Ironman World Championship 70.3: Emma Pallant-Browne takes bronze as Taylor Knibb wins gold

Emma Pallant-Browne (right) finished 39 seconds ahead of compatriot Lucy Charles-Barclay

Great Britain's Emma Pallant-Browne took bronze in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Utah as USA's Taylor Knibb won gold.

Defending champion and GB compatriot Lucy Charles-Barclay was fourth.

The 70.3-mile race is a half-distance Ironman event with the full 140.6-mile event taking place in Hawaii earlier this month.

Knibb completed the race in four hours, three minutes and 20 seconds as Canada's Paula Findlay finished second.

The 24-year-old Olympic mixed triathlon relay gold medallist, who finished more than five minutes ahead of the rest of the field, said: "I can't really believe it. I'm just grateful that I could execute a good swim, bike, and run. That last 10k was very very long, I can't believe I made it."

Charles-Barclay, who finished runner-up in the first women-only professional race at the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii two weeks ago, led the pack in the 1.2 mile swim but Knibb overtook her after two miles of the 56 mile cycle.

Having won the event last year Charles-Barclay could not manage a podium place this time, finishing in four hours, 11 minutes and 24 seconds, 39 seconds behind compatriot Pallant-Browne.

Pallant-Browne, 33, moved from sixth to third on the 13.1 mile run, passing Charles-Barclay and Olympic triathlon gold medallist Flora Duffy in an impressive battle for third.

She was not part of the three-strong pack of Charles-Barclay, Findlay and Duffy chasing Knibb on the bike but produced one of the fastest runs of the day to secure a second World Championship podium.

Britons Holly Lawrence, Nikki Bartlett and India Lee, who received a five-minute time penalty, finished sixth, eighth and 11th respectively.

The men's race takes place on Saturday with reigning champion Gustav Iden of Norway in action.