����ý

Former world champion triathlete Non Stanford says she was 'surprised and delighted' to finish seventh at her first race since October 2019.

The 32-year-old raced in the World Triathlon Championship Series opener in Yokohama, Japan at the weekend.

She said it followed 'the worst 18 months of training ever', which began with knee surgery in late 2019.

"I was told before I went in [to surgery] that it's potentially career-ending," Stanford told ����ý Sport Wales.

"And that I might expect to never run the same way I ran before.

"Since then I've picked up two stress responses in my shin and I've had two chest infections that have required antibiotics this year. So it's just been one thing after another.

"I was really nervous about how I'd stack up against the other girls and even had those irrational thoughts of 'I'm not even sure I can get round'.

"I was thinking if I get a top 20 that'd be really good. So I was totally surprised to finish seventh."

Stanford made triathlon history in 2013 after winning the world title in her first senior season, just a year after winning the world under-23 title.

After a series of injury-hit seasons, a switch of training setup from British Triathlon's Leeds base to Joel Filliol's international group seemed to spark a change in fortune.

In 2019 she looked to be returning to her best with victory at WTS Hamburg. But surgery that autumn left her needing to mount another comeback.

"I just want to be consistent," she continued.

"I just want to go into a race feeling I've had a smooth-ish, consistent build-up and get through this last period of my career without any major events to report.

"I really hope [I can still win medals]. That's what keeps me going. I've never wanted to be the kind of athlete that is just showing up and racing because it's what I do and it's a great lifestyle. I want to be somebody who's competitive.

"My big goal going forward now is to try to go to the Commonwealth Games and try to get a medal. Because for me that would be the dream to win a medal for Wales at a major championship."

Back to where it all began

Competing at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham next year would bring Stanford's illustrious career full circle.

It was the city's university where the talented runner first got a taste of triathlon more than a decade ago.

The Commonwealths also had to become her main target once she found out she was not selected for this summer's Tokyo Olympics.

The Welshwoman finished fourth at Rio 2016, just seconds behind her teammate and former housemate Vicky Holland.

Holland, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Jess Learmonth were given the three spots for Tokyo 2020.

"If this was twelve months ago I think I'd be finding it really, really difficult," Stanford admits.

"I've had time to process the decision and process the disappointment and all the frustrations I had around the selections that were made.

"I've got to a point now where I can't be bitter about what happened.

"I wish every success to the girls who were selected. It was never anything personal against their selection.

"I was just disappointed in the process that led to their selections and I felt really let down.

"I don't think missing out on the Olympics has made the Commonwealths more important but I think it'll make it all that more special."

Stanford will continue her comeback when the World Triathlon Championship Series heads to Leeds in early June.