Erica Hawley was seventh in the elite women’s race at the World Triathlon Cup Asunción in Paraguay (File photograph by Ras Mykkal)Erica Hawley finished an impressive seventh in a highly competitive elite women’s field at the World Triathlon Cup Asunción despite ending the race with a bruised toe in Paraguay on Sunday. Hawley negotiated the 1.5km swim in 19:25, needed 1:01:11 to complete the 40km bike ride and ran 10km in 34:33. It was a massive improvement for the 28-year-old after she settled for eighteenth position at the World Triathlon Cup Rio de Janeiro in Brazil a week before. She almost matched her performance at the World Triathlon Cup Edmonton, where she finished sixth. In the elite men’s race of the same event, Hawley’s compatriot Tyler Smith did not complete his race after a tyre puncture forced him to withdraw.