Wallace Coasts to silver
56 Sunday Mail
Scottish prospect Erin Wallace took a superb silver in triathlon’s world junior championships in Gold Coast yesterday.
But she was upstaged by British team- mate Vicky Holland who landed the senior world title.
Wallace, who raced the same course for Scotland at April’s Commonwealth Games , went into the lead on the bike stage in the Australian city.
But the 18-year- old was overhauled late in the run by Mexico’s Cecilia Ramirez Alavez who f inished 12 seconds clear of Wallace in a time of 59:11.
There was another British medal as English hope Kate Waugh landed bronze.
And Scots hero Wallace was thrilled with her silver after admitting it exceeded her expectations.
She said: “I definitely can’t be disappointed because my result is so much more than I expected this year.
“I couldn’t be happier with how it went.
“I knew I was in good form coming into this race but it was nerve-wracking to be on the start line.
“So I kept my trust in what I knew I had done to prepare and it paid off.
“I really wanted Kate to do well too. I wanted both of us on that podium.”
Holland, the Olympic bronze medallist at Rio 2016, claimed her first world title by coming second in the women’s Grand Final behind Australia’s Ashleigh Gentle.
That put her ahead of Amer ican r ival Kat ie Zaferes in the overall points standings with fellow Brit Georgia Taylor- Brown ending up third.
Holland, 32, was full of belief heading into the race and was determined to get the job done.
She said: “This season had always been about the Commonwealth Games. It was what I was training for.
“Since that point things have just fallen into place.
“I’ve just really enjoyed my racing. When you turn up to a race feeling confident and happy there’s not too much that can go wrong.
“I really wanted the world title and I’m so glad I got it at the end.”