Duffy back on track for 2012 Olympics

Flora Duffy has always had a ‘star quality’ to her. The multisport athlete won the first triathlon she entered and has never looked back. Duffy’s been tabbed as one to watch as she broke records during the Front Street Mile.

She became Bermuda’s first female triathlete at the Olympics when she represented the island at Beijing.

After the 2008 season, she backed off her schedule to give her body a much-needed rest and came back with a vengance in 2010.

Duffy, 23 and a sociology student at the University of Colorado, was second at the CAC Games triathlon, bringing home a silver medal for Bermuda.

She won a bronze at the Canadian National Championships in triathlon and followed that up with a fourth at the Pan Am Championships.

In September, she was eighth at the Under-23 World Triathlon Championships.

Switching gears she won double gold at the Caribbean Cycling Championships taking first on both the road race and time trial last October.

While competing for her university, she became an All-American in cycling and was selected to a collegiate all-star team to compete against the pros.

For these accomplishments and more, she was voted the Bermuda Sun’s Female Sports Personality of the Year for 2010.

Don Burgess spoke with Duffy about last year and what she has planned for 2011.

How does it feel to be the Bermuda Sun’s Female Sports Personality of the Year?

It’s cool. I wasn’t really expecting it. It makes me feel good that people follow what I do and think that I was worthy of winning.

How would you describe your 2010 accomplishments?

It was a great year, especially coming off of two years of not racing. To come back and race so well, it was a great boost to my confidence. It’s definitely a good step in the right direction.

What were the highpoints for yourself?

One of the first highpoints was doing the first World Cup in Des Moines, Iowa. It was a very strong field and I was 20th. I was very pleased with that. That was my first World Cup event in two years.

Winning the silver at the CAC Triathlon in July and eighth at the Under-23 World Championships would be the three highpoints.

Why did you take nearly two years off from competing?

Leading up into Beijing I was unhealthy and my body was rundown. My performances were suffering. I was qualified for the Olympics and I had to go for it. It didn’t go well. I just needed to take a break and relax.

When I moved to Boulder I got back into training, but I didn’t want to race. I wanted to stay out of it and refocus and get back my enthusiasm for racing.

How frustrating was it for you leading up to Beijing and not getting the results you wanted?

It was really hard and took its toll on me. That’s why I had to take two years away from the sport. It really cut me pretty deep, something I’ve been training for my whole life, and a few months ahead of time my body was so run down. Things did not go right. It was hard me, especially since I was just 20. I don’t think people realized how tough that was on me.

Did you feel any extra pressure that you had to perform at a high level and it was more than you could give at that point?

The people that were close to me knew what I was going through so they weren’t expecting me to magically pull out this great performance. They knew there was a chance of a solid performance, but because I had a bunch of top 10s in World Cup races, there was always a bit of that expectation that I would do that at the Olympics.

Does it weigh on you at all that you’ve always sort of had a tag of being a high flyer, that you’ll do great things because you were such an early record breaker in Bermuda?

Now I don’t really think about that too much because I have performed very well at the world stage so I know I can do it. It’s such a big world out here so what I did when I was younger in Bermuda’s doesn’t even compare once I entered the real world. I was a bit apprehensive about everything when I first was out on the world stage, but once I started to achieve a few things, I knew I could do it. The original expectations were a little much, but I learned to deal with it.

What are you studying and when will you graduate?

I’m a sociology major. I should graduate next spring, but I’m going to take one semester off next spring to concentrate on the Olympics in 2012. That way I can be better prepared for London. I’ll go back to school and should graduate in the fall of 2012.

How has training in the high altitude of Boulder helped you?

It’s really helped my swimming, which is really weird because I’m not swimming anymore than I used to be or the type of swimming, but I’ve been very consistent in being one of the first out of the water. I also feel like I recover quicker, but I don’t notice it that much any more. When I first moved here, the altitude killed me, but I’m adapting to it.

How has cycling with your university team helped you?

I’m so much stronger on the bike now and much more confident. It’s very motivating and fun to race with my teammates. When I race in the World Cup events it’s a lot easier now. It’s very comfortable. It’s a team environment and when you’re representing your school it adds a new level of enthusiasm.

What are your goals for this year?

It’s all about qualifying for London. I’ll be doing a bunch of races to earn ranking points. I’ll be getting back into the full swing of racing on the World Cup circuit.

How many events are you going to do?

I have eight World Cup events planned for this year plus a couple of non-drafting races. Depending on how I do in those, I should be fine.

What do you think your chances are of qualifying for London?

I think they are pretty good. As long as I continue to race like last year and continue to improve. I believe I have a good chance.