Success on the off-road triathlon scene in the United States this year has done Flora Duffy’s confidence the world of good.

And this, the Bermuda triathlete reckons, can only bode well for her 2016 Olympic qualifying bid.

“Xterra has made me a stronger athlete in general physically,” Duffy said. “Physically, it’s been great and helps my Olympic-distance racing and a lot has to do with my confidence.

“It’s really given me that confidence boost that I am good enough to be competing at this level, which will translate into the ITU racing. A lot of that racing is mental — feeling that you should be there and knowing that you can race at that level and compete with the best girls and execute great races. So it’s definitely helping all around.”

Duffy’s 2016 Olympic qualifying bid will shift into high gear next year when she returns to the ITU circuit to compete for vital qualifying points.

“Next year I will race more ITU because Olympic qualification has started,” she said. “I did a few races this year which all went well and I scored great points. But next year I’ll definitely be racing more on the circuit just to get more points and get used to that style of racing again.

“The level is so high at ITU that you really need to focus on it and remember those important details of going fast and being where you should be. So next year will be more ITU and a few Xterra in there just for fun.”

In her first full season racing on the US Xterra circuit, the two-times Olympian won all three regional championships as well as the national title at the first bite of the cherry. She also won the Asia-Pacific Championships and South African Championships, which are both Xterra World Tour events.

“It has really built up my confidence to win a few races,” said Duffy, who is preparing for this month’s Xterra World Championships in Maui, Hawaii, at her base in Boulder, Colorado.

Grant Holicky, Duffy’s swimming coach at the Rally Sport Health and Fitness Club, is encouraged by the improvements that the elite athlete has made in the sport this year.

“Coming out of Worlds [Xterra World Championships] last year, where she was third, I think we really understood that we found a really special niche for her and a really special place for her in the sport of triathlon,” he said.

“But some of the things she’s done this year have been incredible. She’s running so well off the bike, which has surprised all of us a little bit; not in how fast she’s gone, but how quickly she got that fast this year.

“As an individual, Flora is extraordinarily driven, works incredibly hard and that’s really the secret to her success.

“Flora constantly expects more out of herself. She’s never satisfied with what she’s done and is always looking for the next level or next challenge or opportunity to be great. She never really settles and, as a coach, that’s a great thing.”