Tyler Butterfield made a victorious comeback to the Bermuda triathlon scene on Sunday when he won the AON National Sprint Triathlon Championships.

Butterfield, who has not raced on the Island for over a year due to sickness and his time at school in Australia, led home a large field of some 215 senior and junior triathletes at Clearwater Beach.

It was a dominant performance by the teenager, who showed that he is back to health and fitness with a dominant performance over the 750-metre swim, 20km bike and 5km run.

Butterfield had said before the race that he had been working on his swim, traditionally his weakest discipline, and it paid off as he emerged from the water with the top pack of swimmers, which included Jonathan Herring, who entered this race unbeaten in Bermuda this season.

Veteran Kent Richardson trailed Herring and Butterfield by over one and a half minutes going into the bike leg.

Butterfield and Herring rode the first of the four loops of the bike course together but Herring clearly was not into the race and dropped out on the second loop.

Richardson, with a blistering bike leg, closed the gap on Butterfield with the two of them emerging for the run less than 30 seconds apart.

However, Richardson's challenge faded in the hot and humid conditions as Butterfield, an outstanding runner, posted easily the fastest run split of the day (17 minutes, 47 seconds) to take the championships and the 16 to 29 age group title in an overall time of one hour, three minutes 30 seconds.

Richardson showed why he should do well in his age group at the upcoming Triathlon World Championships as he came home second in 1:07:06 and took the 40-49 age group title.

Fast-improving Jamie Pedro, fresh from an impressive sixth place finish in his age group in the Subaru Guelph Triathlon, built on a fast swim to hold on to third but was subsequently given a penalty of 45 seconds for inadvertently entering the transition area the wrong way.

The penalty moved Bo Richardson up to third overall (1:09:02) dropping Pedro to fourth just two seconds ahead of the promising Andrew Davis.

The women's race proved to be a much closer affair as Bermuda's triathlon champion Karen Smith gave visiting UK professional Joanne Hind a real scare before being edged out by 30 seconds.

Hind was with the leading group of men after the swim with Smith over a minute back. Smith, however, closed the gap on the bike and the two of them started the run together.

By the second lap Smith, who was clearly tired after her impressive first place amateur finish at Guelph a week earlier, experienced stomach cramps and was unable to stay with Hind who crossed the line first in 1:09:12 to take the women's 16 to 29 title and sixth overall.

Smith, however, took the championship title in a time of 1:09:42 as only Bermudians and residents are eligible for the overall title.

Lynn Patchett once again had it all to do after a slow swim but she worked her way through the field to finish third overall amongst the women.

How the juniors fared

- See tomorrow's paper

In the 13 to 15 junior event Adam Petty provided an inspired performance to run down Matthew Herring for the boys title. Herring who had started the race as a strong favorite appeared to have the race won after a strong swim and bike but by the last lap of the three lap run he had slowed considerably and Petty put on a final surge to edge Herring by just a few metres at the line.

Flora Duffy, despite having sustained a foot injury prior to the race showed again that she is a star of the future with another gutsy performance. The 13-year-old easily outdistanced her nearest rivals for the girl's title and a fifth place overall finish amongst the women.

The age groups also provided some close finishes with Jeff Conyers just edging out Jim Hinton for second place in the 40-49 age group behind Kent Richardson.

Kim Mason took the women's 40 to 49 title ahead of Lea Butterfield and was fourth overall woman. Midge Oliver and Andrew Stevenson were the 50 plus age group champions.

The AON senior sprint championships were preceded by the junior championships. As has been the case all season, the boys 9-10 age group provided the closest finish with Tim Fox again using his superior bike to edge out Justin Collis and Ricky Sousa who finished just seconds behind him.

Also impressing were the Godfrey boys with Alex taking the 7-8 year old title and Matthew finishing just ahead of younger brother Thomas in the boys' 11 to 12 event.

Alex Easton again dominated the girls 9 to 10 age division with Claire Hawley, daughter of former national triathlon champion and now top cyclist Julia Hawley, the winner of the girls 7 and 8 title.

In the older age groups Caitlin Conyers was an easy winner of the girls 11-12 title with Dominic Nanette also a comfortable winner of the boys 13 to 15 age group.

The team event featured Bermuda's former professional cyclist Elliott Hubbard who anchored his Conyers Dill and Pearman team of swimmer Leslie Balcombe and runner David Doyle to an easy overall victory.

The Tri a Triathlon for adult novices was won by promising newcomer Cora Lee Starzomski with Martin Bolton the men's winner.