Triathlon starlet Flora Duffy took an encouraging stride forward in her quest to resurrect her fatigue-inflicted season yesterday with an assured performance at the Pan-Am Games in Rio.

Cheered on by thousands of spectators who lined the sun-kissed streets of Copacabana, Duffy finished 12th out of 30 competitors with a time of two hours, three minutes and 13 seconds.

Prior to the race the 19-year-old admitted she would be content with a solid race — despite being a medal contender just a few months ago — and she certainly delivered that particular remit.

It was a race that suggested the worst of her troubles are now behind her, with Duffy enjoying a particularly strong swim and early bike ride, which saw positioned in sixth place at the midway point of the race involving a 1.5 kilometre swim, 40K bike ride and 10K run.

The fact she was unable to maintain that impressive level and make any serious inroads into the leading pack was perhaps understandable considering her recent well-documented ailments.

She had earmarked the Games as the priority on her sporting calendar this year and had been one of Bermuda’s major medal hope a few months ago — but Duffy insisted nonetheless that she was content with her display.

“I’m happy with my performance, especially considering the problems I have encountered with fatigue going into the competition,” she said.

“I felt a lot stronger than in recent races and it was a tough field out there — the heat was also pretty intense at times.

“I’m still quite frustrated because I know when I’m on form I should be further up the field.

“But before I came out here I said my aim to have a solid race and that’s what I delivered, so I have to be happy.

“A lot of the other girls were full-time professionals and the South American girls, who were previously unknown to me, were very competitive.

“I felt reasonably good coming out of the swim and started the bike ride well. I then sat in a little bit and I felt that maybe some of the other girls in my pack could have pushed a bit harder to close the gap on the front three.

“The run went OK although I just couldn’t find that extra level I normally have — but that’s to be expected with my fatigue problems.” The former Warwick Academy student revealed she had been on the brink of a fatigue-related illness due to over-training, but believed she was on the right track to recovery.

“It appears I’d been over-training and hadn’t given myself enough time to recover after races,” she added.

“That’s why I have been out of sorts — I have since learned I was on the verge of being quite ill.

“In May I was waking up in the middle of night and feeling awful and very hot. But instead of taking a break I pulled through and that’s why at the moment I haven’t quite got that extra gear I usually have.

“But this race suggests I’m on the up again and hopefully I’m now on the right track to getting back where I was before my problems.”

Meanwhile, Duffy’s coach Richard Brady said he was satisfied with his charge’s display and that he had expected to finish somewhere around the top ten.

“It was a solid race for Flora and probably what we all expected and hoped for,” he said.

“She had a strong swim but fell away a bit late on in the bike ride as the group she was riding with didn’t work very well together to close the gap on the three leading USA athletes who knew each well and worked as a team.

“Flora’s had a few setbacks recently, as well as taking exams at school, so she’s been trying to get the right balance.

“We are trying to get preparations right for Beijing (Olympics) next summer and are taking it a step at a time.”

Patty Petty, team manager, said she was delighted for Flora before adding that the Pan-Ams would provide her with another experience to build upon.

Duffy had recently undergone blood tests in a search of explanation for her plummet of form that had threatened to derail her meteoric rise in the sport.

But she should head back to Bermuda with a spring in her step for her next World Cup race in Salford, Manchester later this month.

*Bermuda’s swimmers Roy Allan Burch and Kiera Aitken should both be in action for the first time today for the preliminary rounds at the Aquatic Park.