Nick North’s preparation for the Canberra City Half Ironman is coming along well after the 18-year-old Bathurst talent finished third in the under 23 section and 14th overall in the Pro Tour event at Kurnell on Sunday.

With North doing endurance training ahead of the December 14 Canberra Half Ironman, his build up to the shorter Kurnell race wasn’t ideal.

However, he was able to put in strong performances on the swimming and riding leg before dropping off the pace in the run.

“It was a perfect day, the water was calm, it was a wetsuit swim which isn’t much help to me as a swimmer. The wetsuit doesn’t give a swimmer much of advantage but it gives a non-swimmer a big advantage,” North said.

Still, North managed to finish the 750 metre swim in the leading pack.

That pack then stuck together on the bike leg in which North did plenty of work at the front.

“Because of the Half Ironman coming up I made sure I was doing most of the work, along with Jack Hickey, who is a very good triathlete from Gunnedah,” he said.

North said he didn’t didn’t have the speed to keep up with the others when it came to the run, but said he was stoked to have secured 14th position.

The Bathurst triathlete said he pulled up well and that Kurnell had been an ideal preparation for Canberra.

“The bike ride was pretty fast being a draught-legal event and while it will still be fast, I’m not going to ride like that at Canberra,” he said.

With his preparation under coaches Richard Hobson and Adrian Lewis, North is confident that he can get a good result in Canberra.

This week he will run more than 100 kilometres as well as stepping up his cycling and swimming training. North may also compete at Callala Beach this Sunday.