Dame Flora Duffy finished fourth in the T100 World Triathlon Series Final in Abu Dhabi on Saturday morning.

Duffy produced the fastest run leg in the field, climbing from tenth after the bike section to cross the line in fourth place with a time of 3hr 33min 4sec.

The finishing position was enough for Duffy to secure a contract on the money-spinning T100 tour next year, after earning $60,000 for finishing the inaugural season fifth overall with 90 points. Those points were accrued with finishes of ninth in Ibiza, third in Las Vegas, and fourth in the final.

Duffy reflected on her performance, particularly her strong run.

“I’m obviously pleased with my run, but I had to run fast because I was quite a way back after the bike,” Duffy said.

“Unfortunately, that’s quite frustrating as I have worked really hard on the bike, and it’s not quite showing yet.

“This is only my third T100, and I know it’s a process, so it will take time. But I’m a competitor, and it’s quite frustrating. I’m pleased with the run, as I have been running well all year but not really showing it, so it’s good to demonstrate that in my last race of the year.”

After finishing the year on a positive note, following a long spell out with injury, Duffy now looks ahead to a winter of hope instead of the season of fear she endured in 2023.

“It’s been a huge journey back from my knee injury,” Duffy said.

“This time last year, I thought I was going to retire and never race again. Honestly, even earlier this year, I had the same thoughts. So it’s nice to see that I can have a good run—I felt strong.

“There are some nice positives to take into the winter and build on for next year. I’ll be back racing here next year. I worked really hard to get into the top ten.”

In a punishing race, Duffy exited the 2km swim in fifth position in 26:39, before dropping to tenth on the 80km bike course. However, Bermuda’s former Olympic champion had paced her race almost to perfection, running her way past some of the best triathletes in the field to claim fourth place.

The race in Abu Dhabi was won by overall series champion Taylor Knibb in 3:29:17, with Julie Derron of Switzerland finishing runner-up in 3:31:08 after overtaking an exhausted Australian, Ashleigh Gentle, on the run leg.

Gentle stopped at least three times in the final three kilometres and appeared to be in significant distress with dehydration and stomach cramps, as the 30C heat in Abu Dhabi took its toll. She managed to cross the finish line before collapsing, and she was treated by medics before eventually recovering and making it to the podium.