(Reuters) – British Olympic champion Alex Yee finished third after a barn-storming run in the men’s triathlon World Championship Finals in Torremolinos, Spain on Sunday to win his first world title.

Yee, who won gold at this year’s Paris Games, crossed the line in 01:43:50, over a minute behind the winner, Olympic silver medallist Hayden Wilde (01:42:22) of New Zealand.

France’s Leo Bergere, the 2022 world champion, was second with a time of 01:43:24.

Yee, who had three Olympic-distance wins heading into the race, needed a top-six finish to ensure the world title.

The 26-year-old was 21 seconds off the lead heading into the first transition and fell further behind in the early stages of the bike section as a breakaway group surged ahead, but he stuck with the chasing pack and kept within touching distance.

We always put on a show for the Grand Final, and fair play to the guys who made it a hell of a show,” said Yee, who took the season title with 4069 points, 341 clear of second-placed Bergere.

“I was proud to be part of that. Getting out of T1 I wasn’t in the best position or the best legs to get out.

“These boys are the strongest in the game and if they go you’re in danger, and I just had to play to my strengths and bike as hard as I could and run as hard as I could.”

In the 10km run, Yee showcased his power by pulling away from a throng of runners to ensure third place and seal the title.

The win ended a run of narrow misses for Yee, who finished third in 2021, second in 2022 and fifth in 2023.

This has evaded me for the last three years and makes it even sweeter,” Yee added.

“It is probably something that has haunted me day in day out and I wanted to put on a show and a smile on peoples’ faces and I’m World Champion. There’s always going to be pressure in these races… but pressure makes diamonds.”

(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Nashik, India; Editing by Toby Davis)