JENNY MANNERS and Emma-Kate Lidbury have made superb starts to the 2015 triathlon season.

Cirencester’s Manners just missed out on a podium place in a sprint finish at the Hurghada ATU Triathlon African Cup in Egypt, one the elite Continental Cup series of races.

Manners finished top Brit in fourth place in a time of 2hr 09min 47sec behind three athletes from Russia and the Ukraine including the winner Arina Shulgina.

Manners, who has twice guided para-triathletes to world championship success, said: “It was tough to just miss out on third but I really enjoyed the experience.”

Lidbury, from Cricklade but now based in San Francisco, also finished fourth on her 2015 debut in the 70.3 Ironman Monterrey event in Mexico.

Next up for Emma-Kate is the 70.3 Oceanside on March 28.