Triathlon: World champion Non Stanford suffers injury blow

World triathlon champion Non Stanford is out of action for six to nine weeks with a foot injury.

The 25-year-old Welsh athlete will miss the start of the ITU World triathlon series which she won in 2013.

But she is confident the injury will not hinder her preparations for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July.

"If anything it'll mean I'll have to train specifically for the Commonwealth Games instead of focussing on the World Series," said Stanford.

The ITU series starts in Auckland on 5-6 April, with Stanford confirming she will definitely miss that race, and probably the second in Cape Town on 26-27 April.

Stanford was injured while taking part in the Trafford 10k, and despite the setback has not ruled out her ambition of representing Wales in the 10,000 metres on the track as well as the triathlon in Glasgow.

"If I'm going to be in good enough shape for the triathlon then I'll be in good shape for the track," she added.

"We'll have to sit down with the selectors and go through what the options are in terms of qualifying."

Stanford made triathlon history by claiming the world title in her first season as a senior - a year after claiming the world under-23 title, becoming the first athlete to win the titles in consecutive seasons.

She had wanted to defend her world crown as well as compete in the Commonwealth Games, but says the Glasgow event will now be the focus of her season.

"Being realistic that's what I'm going to have to do - the Commonwealths was always the priority for the year," she said.

"Now it will just mean the world series really will fall into the background and we'll target doing well at the Commonwealths in July.

"I'll be on crutches and in a boot for three weeks and then probably looking at four to six weeks rehab after."