Potter claims triathlon silver in Yokohama

Olympic triathlon double bronze medallist Beth Potter returned to action with second place in the World Triathlon Championship Series in Yokohama.

Potter, who was 14th for Great Britain over 10km in last month’s European Road Running Championships, finished four seconds behind Luxembourg’s Jeanne Lehair with Germany’s Lisa Tertsch in third, two seconds back.

Reigning Olympic and world champion Cassandre Beaugrand of France crashed out on lap six of the bike leg.

Therese Feuersinger of Austria held a narrow lead over Tertsch and Lehair after the swim, with Potter and Beaugrand 14 seconds behind.

Weather conditions resulted in a changed bike course and Potter and the chasing group caught up with the leaders by lap three.

Lehair went clear in the run and held on for victory, despite the Briton running the fastest run leg in the race.

The men’s race was won by Australia’s Matt Hauser, with Ben Dijkstra the leading Briton in eighth and Max Stapley in 11th.

Hauser finished six seconds clear of Portugal’s Vasco Vilaca while Miguel Hidalgo of Brazil, who finished a further 15 seconds back, took bronze.