Meet Mr and Mrs World Champions!

ARE these the only world champion husband and wife athletes on the planet?

If not, Lindsy and Owen James must be in a pretty exclusive club.

The Kimberworth Striders' pair each won the World Championship duathlon tournament for Great Britain, in their age and respective gender groups, last weekend in Targu Mures, Romania.

For Laughton-en-Le-Morthen-born Lindsy, it was a successful defence of her world crown after winning the (10k run, 40k bike ride then ride-5k run) event last year.

But for her husband Owen, it was a first... and a moment that moved him to tears on the podium.

Lindsy (44) had come in two minutes ahead of her nearest rival, American Kristen Hetzel, with a time of two hours and seven seconds.

Owen (43) sped home at one hour 51 minutes — a mere second ahead of fellow Brit Bruce Raeside.

Modest Lindsy said she felt “good” to win a second gold medal and was looking forward to “sinking lots of alcohol” to celebrate.

She added that her husband had shed a tear after months of hard training came to successful fruition.

As for the couple being “Mr and Mrs World Champions”, the former Dinnington Comprehensive student said: “The British Triathlon Federation age group manager thinks it's a first.”

The event took place in the Dracula region of Transylvania last Friday.

“I survived the Count on this occasion,” she laughed.

The couple, who live in Tickhill with their six-year-old son, Archie, won't be sitting on their laurels.

They will attempt to defend their gold medals next year in Ibiza and will be preparing for the European duathlon championship in September in Bilbao, northern Spain.

 

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