Nick Pilgrim put in a strong performance to claim a tenth-place finish in the Americas Triathlon Junior Central American and Caribbean Championships, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

The race took place in hot, humid and windy conditions with the ocean swim in the waters of the Playa Blanca resort in Punta Cana and the bike and run sections taking place on the roads and paths of the resort.

Pilgrim established an immediate lead which saw him exit the 750-metre swim in 9min 55sec with only one other athlete within 40 seconds of him.

A fast transition saw him out onto the bike alone where he quickly established a lead of over a minute on the chasing pack.

A moment of miscommunication among the organisers and course officials led to confusion with Pilgrim being directed off course which meant a loss of approximately 20 seconds for the Bermudian athlete who, despite the challenges, lead the race into the second transition and saw him post the fastest bike split of the day.

The run was a flat but hot and humid 5km with a number of the faster runners passing Pilgrim. Maintaining his composure, he dug deep, and finished an impressive tenth place in a field of 23 athletes from nine different countries in the region.

“I was impressed with his performance as his off session had not been ideal thus, seeing him lead the first two legs was a testament to his resolve and, more importantly, his improved swim and bike,” said coach Neil de ste Croix.

“The run was particularly hard for all the competitors as they had to run in the midday sun. A number of the day’s competitors were treated for heat exhaustion.”

Pilgrim races again in two weeks time in the USA Triathlon Youth and Junior Development event in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.