Australia’s dual world champion Felicity Sheedy-Ryan has finished a close up fourth in the 2018 Fyn Duathlon World Championships in Denmark overnight. 

The 33-year-old West Australian was always in the hunt after the opening 10km run and 36km bike until the final 4.9km run leg on the opening day of the ITU Multisport World Championships sorted out the podium.

As hard as she tried Sheedy-Ryan was denied a podium finish, which in the end eluded her by just over half-a-minute.

Gold went to Austria’s Sandrina Illes in 1:49.29 from Japanese triathlon legend, 35-year-old Olympian Ai Ueda (1.49.38) with the bronze going to Great Britain’s Georgina Schwiening (1:49.47).

Sheedy-Ryan came home in 1:50.20 ahead of French woman Sandra Levenez (1:50.42) and Switzerland’s Melanie Maurer (1:51.45).

It was Ueda who produced a stellar first run split and was the first to move through transition before heading out onto the bike course.

It was also no surprise when Ueda was joined by Sheedy-Ryan, Britiain’s Schwiening and eventual winner Illes.

The four women set the pace and broke away early, maintaining a strong 15-second lead on the chasers.

With a slick second transition Schwiening was the first athlete to hit the pavement for the final stretch of the duathlon format.

Illes and Ueda made a move on Sheedy-Ryan and were on the charge but it was Illes who had the stronger legs to claim the title.

In other events:

NSW’s Cody Salter was well back for his seventh place finish in the Junior Men.

Two-time world champion Matt Smith (WA) was eighth in the Under 23 men’s category and;

NSW’s Caitlin Sendt also finished eighth in the Junior women’s.