

Meanwhile, there were three other local triathletes battling it out against the best in Lausanne.

Karen Smith ? who was badly injured after a colliding with a car at the last world championships in Hawaii just under a year ago ? placed a credible 29th in the women?s 35-39 age category.

Some 32 places below Smith was Ellen Charnley ? who was competing in her first world championships ? who finished the race in 3:00.28.

In the 30-34 women?s age group category, Deanne McMullen had a terrific day, claiming 23rd place out of 85 competitors in a time of 2:36.15.