OLLY FREEMAN has signed off his career as a junior in the best possible fashion by again lifting the ITU World Under-20 Duathlon crown.

The 19-year-old, from Smarden, retained the title he first won in Geel, Belgium, last year after producing another superb display in Newcastle, near Sydney, Australia.

The event comprised a 5km run, 20km cycle ride and a 2.5km run, with Freeman clocking 1hour 1minute 14 seconds to triumph by 45 seconds from fellow Brit Ritchie Nicholls (1.01.59).

Freeman, who was runner-up in Switzerland in 2003, clocked 1.01.10 last year when his winning margin was 19 seconds. On this occasion he practically led from the start and was so far ahead by the start of the final run he was able to relax.

Freeman, who lives and trains in Eastbourne under the supervision of coach Glenn Cook, explained: "Last year was probably a little more special because it was my first world title, but I was pleased with the margin of victory this time.

"One kilometre into the run I felt like the pace was too slow so I put in a bit of effort to push it along and no one came with me.

"By the end of the first run my lead was about 20 seconds and by the end of the cycle stage it was a minute, which meant I was able to to save my legs on the last run."

Freeman will no longer be eligible for junior competition once he turns 20 in January, but he can look back with great satisfaction on his career so far.

As well as his two junior world duathlon titles, he has also collected back-to-back European junior triathlon titles, winning in Switzerland last year, and Greece this summer. He also picked up a silver medal at the 2004 world under-20 triathlon championships in Madeira.

Such performances have marked him out as an athlete with world class potential, earning him vital funding as he plans towards the 2012 London Olympics.

Former Tonbridge School pupil Freeman has been awarded a place at Clare College, Cambridge Unversity, reading natural sciences, but is postponing his studies so that he can concentrate full-time on his athletics.

Ahead of him lies a winter of hard training before making his official debut as a senior next season.

He has only competed in three senior races so far, the most recent of which was last month’s Commonwealth Games Trial in St Kilda, Australia, where he finished 15th, and fifth Briton in 1.53.57.