Neytedli clocks best time

ABERDEEN’S Scott Neytedli set a Scottish ironman triathlon record when finishing second behind New Caledonia’s Patrick Vernay in the Western Australian championships at Busselton on Saturday.

Neyedli recorded a combined time of 8hr 17min 47sec for the 2.4-mile open water swim, 112-mile cycle and 26.2-mile marathon run to knock more than 18min off his previous best set when winning the UK title two years ago.

Verney took top spot in 8:13:59 which was a remarkable performance on a harsh day when for endurance athletes, with temperatures hitting the mid 30s.

Neyedli also adjusted better to the conditions than some of his main rivals and said: “This was one of my best races. I had a really good day. I was running fast and thought some of the guys ahead of me were going to drop like flies, and sure enough they did.

“I thought I had the win in my grasp but just couldn’t close the gap on the final stages of the marathon.”