In his first major appearance since joining triathlon’s senior ranks, Tyler Smith finished 18th at the European Cup Sprint Triathlon in Las Palmas, Canary Islands.

Smith exited the 750-metre swim with the lead pack in 9min 19sec and then featured prominently on the bike staying with the lead group over the 20km course, finishing in 30:05. He was not able to match the very fast pace of the stronger runners, but still produced a solid run of 15:58 for the 5km, crossing the line in 57:12sec.

The race was won by Britain’s Barclay Izzard, in 56:03.

Elsewhere, Nick Pilgrim and Caleb Ingham put up creditable performances in the draft legal Sarasota Youth Elite Cup. Pilgrim finished the 375m swim, 12.2km bike and 2.5km run in 34:55 to take tenth, while Ingham was 14th in 35:17. Jeremy LaJoie won the race in 33:39.

In the US Junior National Championships at the same venue, Lynsey Palmer suffered a ten-second technical penalty before the start of the race, finishing the 750m swim in 13:36.

She was therefore lapped at the end of the bike and as a consequence had to retire from the race. However, Palmer is determined to bounce back at the upcoming Bermuda World Cup Age Group Sprint Triathlon.