World Triathlon: Non Stanford & Vicky Holland book Rio spots

Britons Non Stanford and Vicky Holland booked their places at the Rio 2016 Olympics by finishing in the top three at the World Triathlon Grand Final.

Stanford was second and Holland third behind Gwen Jorgensen in Chicago.

American Jorgensen broke away on the run to claim a second successive world title with her 15th victory in a row.

"It's a tough criteria and to say I haven't been sweating over it is an understatement," said Wales' former world champion Stanford.

Holland said: "Getting on the podium was a win. When it was just three of us who broke on the run I thought, 'I just have to stay with this'."

Jorgensen completed the course - consisting of a 1.5km swim, 40km cycle and 10km run - in one hour 55 minutes 36 seconds.

Stanford, the second Welsh woman to secure her Rio place after sailor Hannah Mills, finished 29 seconds behind, with Holland a further 15 seconds adrift.

The 2012 World Under-23 champion Stanford won the senior title the following year.

But injuries ruled Stanford out of most of the 2014 season, including the Commonwealth Games, and began her bid to win selection for Rio at the ITU event in Yokohama in May 2015.

That campaign ended successfully in Chicago where fellow Briton Jodie Stimpson, the 2014 Commonwealth champion, was sixth despite injuring a shoulder in a fall on the run.

Compatriot Helen Jenkins finished 11th, Ireland's Aileen Reid was ninth and Briton India Lee was 56th.

Jonny Brownlee, who will compete in the men's race on Sunday, can seal a Rio 2016 spot with a top-three finish despite an injury-disrupted season.

Brother and Olympic champion Alistair is recovering from ankle surgery, but could still book his place at an assessment race in 2016.

The Grand Final is the final race in the World Triathlon Series, with athletes accumulating points that count towards Olympic qualification.

America's Gwen Jorgensen (centre) had scored a maximum 4000 points going into the Grand Final