AFTER a year of bitter disappointments triathlete Flora Duffy is switching continents as she makes a fresh start in Colorado.

She has ditched her coach of four years Rich Brady and will take things easy in 2009. Despite a glittering start to her career which has seen her get second in the World Junior Championships, eighth in the Commonwealth Games and four World Cup top tens – 2008 was far trickier.

She was pulled out of the Olympic triathlon by race officials in Beijing before the start of the run. It followed a string of disappointing finishes in the summer, often put down to exhaustion.

But Duffy remains upbeat and is glad to be moving to the University of Colorado in Boulder.

She told the Mid-Ocean News: "Next year is a rebuilding year – I will do some minor races to build my confidence back up.

"It would be nice just to get back on track. This year we had to rush everything to get fit for Beijing.

"I am not sure what I am going to do next year for racing. I took quite an extended break after Beijing. I split with my coach so I don't have any plans."

She said next year is more like a recovery year – to relax a bit, still train, but get her body back in order.

"Probably I'll just do some low key races, not do any World Cups or anything, probably try to stay off the circuit. I am just starting a new school so it will be hectic there."

Duffy is still not totally sure of what led to her physical set-backs.

"I think it was not taking care of my body – pushing it. And also I was growing up as well.

"I was 17 and 18 years old when I was doing the training. It kind of got to me a little bit. Unfortunately the body can sometimes take a long time to come around again. There were injuries – lots of little things that seem to have built up."

Not that she's been totally inactive. She has been in Bermuda since September, recently running with Steve Burgess and going to the gym for strengthening and conditioning work.

"I haven't really been fit enough to do races but I have been training with a lot of people," she said.

About her split with Brady she said: "I wanted something new and different and I will be out in Colorado – I need someone who is going to be with me."

Duffy, who leaves in early January, says the training will continue in the US where she will begin a management science course after doing sport and leisure management. "I wasn't enjoying it. I am involved with sport all day as it is – it's nice to do something completely different in school.

"And triathletes have said it's a great area to train in. It borders a great area for sport – there are lots of triathletes out there."

Summing up 2008 she said: "It was a big learning year. It was frustrating for me because there were some races in the Worlds when I was actually in pretty good shape and I was feeling good but I had a few mishaps in the race which ruined them for me. Stuff that was totally out of my control.

"Then I went to Beijing and that went wrong. It was a huge learning experience for me – it took a lot out of me mentally and physically.

"I think that is why I have taken such a long break now. Now I look back on Beijing and say it didn't go right for me and it didn't go right for loads of athletes who were there.

"There is only a small few it goes amazingly for. It is one of those things – I am lucky I was 20 years old when I was there. I have another two Olympics in me if I continue with my triathlon career."

And continue she will.

"I can't really see myself getting a job just yet. I enjoy the triathlon circuit too much."

She certainly doesn't plan to race until the late summer – probably competitions within the US.

"I don't really want to travel too much – I have done a lot of that in the last two years – hopping continents, I have had enough of that for a little bit."