Buckhurst Hill triathlete Claire Bloom has won a bronze medal in the ETU Sprint Triathlon Age Group Championships in Geneva.

Bloom was competing in the 50-54 age group in the race was held by Lake Geneva, Switzerland in scorching 30 degree heat. Bloom's wave start time was midday meaning conditions were extremely hot.

The swim, despite the heat and a strong current, was a 750m wetsuit swim in Lake Geneva. Bloom exited the water in a time of 14.13 and in seventh position.

After a long run into transition, she then had to negotiate a 20km three-lap bike course which included a 1km hill climb with a gradient of 10 per cent on each lap.

On the third lap Bloom overtook race favourite and 2011 World Champion, Sara Northover of Great Britain, and in an attempt to breakaway also passed the 2014 European Champion Sabine Greipel.

She had now moved up into second position. Finishing the bike leg with a time of 40.27, Bloom exited transition slightly ahead of Greipel for the final section of the race, a 5km undulating run leg.

Greipel then moved up alongside Bloom and the two were neck and neck throughout the run course. With 800m to go Greipel made her move and Bloom could not stick with her, leaving Bloom in bronze medal position.

But Bloom still finished the race with a run time of 22.22 and an overall time of 1.21.22.

After the race an ecstatic Bloom said: "I could not believe that I medalled this year. The field was so competitive. I had never beaten Northover and last year Greipel had beaten me by over three minutes.

"This year it was only 12 seconds - so though not my day, to beat her this time I was amazed to be so close and to stick with her for so long in the run.

"My family had come to Geneva to support me, so to bring home a medal made the trip even more special.

"The team around me had worked so hard leading up to this. I can't thank my coach Dermott Hayes of RG Active and my physio Gill Cardy of The Physiotherapy and Injury Clinic for their support and also David Lloyd Leisure for sponsoring me and ensuring that I got here in the first place."