Here, we take a look at her story so far.<\/p>\n
Who is Sian Rainsley?<\/strong><\/h2>\nHaving started competing in triathlons at the age of seven, Coventry\u2019s Sian Rainsley enjoyed plenty of success during her junior years, particularly as part of relay squads.<\/p>\n
She was only a couple of months beyond her 16th birthday when she took her first European title, in Turkey in 2013, as part of the GB victorious junior mixed relay quartet.<\/p>\n
Further European champs relay golds would come in Lisbon in 2016 (junior), Hungary in 2017 (U23) and Kitzb\u00fchel in 2021 (elite).<\/p>\n
Her individual career has been less medal-laden, although it has seen several podium places in European Cup competition at a variety of age categories.<\/p>\n
A comparatively late arrival on the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS), Rainsley didn\u2019t make her bow on the circuit until 2021, when she was 24.<\/p>\n
![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Sian Rainsley competes in the Super League Triathlon race in Malibu in September 2022 (Credit: Tommaso Boddi\/Getty Images for Super League Triathlon)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nBy the time of her fourth race in the series, though, she clocked up a top-five finish in Hamburg, swiftly following it up with an individual bronze in the European champs in Valencia. Earlier this year came the Arena Games in Singapore, where Rainsley came an impressive fourth.<\/p>\n
A few months later, as fifth-ranked athlete, she might have forced her way onto the podium at the Commonwealth Games on her (near) home turf of Birmingham, but instead disappointingly under-performed and finished outside the top 10.<\/p>\n
Still, the fact that Rainsley was even on the start line in Birmingham was quite remarkable. Seven years earlier, she had been diagnosed with Crohn\u2019s Disease and was subsequently told the condition would prohibit her becoming an elite sportswoman.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was the lowest point of my life,\u201d she admits. That Rainsley hasn\u2019t let it stop her competing against the world\u2019s best is testament to her spirit and tenacity.<\/p>\n
How old is Sian Rainsley? <\/strong><\/h2>\nSian Rainsley was born on April 19 1997, making her 25 years of age.<\/p>\n
Sian Rainsley\u2019s career highlights<\/strong><\/h2>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Rainsey competes in the Mixed Team Relay event at the Youth Olympics in 2014 (Credit: Scott Taylor\/ITU)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nJune 2013: European champion for the first time<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn Alanya in Turkey, 16-year-old Rainsley becomes a European champion, taking gold alongside the rest of the GB junior mixed relay squad.<\/p>\n
Two weeks later, she steps up to join the U23\/youth women\u2019s relay team, taking another European championship medal in the Netherlands, this time the bronze.<\/p>\n
August 2014: Silver in China<\/strong><\/h3>\nAgain showing her worth in a team environment, Rainsley is part of the GB youth mixed relay quartet which takes silver at the Youth Olympic Games in the Chinese city of Nanjing,<\/p>\n
September 2014: Second place in Turkey<\/strong><\/h3>\nRainsley records her best individual performance to date, finishing as runner-up in the junior European Cup race in Alanya.<\/p>\n - How to train for triathlon with Crohn\u2019s disease<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- A day in the life of pro triathletes Claire Cashmore and Dave Ellis<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- A day in the life of Tom Bishop<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
May 2016: European champion for the second time<\/strong><\/h3>\nHaving finished seventh in the junior women\u2019s race the day before, Rainsley is a continental queen again, taking gold as part of the triumphant junior mixed relay squad.<\/p>\n
August 2016: A high ranking at the nationals<\/strong><\/h3>\nAt the national spring championships in Liverpool, Rainsley finishes third in the junior women rankings (behind Olivia Mathias<\/a><\/strong> and Kate Waugh), a position that gives her a top-five finish among the elite women.<\/p>\nMarch 2017: Maiden top 10 in international elite race<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn a European Cup race on Gran Canaria, Rainsley finishes an impressive seventh. Her more senior team-mates, Jess Learmonth<\/a><\/strong> and Lucy Hall<\/a><\/strong>, take gold and silver respectively.<\/p>\nAugust 2017: Medals at the double at the Euros<\/strong><\/h3>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Rainsley takes to the soggy streets as she competes for honours (Credit: British Triathlon)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nVery much starting to make an impression in individual competition, Rainsley takes bronze at the U23 European championships in Hungary, behind gold medal-winning compatriot Georgia Taylor-Brown<\/a><\/strong>. Rainsley is only four months out of her teens.<\/p>\nShe also takes gold the following day in the mixed relay, her third European title.<\/p>\n
August 2019: First podium as an elite racer<\/strong><\/h3>\nRainsley takes bronze in a European Cup race in Kecskem\u00e9t in Hungary. Three of her compatriots also make the top 10, but she leads the Brit pack.<\/p>\n
June 2021: Rainsley makes her WTCS debut<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn her adopted city of Leeds, Rainsley makes her WTCS bow and finishes a creditable 13th<\/a><\/strong>. A fortnight later, a fourth European champs gold comes her way in Kitzb\u00fchel \u2013 another mixed relay triumph.<\/p>\nSeptember 2021: Fifth at her fourth WTCS event<\/strong><\/h3>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Rainsley runs into T1 at WTCS Hamburg in 2021 (Credit: World Triathlon\/Petko Beier)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nRainsley posts arguably her most significant individual result in her career thus far, scoring a top-five finish in the WTCS race in Hamburg<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\nA week later, this fine form earns her a bronze at the European championships in Valencia \u2013 this time the medal is for her and her alone.<\/p>\n
July 2022: Team gold in Hamburg<\/strong><\/h3>\nAfter her eighth place<\/a><\/strong> files another strong showing in the women\u2019s elite race in Hamburg, Rainsley is part of the British team that takes victory in the weekend\u2019s mixed relay event<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\nHaving started her leg 10 seconds back on the pack, Rainsley erased this deficit on the swim to lead going into T1, a position she also finished the run in.<\/p>\n
July 2022: First taste of a major Games<\/strong><\/h3>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Rainsley runs her bike into T2 during the 2022 Commonwealth Games (Credit: World Triathlon)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nAt the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, just down the road from her native Coventry, Rainsley was competing in Sutton Park, scene of her childhood run training.<\/p>\n
Despite her local knowledge \u2013 and being ranked fifth in a field that contains the highly experienced likes of Flora Duffy<\/a><\/strong>, Taylor-Brown and Non Stanford<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 a disappointing swim finds her finishing a deflating 12th<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\nSian Rainsley in quotes<\/strong><\/h2>\nOn racing after being diagnosed with Crohn\u2019s Disease: \u201cI was hospitalised for a few days with it in 2018 and that was when the doctors told me that it would be impossible to continue into elite sport \u2013 especially an endurance sport like triathlon. But over the next two years, I built back my fitness and in 2021 I made the move into the pro senior ranks and have never looked back.\u201d<\/p>\n
On her WTCS debut in Leeds in 2021: \u201cI was running along next to Non Stanford and Katie Zaferes. It was really surreal to be doing that [with] people I\u2019d been looking up to.\u201d<\/p>\n
On finishing a disappointing 12th in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, having gone into the race ranked fifth: \u201cThe swim was probably the worst I\u2019ve had all year. The crowds were insane and kept me going, but I just burnt too many matches trying to get back into the race. Top 15 on a bad day isn\u2019t too bad, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s next for Sian Rainsley?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/34\/2022\/11\/sian-rainsley-super-league-malibu-b66de92.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>By the time of her fourth race in the series, though, she clocked up a top-five finish in Hamburg, swiftly following it up with an individual bronze in the European champs in Valencia. Earlier this year came the Arena Games in Singapore, where Rainsley came an impressive fourth.<\/p>\n
A few months later, as fifth-ranked athlete, she might have forced her way onto the podium at the Commonwealth Games on her (near) home turf of Birmingham, but instead disappointingly under-performed and finished outside the top 10.<\/p>\n
Still, the fact that Rainsley was even on the start line in Birmingham was quite remarkable. Seven years earlier, she had been diagnosed with Crohn\u2019s Disease and was subsequently told the condition would prohibit her becoming an elite sportswoman.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was the lowest point of my life,\u201d she admits. That Rainsley hasn\u2019t let it stop her competing against the world\u2019s best is testament to her spirit and tenacity.<\/p>\n
How old is Sian Rainsley? <\/strong><\/h2>\nSian Rainsley was born on April 19 1997, making her 25 years of age.<\/p>\n
Sian Rainsley\u2019s career highlights<\/strong><\/h2>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Rainsey competes in the Mixed Team Relay event at the Youth Olympics in 2014 (Credit: Scott Taylor\/ITU)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nJune 2013: European champion for the first time<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn Alanya in Turkey, 16-year-old Rainsley becomes a European champion, taking gold alongside the rest of the GB junior mixed relay squad.<\/p>\n
Two weeks later, she steps up to join the U23\/youth women\u2019s relay team, taking another European championship medal in the Netherlands, this time the bronze.<\/p>\n
August 2014: Silver in China<\/strong><\/h3>\nAgain showing her worth in a team environment, Rainsley is part of the GB youth mixed relay quartet which takes silver at the Youth Olympic Games in the Chinese city of Nanjing,<\/p>\n
September 2014: Second place in Turkey<\/strong><\/h3>\nRainsley records her best individual performance to date, finishing as runner-up in the junior European Cup race in Alanya.<\/p>\n - How to train for triathlon with Crohn\u2019s disease<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- A day in the life of pro triathletes Claire Cashmore and Dave Ellis<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- A day in the life of Tom Bishop<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
May 2016: European champion for the second time<\/strong><\/h3>\nHaving finished seventh in the junior women\u2019s race the day before, Rainsley is a continental queen again, taking gold as part of the triumphant junior mixed relay squad.<\/p>\n
August 2016: A high ranking at the nationals<\/strong><\/h3>\nAt the national spring championships in Liverpool, Rainsley finishes third in the junior women rankings (behind Olivia Mathias<\/a><\/strong> and Kate Waugh), a position that gives her a top-five finish among the elite women.<\/p>\nMarch 2017: Maiden top 10 in international elite race<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn a European Cup race on Gran Canaria, Rainsley finishes an impressive seventh. Her more senior team-mates, Jess Learmonth<\/a><\/strong> and Lucy Hall<\/a><\/strong>, take gold and silver respectively.<\/p>\nAugust 2017: Medals at the double at the Euros<\/strong><\/h3>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Rainsley takes to the soggy streets as she competes for honours (Credit: British Triathlon)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nVery much starting to make an impression in individual competition, Rainsley takes bronze at the U23 European championships in Hungary, behind gold medal-winning compatriot Georgia Taylor-Brown<\/a><\/strong>. Rainsley is only four months out of her teens.<\/p>\nShe also takes gold the following day in the mixed relay, her third European title.<\/p>\n
August 2019: First podium as an elite racer<\/strong><\/h3>\nRainsley takes bronze in a European Cup race in Kecskem\u00e9t in Hungary. Three of her compatriots also make the top 10, but she leads the Brit pack.<\/p>\n
June 2021: Rainsley makes her WTCS debut<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn her adopted city of Leeds, Rainsley makes her WTCS bow and finishes a creditable 13th<\/a><\/strong>. A fortnight later, a fourth European champs gold comes her way in Kitzb\u00fchel \u2013 another mixed relay triumph.<\/p>\nSeptember 2021: Fifth at her fourth WTCS event<\/strong><\/h3>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Rainsley runs into T1 at WTCS Hamburg in 2021 (Credit: World Triathlon\/Petko Beier)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nRainsley posts arguably her most significant individual result in her career thus far, scoring a top-five finish in the WTCS race in Hamburg<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\nA week later, this fine form earns her a bronze at the European championships in Valencia \u2013 this time the medal is for her and her alone.<\/p>\n
July 2022: Team gold in Hamburg<\/strong><\/h3>\nAfter her eighth place<\/a><\/strong> files another strong showing in the women\u2019s elite race in Hamburg, Rainsley is part of the British team that takes victory in the weekend\u2019s mixed relay event<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\nHaving started her leg 10 seconds back on the pack, Rainsley erased this deficit on the swim to lead going into T1, a position she also finished the run in.<\/p>\n
July 2022: First taste of a major Games<\/strong><\/h3>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Rainsley runs her bike into T2 during the 2022 Commonwealth Games (Credit: World Triathlon)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nAt the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, just down the road from her native Coventry, Rainsley was competing in Sutton Park, scene of her childhood run training.<\/p>\n
Despite her local knowledge \u2013 and being ranked fifth in a field that contains the highly experienced likes of Flora Duffy<\/a><\/strong>, Taylor-Brown and Non Stanford<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 a disappointing swim finds her finishing a deflating 12th<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\nSian Rainsley in quotes<\/strong><\/h2>\nOn racing after being diagnosed with Crohn\u2019s Disease: \u201cI was hospitalised for a few days with it in 2018 and that was when the doctors told me that it would be impossible to continue into elite sport \u2013 especially an endurance sport like triathlon. But over the next two years, I built back my fitness and in 2021 I made the move into the pro senior ranks and have never looked back.\u201d<\/p>\n
On her WTCS debut in Leeds in 2021: \u201cI was running along next to Non Stanford and Katie Zaferes. It was really surreal to be doing that [with] people I\u2019d been looking up to.\u201d<\/p>\n
On finishing a disappointing 12th in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, having gone into the race ranked fifth: \u201cThe swim was probably the worst I\u2019ve had all year. The crowds were insane and kept me going, but I just burnt too many matches trying to get back into the race. Top 15 on a bad day isn\u2019t too bad, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s next for Sian Rainsley?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/34\/2022\/11\/sian-rainsley-youth-olympics-2014-43e48a1.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>June 2013: European champion for the first time<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn Alanya in Turkey, 16-year-old Rainsley becomes a European champion, taking gold alongside the rest of the GB junior mixed relay squad.<\/p>\n
Two weeks later, she steps up to join the U23\/youth women\u2019s relay team, taking another European championship medal in the Netherlands, this time the bronze.<\/p>\n
August 2014: Silver in China<\/strong><\/h3>\nAgain showing her worth in a team environment, Rainsley is part of the GB youth mixed relay quartet which takes silver at the Youth Olympic Games in the Chinese city of Nanjing,<\/p>\n
September 2014: Second place in Turkey<\/strong><\/h3>\nRainsley records her best individual performance to date, finishing as runner-up in the junior European Cup race in Alanya.<\/p>\n - How to train for triathlon with Crohn\u2019s disease<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- A day in the life of pro triathletes Claire Cashmore and Dave Ellis<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- A day in the life of Tom Bishop<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
May 2016: European champion for the second time<\/strong><\/h3>\nHaving finished seventh in the junior women\u2019s race the day before, Rainsley is a continental queen again, taking gold as part of the triumphant junior mixed relay squad.<\/p>\n
August 2016: A high ranking at the nationals<\/strong><\/h3>\nAt the national spring championships in Liverpool, Rainsley finishes third in the junior women rankings (behind Olivia Mathias<\/a><\/strong> and Kate Waugh), a position that gives her a top-five finish among the elite women.<\/p>\nMarch 2017: Maiden top 10 in international elite race<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn a European Cup race on Gran Canaria, Rainsley finishes an impressive seventh. Her more senior team-mates, Jess Learmonth<\/a><\/strong> and Lucy Hall<\/a><\/strong>, take gold and silver respectively.<\/p>\nAugust 2017: Medals at the double at the Euros<\/strong><\/h3>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Rainsley takes to the soggy streets as she competes for honours (Credit: British Triathlon)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nVery much starting to make an impression in individual competition, Rainsley takes bronze at the U23 European championships in Hungary, behind gold medal-winning compatriot Georgia Taylor-Brown<\/a><\/strong>. Rainsley is only four months out of her teens.<\/p>\nShe also takes gold the following day in the mixed relay, her third European title.<\/p>\n
August 2019: First podium as an elite racer<\/strong><\/h3>\nRainsley takes bronze in a European Cup race in Kecskem\u00e9t in Hungary. Three of her compatriots also make the top 10, but she leads the Brit pack.<\/p>\n
June 2021: Rainsley makes her WTCS debut<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn her adopted city of Leeds, Rainsley makes her WTCS bow and finishes a creditable 13th<\/a><\/strong>. A fortnight later, a fourth European champs gold comes her way in Kitzb\u00fchel \u2013 another mixed relay triumph.<\/p>\nSeptember 2021: Fifth at her fourth WTCS event<\/strong><\/h3>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Rainsley runs into T1 at WTCS Hamburg in 2021 (Credit: World Triathlon\/Petko Beier)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nRainsley posts arguably her most significant individual result in her career thus far, scoring a top-five finish in the WTCS race in Hamburg<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\nA week later, this fine form earns her a bronze at the European championships in Valencia \u2013 this time the medal is for her and her alone.<\/p>\n
July 2022: Team gold in Hamburg<\/strong><\/h3>\nAfter her eighth place<\/a><\/strong> files another strong showing in the women\u2019s elite race in Hamburg, Rainsley is part of the British team that takes victory in the weekend\u2019s mixed relay event<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\nHaving started her leg 10 seconds back on the pack, Rainsley erased this deficit on the swim to lead going into T1, a position she also finished the run in.<\/p>\n
July 2022: First taste of a major Games<\/strong><\/h3>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Rainsley runs her bike into T2 during the 2022 Commonwealth Games (Credit: World Triathlon)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nAt the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, just down the road from her native Coventry, Rainsley was competing in Sutton Park, scene of her childhood run training.<\/p>\n
Despite her local knowledge \u2013 and being ranked fifth in a field that contains the highly experienced likes of Flora Duffy<\/a><\/strong>, Taylor-Brown and Non Stanford<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 a disappointing swim finds her finishing a deflating 12th<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\nSian Rainsley in quotes<\/strong><\/h2>\nOn racing after being diagnosed with Crohn\u2019s Disease: \u201cI was hospitalised for a few days with it in 2018 and that was when the doctors told me that it would be impossible to continue into elite sport \u2013 especially an endurance sport like triathlon. But over the next two years, I built back my fitness and in 2021 I made the move into the pro senior ranks and have never looked back.\u201d<\/p>\n
On her WTCS debut in Leeds in 2021: \u201cI was running along next to Non Stanford and Katie Zaferes. It was really surreal to be doing that [with] people I\u2019d been looking up to.\u201d<\/p>\n
On finishing a disappointing 12th in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, having gone into the race ranked fifth: \u201cThe swim was probably the worst I\u2019ve had all year. The crowds were insane and kept me going, but I just burnt too many matches trying to get back into the race. Top 15 on a bad day isn\u2019t too bad, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s next for Sian Rainsley?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Again showing her worth in a team environment, Rainsley is part of the GB youth mixed relay quartet which takes silver at the Youth Olympic Games in the Chinese city of Nanjing,<\/p>\n
September 2014: Second place in Turkey<\/strong><\/h3>\nRainsley records her best individual performance to date, finishing as runner-up in the junior European Cup race in Alanya.<\/p>\n - How to train for triathlon with Crohn\u2019s disease<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- A day in the life of pro triathletes Claire Cashmore and Dave Ellis<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- A day in the life of Tom Bishop<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
May 2016: European champion for the second time<\/strong><\/h3>\nHaving finished seventh in the junior women\u2019s race the day before, Rainsley is a continental queen again, taking gold as part of the triumphant junior mixed relay squad.<\/p>\n
August 2016: A high ranking at the nationals<\/strong><\/h3>\nAt the national spring championships in Liverpool, Rainsley finishes third in the junior women rankings (behind Olivia Mathias<\/a><\/strong> and Kate Waugh), a position that gives her a top-five finish among the elite women.<\/p>\nMarch 2017: Maiden top 10 in international elite race<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn a European Cup race on Gran Canaria, Rainsley finishes an impressive seventh. Her more senior team-mates, Jess Learmonth<\/a><\/strong> and Lucy Hall<\/a><\/strong>, take gold and silver respectively.<\/p>\nAugust 2017: Medals at the double at the Euros<\/strong><\/h3>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Rainsley takes to the soggy streets as she competes for honours (Credit: British Triathlon)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nVery much starting to make an impression in individual competition, Rainsley takes bronze at the U23 European championships in Hungary, behind gold medal-winning compatriot Georgia Taylor-Brown<\/a><\/strong>. Rainsley is only four months out of her teens.<\/p>\nShe also takes gold the following day in the mixed relay, her third European title.<\/p>\n
August 2019: First podium as an elite racer<\/strong><\/h3>\nRainsley takes bronze in a European Cup race in Kecskem\u00e9t in Hungary. Three of her compatriots also make the top 10, but she leads the Brit pack.<\/p>\n
June 2021: Rainsley makes her WTCS debut<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn her adopted city of Leeds, Rainsley makes her WTCS bow and finishes a creditable 13th<\/a><\/strong>. A fortnight later, a fourth European champs gold comes her way in Kitzb\u00fchel \u2013 another mixed relay triumph.<\/p>\nSeptember 2021: Fifth at her fourth WTCS event<\/strong><\/h3>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Rainsley runs into T1 at WTCS Hamburg in 2021 (Credit: World Triathlon\/Petko Beier)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nRainsley posts arguably her most significant individual result in her career thus far, scoring a top-five finish in the WTCS race in Hamburg<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\nA week later, this fine form earns her a bronze at the European championships in Valencia \u2013 this time the medal is for her and her alone.<\/p>\n
July 2022: Team gold in Hamburg<\/strong><\/h3>\nAfter her eighth place<\/a><\/strong> files another strong showing in the women\u2019s elite race in Hamburg, Rainsley is part of the British team that takes victory in the weekend\u2019s mixed relay event<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\nHaving started her leg 10 seconds back on the pack, Rainsley erased this deficit on the swim to lead going into T1, a position she also finished the run in.<\/p>\n
July 2022: First taste of a major Games<\/strong><\/h3>\n ![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Rainsley runs her bike into T2 during the 2022 Commonwealth Games (Credit: World Triathlon)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nAt the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, just down the road from her native Coventry, Rainsley was competing in Sutton Park, scene of her childhood run training.<\/p>\n
Despite her local knowledge \u2013 and being ranked fifth in a field that contains the highly experienced likes of Flora Duffy<\/a><\/strong>, Taylor-Brown and Non Stanford<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 a disappointing swim finds her finishing a deflating 12th<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\nSian Rainsley in quotes<\/strong><\/h2>\nOn racing after being diagnosed with Crohn\u2019s Disease: \u201cI was hospitalised for a few days with it in 2018 and that was when the doctors told me that it would be impossible to continue into elite sport \u2013 especially an endurance sport like triathlon. But over the next two years, I built back my fitness and in 2021 I made the move into the pro senior ranks and have never looked back.\u201d<\/p>\n
On her WTCS debut in Leeds in 2021: \u201cI was running along next to Non Stanford and Katie Zaferes. It was really surreal to be doing that [with] people I\u2019d been looking up to.\u201d<\/p>\n
On finishing a disappointing 12th in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, having gone into the race ranked fifth: \u201cThe swim was probably the worst I\u2019ve had all year. The crowds were insane and kept me going, but I just burnt too many matches trying to get back into the race. Top 15 on a bad day isn\u2019t too bad, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s next for Sian Rainsley?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
- How to train for triathlon with Crohn\u2019s disease<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- A day in the life of pro triathletes Claire Cashmore and Dave Ellis<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- A day in the life of Tom Bishop<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
May 2016: European champion for the second time<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Having finished seventh in the junior women\u2019s race the day before, Rainsley is a continental queen again, taking gold as part of the triumphant junior mixed relay squad.<\/p>\n
August 2016: A high ranking at the nationals<\/strong><\/h3>\n
At the national spring championships in Liverpool, Rainsley finishes third in the junior women rankings (behind Olivia Mathias<\/a><\/strong> and Kate Waugh), a position that gives her a top-five finish among the elite women.<\/p>\n
March 2017: Maiden top 10 in international elite race<\/strong><\/h3>\n
In a European Cup race on Gran Canaria, Rainsley finishes an impressive seventh. Her more senior team-mates, Jess Learmonth<\/a><\/strong> and Lucy Hall<\/a><\/strong>, take gold and silver respectively.<\/p>\n
August 2017: Medals at the double at the Euros<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Rainsley takes to the soggy streets as she competes for honours (Credit: British Triathlon)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n Very much starting to make an impression in individual competition, Rainsley takes bronze at the U23 European championships in Hungary, behind gold medal-winning compatriot Georgia Taylor-Brown<\/a><\/strong>. Rainsley is only four months out of her teens.<\/p>\n
She also takes gold the following day in the mixed relay, her third European title.<\/p>\n
August 2019: First podium as an elite racer<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Rainsley takes bronze in a European Cup race in Kecskem\u00e9t in Hungary. Three of her compatriots also make the top 10, but she leads the Brit pack.<\/p>\n
June 2021: Rainsley makes her WTCS debut<\/strong><\/h3>\n
In her adopted city of Leeds, Rainsley makes her WTCS bow and finishes a creditable 13th<\/a><\/strong>. A fortnight later, a fourth European champs gold comes her way in Kitzb\u00fchel \u2013 another mixed relay triumph.<\/p>\n
September 2021: Fifth at her fourth WTCS event<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Rainsley runs into T1 at WTCS Hamburg in 2021 (Credit: World Triathlon\/Petko Beier)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n Rainsley posts arguably her most significant individual result in her career thus far, scoring a top-five finish in the WTCS race in Hamburg<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n
A week later, this fine form earns her a bronze at the European championships in Valencia \u2013 this time the medal is for her and her alone.<\/p>\n
July 2022: Team gold in Hamburg<\/strong><\/h3>\n
After her eighth place<\/a><\/strong> files another strong showing in the women\u2019s elite race in Hamburg, Rainsley is part of the British team that takes victory in the weekend\u2019s mixed relay event<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n
Having started her leg 10 seconds back on the pack, Rainsley erased this deficit on the swim to lead going into T1, a position she also finished the run in.<\/p>\n
July 2022: First taste of a major Games<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Rainsley runs her bike into T2 during the 2022 Commonwealth Games (Credit: World Triathlon)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n At the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, just down the road from her native Coventry, Rainsley was competing in Sutton Park, scene of her childhood run training.<\/p>\n
Despite her local knowledge \u2013 and being ranked fifth in a field that contains the highly experienced likes of Flora Duffy<\/a><\/strong>, Taylor-Brown and Non Stanford<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 a disappointing swim finds her finishing a deflating 12th<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n
Sian Rainsley in quotes<\/strong><\/h2>\n
On racing after being diagnosed with Crohn\u2019s Disease: \u201cI was hospitalised for a few days with it in 2018 and that was when the doctors told me that it would be impossible to continue into elite sport \u2013 especially an endurance sport like triathlon. But over the next two years, I built back my fitness and in 2021 I made the move into the pro senior ranks and have never looked back.\u201d<\/p>\n
On her WTCS debut in Leeds in 2021: \u201cI was running along next to Non Stanford and Katie Zaferes. It was really surreal to be doing that [with] people I\u2019d been looking up to.\u201d<\/p>\n
On finishing a disappointing 12th in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, having gone into the race ranked fifth: \u201cThe swim was probably the worst I\u2019ve had all year. The crowds were insane and kept me going, but I just burnt too many matches trying to get back into the race. Top 15 on a bad day isn\u2019t too bad, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s next for Sian Rainsley?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
- A day in the life of pro triathletes Claire Cashmore and Dave Ellis<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/34\/2022\/11\/sian-rainsley-valence-etu-2017-ea127eb.jpeg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/34\/2022\/11\/sian-rainsley-hamburg-2021-01ca3f9.jpeg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/34\/2022\/11\/sian-rainsley-at-commonwealth-games-2022-2b459e9.jpeg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>