While she will be reluctant to talk about it herself, “the girl from Bermuda” may just be a genuine contender for a podium place in Rio Janeiro just over a year’s time.

Flora Duffy turned in a sizzling performance on a chilly and wet day in Edmonton, Canada, to finish second in the penultimate event of the International Triathlon Union’s World Series on Saturday.

It was her best showing in the series after her fourth place in Stockholm, Sweden, two weeks ago where the event was raced over a 1,500-metres swim, 40-kilometres bike and 10km run.

Saturday’s event was triathlon’s sprint version — 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run — but Duffy showed she is more than capable over either distance.

Second out the water (9.05), she helped forced the pace on the bike (30.46) — at one point breaking away from the pack before being hauled back — and then produced a terrific run, considered her weakest discipline, as she and eventual winner, Vicky Holland of Britain, opened up a considerable gap.

Known as a fast finisher, Holland made her break half way through the run but Duffy’s gutsy second-place finish was never threatened as she clocked 17.29.

Beaming from one ear to the other, Duffy, referring to the horrendous conditions, told the BBC “who would have thought the girl Bermuda would finish second”.

“It was bitterly cold,” added Duffy, wearing her traditional red costume with the Bermuda flag emblazed on the side. “I couldn’t even feel my feet. It was weird.”

Holland is a previous winner in the series and considered one of the favourites in the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. But while she has raced in most of the series events, contested in cities around the globe, Duffy entered just five.

Besides Saturday’s second, the 28-year-old finished fourth in Stockholm, third in Abu Dhabi, fifth on the Gold Coast near Brisbane and 27th in Cape Town.

She was absent from the races in Hamburg in Germany, Yokohama in Japan and London.

But last year’s Xterra (off-road) World Champion will be in the field when the Series is wrapped up in Chicago later this month.

Another podium could move her into the top five of the world rankings. Three Americans lead the rankings — Gwen Jorgensen, Katie Zaferes and Sarah True.

New Zealand’s Andrea Hewitt is fourth while Saturday’s winner, Holland, from Britain, holds down fifth.

Duffy was not Bermuda’s only triathlete to excel, as 17-year-old Erica Hawley finished sixth out of 23 starters in the British Triathlon Federation’s Under-20 Festival in the 16-19 British Junior Series age category.

Hawley completed the 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run in 1hr 9 min 59 sec, with the winner finishing in 1:06:01. Hawley’s performance was especially pleasing as this race doubled up as the British qualifier for the Junior World Championships.

Elsewhere in Britain, Alex Pilgrim finished 25th out of 38 starters in the 13-15 category at the UK Inter-Regional Championships.