Dame Flora Duffy battled back from an indifferent second transition to finish third at the World Triathlon Championship Series event in Yokohama this morning.

Duffy completed the Olympic-distance event in 1hr 51min 55sec behind Britain’s Georgia Taylor-Brown (1:51:44) and Leonie Periault, of France (1:51:50).

The Olympic and defending world champion was in the mix throughout after exiting the water from the 1,500 metres swim in the top six.

She maintained her connection with the leading cyclists on a highly technical 40-kilometre course that did not allow for breakaways and claimed a few high-profile victims in former series leader Laura Lindemann, of Germany, and Cassandre Beaugrand, of France.

Duffy completed the cycle in the top four but lost five seconds in the transition and found herself several yards behind Taylor-Brown, the Olympic silver medal-winner, and Periault.

The Bermudian, who was the second eldest in the 45-strong field at age 34, pushed the chasing pack in the 10km run so that they caught and momentarily passed the leaders on the third lap of four.

But Taylor-Brown had something left in reserve and made a telling kick at the start of the final lap, which immediately guaranteed her a place in the top two.

Duffy, meanwhile, was relegated to sixth and left to fight for a podium place, which she did with aplomb.