A tough year ended on a high for Berenice Curtis when she competed in the European Middle Distance Triathlon Championships.

The Huntingdon BRJ Run & Tri member finished 19th in the F40-44 age bracket at the event in Walchsee, Austria. Curtis completed the demanding 1.9km swim, 90km cycle and 21km run in five hours, 31 minutes and 37 seconds.

She said: “This year did not start well. I crashed during a cycling time trial in February and broke my finger, I punctured in my first standard distance triathlon, was sick the night before going to Lisbon to compete at the European Standard Distance Championships, and I had a mechanical in another race.

“All this knocked my confidence, but with my coach Andy Matson’s belief in me, I have managed to move forward.”

It was Curtis’ second successive appearance in the annual European middle distance event after her debut was marred by a foot injury.

She was back in action on these shores last weekend when delivering a personal best performance in atrocious conditions at the Vitruvian Triathlon at Rutland Wanter. Curtis covered the 1.9km swim, 85km cycle and 21km run in 5:11.54 to finish as the 23rd female overall and fourth in age group.