Andover Triathlon Club’s Gina Graham overcame extreme weather conditions to secure a spot in the 2025 European Championships, following a remarkable performance at the Bournemouth International Standard Distance Triathlon.

The event, hosted by Challenging Events Ltd, also served as a qualifying race for the prestigious championships, drawing top-tier competitors from across the country.

The race kicked off at 7.15am with a 1500m sea swim, where conditions initially seemed favourable.

The water was calm with a slight current, and the temperature was warm. However, as the athletes transitioned to the bike leg, the weather took a drastic turn, with heavy rain pouring down relentlessly.

Graham embarked on the 40km bike ride, which followed an out-and-back route along the main road to Ringwood.

The course featured a challenging descent to a roundabout, which served as the turn point, before climbing back up the same hill.

The downpour made the already demanding course even more treacherous, but Graham pushed through, completing the bike segment in an impressive 1 hour and 12 minutes.

The final leg of the triathlon was a flat 10km run along the Bournemouth promenade.

While the route was relatively straightforward, the heavy rain left large puddles in its wake, adding to the challenge.

Despite the adverse conditions, Graham maintained her pace and crossed the finish line in a commendable time of 2 hours and 54 minutes.

“It was a bit scary on the bike at the best of times, and to add to that, we then had torrential rain, and it was pretty cold,” Graham said.

However, she secured third place in her age group, earning her a qualification for the European Championships in Istanbul next year.

"Worth the drenching, I suppose!" she said.