NEWTON Mearns triathlete Erin Wallace was in fine form as she battled to an elite junior silver medal at the 2018 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final on the Gold Coast at the weekend.

Wallace, who knows the Australian course well after competing for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games there in April, took the lead during the bike stage and looked in a good position as the 5km run got underway. 

But eventual winner Cecilia Ramirez Alavez of Mexico raced through the field, overtaking Wallace despite being 31 seconds behind at the start of the run. 

The 20-year-old Scot, who also represented Great Britain on the track at the IAAF World U20 Championships in Finland at the start of the summer, was thrilled with her medal.

She said: “I definitely can’t be disappointed because my result is so much more than I expected this year. 

“I couldn’t be happier with how it went. I knew I was in good form coming into this race but it was nerve racking to be on the start line, so I kept my trust in what I know I have done to prepare and it paid off.”

The well-deserved silver capped off a big week for Wallace who was also shortlisted for the Sir Peter Heatly Trophy and the title of Young Athlete of the Year at the 2018 Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards.

Diver Lucas Thomson walked away with the award, but with a stellar 2018 under her belt, Wallace has plenty to look forward to next season.