Paula Findlay Gets Back To Form
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The 22-year-old continues to rebound from a mid-season hip injury.
Paula Findlay’s road back from injury to peak fitness continued Sunday when she finished second behind Sarah-Anne Brault of Winnipeg in the 29th Pushor Mitchell Kelowna Apple Triathlon in British Columbia.
Brault, 21, a member of Canada’s junior national triathlon team, completed the race, designated as the Canadian championship, in two hours four minutes 41 seconds. Findlay, an Edmonton native who trains in Victoria, B.C., crossed in 2: 05.35.
“I felt pretty good today, but I am so surprised,” Brault said. “Paula took off after the transition.
“She’s the best in the world. I never once thought I could catch her or win. I had no idea how the run would go, but I just kept to my pace.”
Simon Whitfield of Victoria defended his national title, winning the elite men’s race in 1: 54.12, ahead of Kyle Jones of Oakville, Ont., who was second in 1: 54.36.
The 22-year-old Findlay, ranked third in the world among elite female triathletes, was defending champion of the Kelowna event, but was still not in top running form for the race as she continues to rebound from a mid-season hip injury.
Brault, who attends West Virginia University on a track and field scholarship, won it on the run, posting a split time of 34.22 minutes for the 10-kilometer run portion, compared to 35.16 for Findlay.
Findlay suffered a slight strain in a muscle in right hip while training in Victoria on June 30. As a result, she withdrew from a World Cup event in Edmonton on July 10.
Read more: Edmonton Journal