World champion again: Jodie Swallow (centre) after winning the world long-distance triathlon crown last weekend
TWENTY years after winning English Schools gold, Jodie Swallow has won the triathlon long-distance world title in Oklahoma City.
The 35-year-old won English Schools titles on the track and country in 1996 – and five English Schools titles in total in the 1990s – but has matured into one of the world’s best triathletes and her Oklahoma win last weekend was her third world title, following her 2009 ITU long distance world championship and 2010 Ironman 70.3 World Championship. Swallow was fastest out of the water with a 63:31 swim, produced the quickest bike split of 3:15:50 and the fourth best run of 2:15:52 to finish in 6:37:11 – more than seven minutes ahead of runner-up Caroline Steffen of Switzerland.