World Triathlon Series: Vicky Holland wins in Edmonton

Britain's Vicky Holland won the penultimate World Series event of the season in Edmonton, Canada.

The 29-year-old triumphed in 58 minutes and 55 seconds - nine seconds ahead of Bermuda's Flora Duffy, with Australian Gillian Backhouse third.

Holland's team-mates Non Stanford and Helen Jenkins finished sixth and 27th respectively in heavy rain.

South Africa's Richard Murray won the men's event, outsprinting Spaniard Javier Gomez to the line.

The 26-year-old finished in 53 minutes and 19 seconds for just his second World Series victory, four seconds ahead of series leader Gomez, whose countryman Mario Mola was third.

Thomas Bishop was the highest placed Briton in 11th, forty seconds behind, while Alistair and Jonny Brownlee missed the event through injury.

England's Holland remains fifth in the overall standings after victory on a course that comprised of a 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run.

The four women ahead of her - Americans Gwen Jorgensen, Katie Zaferes and Sarah True, and New Zealander Andrea Hewitt - did not compete in Edmonton.

"I had a really good swim, that set me up for the rest of the race and I didn't have to chase on the bike," Holland said.

"I kept working hard to keep myself warm. I had a few problems in T2 getting the shoes on and the helmet off but once I got going I felt OK. I wanted to give myself as good a session as I could."

Holland and Stanford will qualify for the Olympics with a top-three finish at the World Triathlon Grand Final in Chicago on 15-19 September.

Holland emerged from the swim in Edmonton in a leading group of 15 athletes that also included Welshwoman Jenkins, who was later dropped during the transition from bike to run.

Wales' Stanford, the 2013 world champion, struggled in the swim and bike disciplines but rallied to finish 49 seconds behind Holland.

British Triathlon performance director Brendan Purcell said: "Non got so cold she just couldn't undo her helmet. She would have made the podium if it wasn't for that.

"Helen got too cold too - we were just shouting at them to work hard so they could keep warm. They all approached it as a training session, but really it was too cold and perhaps should have been a duathlon."