Commonwealth Games 2022: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Gretel Bueta, Samu Kerevi among stars to watch
Flora Duffy’s CV is impeccable. Defending Commonwealth champion? Check. Reigning Olympic gold medallist? Check. World titles? Three of them, thanks very much.
She even has her own landmark in her native Bermuda, with Corkscrew Hill renamed in her honour following her win in Tokyo.
So why is the 34-year-old not favourite to strike gold again in Sutton Park?
In June, Duffy was a distant seventh – her lowest race finish in four years – at the Leeds leg of the World Championship Series (WCS).
She explained afterwards that her training had been hindered by a bout of Covid-19 – her second. She promised to train hard and come back stronger in Birmingham.
She has plenty of grit to go with the glittering medal collection. In 2018, in the aftermath of her Gold Coast win, Duffy suffered a foot injury that could have ended her career. It took her out of contention for two years before she fought back to the top of the sport.
The battle with England’s Georgia Taylor-Brown, who leads the WCS standings and finished second behind Duffy in Tokyo, should be immense.
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Story courtesy of BBC NEWS