Aquathlon: Jazmin's hard slog in Canada

Jazmin Phillips, centre, heads for home in the running section of the Aquathlon World Championships.

Two years running, Whanganui athlete Jazmin Phillips has finished inside the Top 10 of a ITU age group world championship race recently.

After coming seventh in Mexico last year, Phillips finished ninth of 17 entries in the 16-19 Female AG race of the ITU Aquathlon World Championships in Penticton, Canada.

Aquathlon comprises a 1km swim followed by a 5km run.

Phillips completed the course in 41m 24s, just over four minutes behind the winner - England-based New Zealander Megan Greensmith, while Taupo's Hannah Howell finished seventh.

Competitors in the grade came from New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain, America and hosts Canada.

Phillips was the Wanganui Multisport Club's representative at the ITU Multisport World Championship Festival.

She had been preparing for Canada while at the University of Otago, with the 18-year-old starting a health science degree

Building up to the event, Phillips trained for the swimming leg with the Toyota Wanganui Swim team during university holidays, as well as her running partners in Otago including her former Wanganui Collegiate athletics team mate Alice Bird.

The ITU festival was held over ten days in Penticton, which is in southern British Columbia, and drew over 3000 athletes to compete in five different multisport competitions.