CHRIS Walker claimed a third-place finish in an adapted event at the Long Distance Triathlon Championships in France.

Adverse weather conditions in Belfort meant the swimming stage had to be dropped, turning the spectacle into a duathlon but the Port-land athlete remained unfazed and produced a fantastic performance.

Walker told Echosport: “It was my first time at an event like that and although it was pretty tough going, I enjoyed every minute.

“The swim is my strength so when that was postponed all I could really do was see what happened. “In the end the event was turned into a duathlon with a 10km run followed by an 87km cycle ride followed by a 20km run.

“It obviously wasn’t what I had prepared for so I just decided to go as hard as I could and take it from there.”

Walker began well but did run into a problem on the cycle route before putting on a strong finish.

He added: “There was a 1,200m climb on the bike and during the course my rear brakes failed.

“I stopped at the top of the climb to take a quick look but quickly realising I couldn’t fix them, I jumped back on and just tried to take it cautious on the descent.

“In the end I came in third in the 20-24 years category and to be honest it was not something I expected at all. In fact it wasn’t until after I finished that I found that out.

“It was a great experience and I am now looking forward to doing similar events in the future.”

Next up for Walker is a trip to Nottingham on July 7 to take part in the Outlaw alongside several other Bustinskin members.

The Outlaw Triathlon is an Ironman event which consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run.