Flora Duffy got her 2017 triathlon season off to a flying start as she comfortably won her fourth straight Xterra South African Championships in Grabouw yesterday.

Duffy finished in 2hr 39min 00ses with second-placed Marie Rabie, of South Africa, 6min 31sec behind in 2:45.31.

Duffy exited the water just seconds behind the leading men who included Richard Murray, one of the leaders on the ITU World Series circuit, who was making a rare appearance at an off-road triathlon and was the eventual men’s winner.

“Being the first race of the season, you don’t really know where you’re at,” Duffy said. “I was a little nervous, but everything went well and I had a lot of fun. I had a good swim, sticking to Mari’s feet. On the bike I worked hard on the climb, and went smoothly on the technical sections. I’m currently nursing a hip injury, so on the run I decided to practise more control. XTERRA Grabouw is always special. It’s where I started. I’m very happy with my fourth victory.”