Flora Duffy has given clear indication that she is set for a return to competition at the Hamburg Wasser World Triathlon.

Having endured eight months on the sidelines last season because of a career-threatening foot injury, the 32-year-old made a triumphant return to competitive winning a fifth Xterra world title in Kapalua, Hawaii, in October.

The two-times world champion was confident of carrying her strong form into the new season, ahead of building towards the Olympic Games in Tokyo, where, despite the injury layoff, she was expected to be among the medal contenders, as well as competing at her first 70.3 World Championships in Taup, New Zealand, in November.

That was until Covid-19 wiped out most of the world’s major sporting events, forcing Duffy to put her immediate aspirations on hold.

However, after being confined to a number of virtual races as part of the Z Pro June Invitational virtual cycling series, Duffy has alluded to a physical return to action at the German event, scheduled for Saturday, September 4.

“From wait list to the start list for WTS Hamburg, now I just need to figure out a flight out of South Africa,” Duffy posted on Twitter.

The Bermudian has been included on the start list for the Women’s Elite race, adding to the confirmation that she is set for a return to an event she won back in 2017.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the elite races of the Hamburg Wasser World Triathlon will take place under controlled conditions in the Stadtpark in the Hamburg district of Winterhude, instead of Hamburg’s city centre as in previous years.

An impressive field of both male and female elite athletes will take the stage for the elite races of the ITU World Triathlon Series, over a sprint distance consisting of a 0.5km swim, 20km cycle and 5km run.

The event will be the first race in the World Triathlon calendar since the Covid-19 pandemic, and as well as Duffy, will see a host of the world’s other top elite triathletes lining up in Hamburg, including reigning world champion Katie Zaferes and Vicky Holland.

After the Hamburg Wasser World Triathlon, the series is set to head to Canada after the confirmation that the Groupe Copley World Triathlon in Montreal is set to go ahead from October 2 to 4.