Welsh triathlete Non-Stanford is confident she can make the most of her first-ever World Cup win following a winter disrupted by injury.
The 28-12 months-vintage gained the Chengdu event in China and will now compete in her first World Series triathlon of the season in Yokohama, Japan, on Saturday.
“For me, the weekend turned about getting back into racing and refocusing more than the victory itself,” she said.
“Winning offers me a bit more self-assurance going into the World Series.”
Saturday’s event is raced over an Olympic distance, including a 1.5km swim, 40km motorbike experience, and 10km run – four times the race gap in Chengdu.
The 2013 global champion will compete with fellow Briton Vicky Holland, who pipped her to Olympic bronze in Rio, and 2016 international champion Flora Duffy of Bermuda, who is also competing in the World Series for the first time this season, overcoming accidents.
“The level at the World Series is that much higher than the World Cup,” stated Stanford.
“The area is pretty stacked, and that’s exciting, whichis why you exit there and get to check yourself in opposition to the excellence that triathlon has to provide.
“It’s going to be hard and no longer as smooth as it turned out to be over the weekend. I do not think the victory will come quite as quickly.
“I just need to go out there and do an Olympic distance, see where I’m at and what we ought to be painting on for the rest of the season.”
Non-Stanford
Stanford has decided to compete for Wales at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.
The Chengdu event consisted of two activities held over days, and Stanford, which had not raced on the World Cup circuit since 2011, no longer counted on victory.
“The format of the race was unusual, and I wasn’t sure at all how I could do. You should have finished first or remained in that situation.
“I made some clever selections while I changed into racing. I stayed pretty calm,whicht is important in that sort of ra,ce which is so fast.
“It’s concise decisions in the warmth of the instant, and I managed to make accurate decisions at the proper time, and that helped me to the pinnacle of the podium.”
Swansea-born Stanford, who completed fourth at the ultimate summer’s Olympic Games in Rio, has continued a difficult few months.
“I got a small tear in my Achilles back in November, and restoration from that hasn’t been truthful,” Stanford instructed BBC Wales Sport.
“I didn’t do any proper running until the quit of February, so it hasn’t been smooth at all. It hasn’t been my pleasant experience of education, and that is why I surprised myself on the weekend.”
Stanford missed out on the 2014 Commonwealth Games through injury and has her sights set on the Games on the Gold Coast next April.
“The essential aim for this season is to make certain I affirm my selection for the Commonwealth Games next year,” Stanford said.
I became genuinely devastated to miss out on the Commonwealth Games in 2014. To sit down on the sidelines and watch becomes pretty tough.
“It’s been a lifelong ambition of mine to represent Wales at the Commonwealths.
“It, in reality, got here onto my radar before the Olympic Games ever did.
“It could be a unique moment to position at the Welsh package and get the flag flying for us.”
