Findlay takes shock win in Hyde Park as Jenkins is third again

CANADA'S Paula Findlay produced a stunning debut display to capture victory in the London leg of the ITU World Championships series as Great Britain's Helen Jenkins was third for the second year in a row.

FRONT RUNNER: Paula Findlay leads Great Britain's Helen Jenkins in the London leg of the ITU Dextro Energy World Championship Series triathlon (Delly Carr)

The 21-year-old, competing in her first senior World Championship race, blew the field apart in Hyde Park with a fine running performance to clinch a memorable victory in 1:5146.

Findlay made her move with 800m to go and the chasing pack, which featured Nicola Spirig, Jenkins and Andrea Hewitt, could not respond.

"I can't believe it, I felt better than ever on the run," said Findlay, who was third in the under-23 race at last year's World Championships series finale in the Gold Coast.

"I've spent the last few weeks at altitude training but to win here is crazy. I never thought I could beat these girls and I was just hoping for a podium spot.

"But I saw that I managed to open up a gap. I hoped that I would be able to keep that gap and fortunately I could - it's a great confidence booster."

Switzerland's Spirig, who took victory a year ago, tried to respond but left her sprint finish too late and could not catch the Canadian, ensuring she had to settle for silver.

Jenkins' run of third places continues despite doing her utmost to set a swift pace in the running leg and ensure a sprint finish did not ensue.

"It's amazing - I've got too many thirds recently, I need to get a few seconds or firsts but I'm really happy with my race," said Jenkins.

"I'm not a great sprinter but I tried to get the girls working but some of them were so strong today but I wanted to work hard all the way and I did that.

"The course was not particularly hard today, but it was a good work out."

Her pace dropped a number of contenders, including last year's overall champion Emma Moffat of Australia, but the 2008 world champion could not shrug off Findlay, who romped to victory.

Jenkins, who finished third this year in Madrid and in last year's season finale in the Gold Coast, can take heart from her performance and the fact that she kept Hewitt at bay to make sure she reached the podium at the site of the 2012 Olympic triathlon.

There was more good news for the British triathletes as Jodie Swallow, competing in her first World Championship series event of the season, coming home in seventh - one place behind compatriot Vicky Holland.