Maltese triathlete Danica Bonello Spiteri made history after securing an age-group podium finish at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Nice, France.

The result marks the first time a Maltese athlete has finished on the podium at an Ironman 70.3 World Championship, setting a new benchmark for the sport locally.

Bonello Spiteri produced an impressive performance against a highly competitive international field, finishing the gruelling event in an overall time of 5:30:29.

Nice, regarded as the birthplace of long-distance triathlon in Europe, provided a challenging setting for the championships.

Athletes faced a 1.9km swim in the waters of the Côte d’Azur, followed by a demanding 90km bike course through the hilly roads of the Alpes-Maritimes before completing a half marathon along the Promenade des Anglais.

Hot conditions added to the challenge, particularly with Bonello Spiteri’s wave not starting until 9.15am.

Although the Age Group competition is held separately from the professional race, athletes can only participate after qualifying for the World Championships. Bonello Spiteri’s age group featured 389 competitors who had earned their places in Nice.

The Maltese athlete enjoyed an excellent start, completing the 1.9km swim in 29 minutes and 52 seconds to emerge from the water in second place behind Anja Štrovs.

The demanding cycling leg caused considerable changes in the standings. Bonello Spiteri completed the 90km course in 3:17:19 and dropped to ninth position.

However, she produced a superb recovery during the half marathon, completing the run in 1:35:57 to climb back into a podium position.

Her overall time of 5:30:29 left her only a few minutes behind Germany’s Katharina Grölz, who took second place.

The age-group world title went to Switzerland’s Corina Hengartner, a former professional triathlete who has also competed successfully at elite level.

Bonello Spiteri admitted that her performance exceeded the expectations she had set before travelling to France.

“I entered the World Championships with the aim of a top-15 finish, a target shaped by my result at the last edition I competed in, the 2023 Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Lahti, Finland,” she said.

On that occasion, Bonello Spiteri finished 69th from a field of more than 450 competitors in her age group.

She secured qualification for this year’s World Championships through Ironman 70.3 Antalya last year and underlined her form earlier this season by winning her age group in Alghero, Sardinia. It was her second age-group victory during the current qualification cycle.

The historic result in Nice represents another landmark in Bonello Spiteri’s career.

In 2009, she became the first Maltese woman to complete a full-distance Ironman, an achievement subsequently matched by several other Maltese female athletes.

Bonello Spiteri now hopes her World Championship podium can have a similar impact by encouraging more local athletes to test themselves internationally.

“I hope that this latest result follows a similar path within the local athlete community, and that it shows Maltese athletes can achieve results on the international stage,” she said.

Following the race, Bonello Spiteri thanked her sponsors and support network, including Quest Vitamins, RevivalMT, Garmin Malta, Eurosport Malta, The Sports Medics, Team Barry, Malta International Challenge Marathon, Idmatch Bikefit Lab and Flowbio Sweat Sensors, as well as Neptunes Swim Club and Pembroke Athleta Athletics & Triathlon Club.