A TRIATHLETE competitor originally from Mary Tavy achieved an incredible fourth place in the ETU Long Distance Triathlon Championships in Finland.

Dave Hutchins, who is a doctor at the accident an emergency department at the Royal and Devon Hospital, Exeter, was one of the Great Britain team members, who faced stiff international competition in the gruelling race held in Tampere, Finland. They had to endure a 4,000m swim, a 120km cycle all topped off with a final 30km run.

Dave, 25, who now lives in Exeter, completed the race in an incredible 7hr 6mins 23secs and was placed a superb fourth, with three Finns in front of him. An elated Dave described his achievement as 'certainly one of my proudest moments ever!'

The former Kelly College head boy was battling low energy levels during the race and felt perhaps his nutrition strategy was to blame.

He said: 'It was a hard race, which I made harder by not taking on enough calories and found it very hard to dig myself out of "the energy black hole" he had created. However his mum, who lives in Mary Tavy, was there to cheer him on with her Union Jack and provide much needed moral support for all the Great British competitors.

Looking back, Hutchins said he 'felt very tired after what was a hard race' but that he 'could not have gone any faster or harder.'

Such an impressive placing has gained Dave a chance to represent Great Britain once again in the World Championships which will be held in Las Vegas on November 5.