³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

Britain's Non Stanford won triathlon gold at the European Championships in her final major competition.

The Welsh 2013 world champion finished ahead of German Laura Lindemann and France's Emma Lombardi in Munich.

Stanford, 33, has said she will retire this season. She helped Wales to silver in the mixed triathlon relay at the Commonwealth Games a fortnight ago.

"I can't think of a better way to bow out. I'm excited by the future but also going to miss this," she said.

GB's Sophie Alden led after the opening swim, but had a nasty crash early in the bike ride.

Stanford - who has recovered from a serious knee injury - was seven seconds down on the leaders at the end of lap one of the final run, before surging back for a brilliant victory.

She finished in one hour 52 minutes 10 seconds, nine seconds ahead of the runner-up.

Stanford, who was fourth at the Rio 2016 Olympics, had described the Commonwealth silver as "the icing on the cake" of her career, but had enough left in Munich to claim her first triumph since 2019.

"It's a complete surprise to be honest. This is actually my last World Triathlon race," she said.

"It was 2011 when I first represented Great Britain, at the European Championships, so it is kind of fitting I've come away with the gold. It's beyond all my expectations."

Matt Chilton, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ triathlon commentator, said: "This is a tremendous conclusion to Non Stanford's brilliant career. It was a masterful display over the Olympic distance. Her timing has been sensational in a magnificent performance."