EVESHAM Vale’s Melanie Clarke competed in the World International Triathlon Union Grand Final Championships in Canada.

Racing in the women’s 45 to 49 age category at the standard distance, she finished 30th for Great Britain in two hours, 37 minutes and 41 seconds in Edmonton.

She said: “I had a bit of a mixed race. Things didn’t go too smoothly in the swim.

“Although I got a good beach dive at the start, 200 metres later I took a kick to the face, which meant stopping to rearrange goggles, then a little later I got unceremoniously dunked by a fellow male competitor.”

Clarke exited the water around two minutes down on what she had hoped. But she had a great bike leg with the 13th fastest split in her age group, completing the 25 miles in 1.09.20.

Clarke, of Abbots Morton, added: “After that, I just hung on during the run, which was painful. I think the swim lost me about five places in the end but I was happy with the overall outcome.

“It was a great week being part of the British triathlon age group team.”