Maltese triathlete Danica Bonello Spiteri has made history after securing an age-group podium finish at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Nice, becoming the first Maltese athlete to achieve the feat.Bonello Spiteri took on a fiercely competitive field in France, with her age group alone featuring 389 athletes who had qualified for a place at the World Championships.She started strongly, completing the 1.9km swim in 29:52 to emerge from the water in second place behind Anja Štrovs.The demanding 90km bike course through the hilly Alpes-Maritimes saw her drop to ninth after recording a time of 3:17:19.But the Maltese athlete produced a major comeback during the half marathon, completing the run in 1:35:57 to climb back into a podium position.Bonello Spiteri crossed the line with an overall time of 5:30:29, finishing just minutes behind Germany’s Katharina Grölz in second. Switzerland’s Corina Hengartner, a former professional triathlete, claimed the age-group title.The result exceeded Bonello Spiteri’s own expectations heading into Nice.“I entered the World Championships with the aim of a top-15 finish,” she said, explaining that the target had been shaped by her performance at the 2023 edition in Lahti, Finland, where she placed 69th among more than 450 athletes in her age group.Her qualification for Nice came through Ironman 70.3 Antalya last year, while she reinforced her form with an age-group victory in Alghero, Sardinia earlier this season.The podium adds another milestone to Bonello Spiteri’s career. Back in 2009, she became the first Maltese woman to complete a full-distance Ironman, an achievement that has since been matched by other Maltese women.Now, she hopes her latest breakthrough can similarly inspire more athletes from Malta to compete 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.The achievement marks a new benchmark for Maltese triathlon, with no Maltese athlete previously having reached an age-group podium at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships.Share this amazing achievement!•