Riverside Northwood member Sky Draper claimed her first major junior triathlon title with victory at the Virgin Active London Triathlon.

Two months ago Draper was forced out of the European Junior Triathlon Championship in Spain, but the teenager has responded well with a strong showing in the Canary Wharf Triathlon and now victory in the London Triathlon.

The London Triathlon is the largest in the world and had 14,000 triathletes competing over the weekend.

Competing in the Junior Elite Female race, Draper, 15, was in top form to claim first place over 18-year-old Elinor Thorogood.

Draper's decision to race up an age group from youth level (under 17) to junior level (under 20) paid off despite having to compete over a longer course which entailed a 750 metre swim, a 30 kilometre bike ride and a 5.4 kilometre run.

Draper was in a strong position right from the beginning of the race, exiting the swim stage right behind the feet of the girl in second place.

The swim took place in the Royal Victoria Fock in front of the Excel Centre, where she lined up in her new look Orca Alpha wetsuit. There was suggestions that the swim stage was longer than 750m, as Draper exited the water in 11.28 - a relatively pedestrian time for her.

However, Draper was in third place and right behind the two in front of her before perfectly executing the first transition to come out on to the bike course in the lead.

The long and potentially tricky first transition involved taking off the wetsuit, stowing it in a plastic bag, and running with the bag up a staircase to a cavernous transition area where the bikes were waiting.

Thorogood, who had represented Great Britain in the triathlon at the inaugural Youth Olympics last year, took it in turns with Draper to lead on the bike. The bike course was an out and back route through the East End and on to Westminster via the Embankment.

After numerous exchanges of the lead, and just over 46 minutes out on the bike, the two girls came into transition two together. Draper had another good transition to put herself first going on to the run course, with her rival just behind and third place nowhere to be seen.

The eventual winner had caught up with other triathletes on the course and had to weave her way through the traffic on a hot day.

This did not distract Draper who had a really good run over the two lap out and back course to seal the victory. She completed the run in 19.52, almost two minutes faster than Thorogood, to come home as the junior elite female champion in a total time of 1.21.39.

Draper said: "I decided to try and play it tactically today and my plan worked out well. I had a good swim and managed to get away with Eli on the bike. The ride wasn't too hard so I decided to sit in and save my legs for the run, which paid off as I ran well."