RISING triathlon star Emily Burton will be hoping to add to her increasing gold medal collection when she competes in South Africa on Sunday.

The teenager, who attends Worcester Sixth Form College, is on a crest of a wave after her stunning performance in Australia two weeks ago.

Despite the searing heat on the Gold Coast, Burton stole the show as she secured the International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championship under 18s title with a race to spare and picked up two further gold medals.

The 17-year-old finished first in the ITU Under-23 World Series Triathlon and was entered into the GB Relay team, which claimed the top prize.

She also achieved the Olympic Games qualifying time, but will not be selected to go to Rio as the three Great Britain team places have already been taken.

Her mother Sharon said: “I am on top of the world and I could not be prouder.

“It was really emotional when we found out the results. I knew she had done well, but I wasn’t sure how well.

“This is a great confidence boost for her going forward and bodes well for her achieving her ambition in 2020.”

She added: “Emily’s coach Thomas Webb, who was her best friend, died just before she left for Australia and she would like to dedicate her three wins to him.”

Burton is also top of the u23 category with 7,325 points and wants to strengthen her position.