Eight years after dropping out of the Olympics in Beijing, Flora Duffy feels as though she is finally ready to tackle the Games and all that they bring.

Duffy has not had the best of luck when it comes to the Olympics, and after failing to finish in China in 2008, crashed in London four years later while leading the chase group and finished 45th.

Things are different now, however, and the Bermuda triathlete, who presently tops the world rankings, is going into the Olympic Games in Rio with a serious chance of winning a medal.

According to Duffy much of that has to do with finally “finding my feet in triathlon” as well as learning the lessons of the past.

“In Beijing I was young, naive 20-year-old and did not finish, in London, I was still a college student and crashed, and now going into Rio, I finally feel like I have found my feet in triathlon,” Duffy said in an interview with firstoffthebike.com.

“I have learnt a lot over the years, and now at 28 years old, I finally feel confident and ready to tackle the Olympics and all it brings. It is special and a lot of hype comes along with it, but it is still just swim, bike, run which is important to remember.”

Although Duffy is being tipped by many to win a medal in Rio next month, she told firstoffthebike.com that her own definition of success is somewhat different.

“After my experience in Beijing and London finishing without crashing would be great at the very least,” Duffy said. “Of course I want more though.

“I try and focus on the process rather than outcome, so if I execute a great swim-bike-run to the best of my ability on that day I’ll be happy whether that is twentieth or fifth or podium.

“It is the Olympics, you never know what to expect, history goes out the window, and that is what makes it so exciting.”

It is Duffy’s performances on the bike so far this season that have convinced many she has the potential to succeed in Rio. Her hard riding carried her to gold in the World Triathlon Series race in Stockholm this month, and at the start of the season that determination propelled her to a bronze in Abu Dhabi and silver in Leeds.

There has been method in her approach too, with the Bermuda triathlete believing the bike section could be where the medals are won and lost next month.

“This year I have tried to push the bike in every race I have done, to make it a hard ride so I can get better at running off of a hard ride,” Duffy said. “It is no secret that the bike course in Rio is hard and could be a major factor in the women’s race.

“If I want to be on the podium or top five I need the bike to be very hard, but also be able to run well off the bike. I may as well practice that in every WTS race this year.”

• Javier Gomez Noya, Spain’s world and European triathlon champion, pulled out of the Rio Olympics yesterday after fracturing his left arm in a bicycle accident.

Gomez Noya, the only triathlete to win five world titles, was among the favourites to clinch gold at this year’s Games after claiming silver in London in 2012.

“Unfortunately this has forced me to pull out of competing in Rio. I need to be realistic, there is no time to prepare and to be fit on the start line of the games,” Gomez Noya said.