Reid shines in new format

Tayler Reid excelled in a new format of triathlon in Montreal. Picture by Tommy Zaferes

TAYLER Reid has followed up his strong showing at the Olympics with an eighth-place finish at the Groupe Copley World Triathlon Championship Montreal.

Reid excelled in a new format of triathlon in which he raced four times across two days on a shortened super-sprint-distance course.

“I've been trying for years to break into the top 20, so to finally get into the top 10 is just a huge reward for all the work I've put in,” he said.

Competitors were completing the 300-metre swim, 7.2-kilometre bike and 2km run in 21 minutes, with close racing a highlight throughout the weekend.

Reid excelled on the shortened course and advanced through to the finals on Sunday morning (NZT).

He was “shattered” after the two days of racing but said he enjoyed the new format where the slowest racers were eliminated before a 10-man final.

“World Triathlons' new format of racing four races over two days was brutal, but I loved it.

“The super-sprint distance makes it super-fast and exciting while the number of races so close to each other brings in a huge endurance aspect.”

The race times in the fourth race were a minute slower than the fastest finisher over the weekend, reflecting the high demand the athletes put on their bodies.

In the final race, all 10 competitors came together on the bike leg to set the stage for a running race to decide the honours.

In his least preferred discipline, Reid could not keep pace with the front-runners, who finished 30 seconds ahead of him.

Fellow New Zealander and recent Olympic bronze medallist Hayden Wilde finished in sixth position. It was a French lockout on the podium, with Dorian Coninx finishing one second ahead of Vincent Luis and three seconds ahead of Léo Bergere.

For Reid, who led periods of the Olympic triathlon before falling behind the pace on the run and finishing 18th, the result has given him a significant confidence boost.

Reid doesn't have much time to celebrate. He is already preparing to race again next weekend at the World Triathlon Championship Series finals in Edmonton.

“(I'm) taking so much confidence from this weekend and looking to have another great race.”