Non Stanford is certainly made of strong stuff as she proved in Rio - putting a nightmare two years behind her at the Olympic triathlon test event. Former world champion Stanford claimed her second place in the women's race was a major confidence boost while Vicky Holland took third as British triathletes underlined their Olympic ambitions in style. They now both need podium finishes at the World Triathlon Series event in Chicago to book their Rio tickets. Stanford, who was beaten to the line by American Gwen Jorgenson, has struggled with a series of foot problems since her world title win in 2013 but looked back near her best. "It's boosted my confidence after a tough couple of years," she said. "It’s a stepping stone – we had to podium in this race and now we have to podium in Chicago, so step one is done. It was fantastic to have Vicky up there on the podium with me – I think the more girls we can get qualified by the end of this year, the better." Holland - who took a tumble during the run - admitted anything less than a bronze was never in her plan while British team-mate and former world champion Helen Jenkins had a day to forget, withdrawing after she was kicked on the swim. "We had a two-stage process to qualify for next year, so I had to finish on the podium - fourth place wasn't really an option," said Holland. "I'm really really please with how it went." However, there was disappointment for Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee, who jogged across the line in tenth as rival Javier Gomez dominated the men's race. © Sportsbeat 2015