Ashleigh Gentle keen to bounce back in San Francisco T100
The Australian had previously won twice in Singapore but was unable to replicate her achievements amidst the stifling heat of this year's race, finishing sixth, almost 10 minutes behind T100 debutant Kate Waugh.
Saturday's San Francisco showpiece will be hosted at the iconic Escape from Alcatraz course and Gentle is relishing the opportunity to make amends.
She reflected: "Singapore was an interesting one because I felt like I'd done a lot of really good training before the race and I didn't expect to be so far behind my usual mark.
"I rode the worst I'd ridden since I moved to middle distance and was so far off my best in the run.
"It wasn't great but reflecting back, I finished my season in mid-December last year. I think I rushed too quickly to be fit for Singapore because it meant so much to me and I overcooked it.
"I fit too much in and wasn't quite there. It's not how I usually perform.
"I was upset about it after the race but I just had to accept it and move on because I knew it wasn't anywhere near what I'm capable of."
The T100 Triathlon World Tour takes in locales as varied as Vancouver, London, the French Riviera, Valencia, Lake Las Vegas and Dubai over the course of a globetrotting campaign.
And having finished runner-up last year, Gentle has an eye on going one step further, beginning with this Saturday's Stateside showdown.
She added: "The fields have always been exceptionally good and you have new faces this year.
"Everyone's coming out and delivering really quickly because they're putting a lot of importance on the racing and are excited about the series.
"Everyone has trained for it and is ready for it so it's about just getting to each race and seeing how you stack up and seeing how you can put good races together and not be off the mark.
"Kate [Waugh] did really well. She's a super strong athlete, most people knew that and for her to convert to t100 and win her first ever event was a huge moment for her.
"You could tell she was happy and super excited and it was nice to see that elation on her face when she crossed the finish line.
"There were a lot of us who wished we were closer in the competition but she's really fit right now and deserved that win.
"A huge group of us are looking at her and how she set the bar really high this season and it's about us getting to that level."
Watch the world's top 20 female and top 20 male triathletes race live in the San Francisco T100 over the legendary Escape From Alcatraz course on Saturday 31 May. The broadcast starts at 0545 local time, 1345 in the UK, with the races starting 15 minutes later. You can tune in live for free globally on PTO+ or watch on partners channels such as TNT Sports 2 in the UK, Max or Discovery+ in Europe, or beIN in North America. For more details visit www.T100Triathlon.com
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