Gwen Jorgensen (USA) claims Olympic Gold in dominant Rio perfomance

America’s Gwen Jorgensen has cemented her place as one of the best triathletes of her generation, with a strong all-around performance and her killer run kick that delivered her a Gold in the triathlon event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. After positioning herself in the lead group from the start of the event, Jorgensen broke away from Switzerland’s Nicola Spirig on the final run lap to claim Gold, in 1 hour 56 minutes and 16 seconds.

Spirig, the London 2012 Olympic Champion, took silver. It meant she became the first woman to win multiple Olympic medals in triathlon in doing so. In a thrilling sprint for bronze, Great Britain’s Vicky Holland just edged her teammate, training partner and housemate Non Stanford, to win Great Britain’s first medal in the women’s event.

The race was indicative of just how far Jorgensen has come since coming into triathlon through a college recruitment program.  Jorgensen exited the swim just 11 seconds down from the leaders, right next to Spirig, and then rode strongly in the 18-woman lead group across the technical and hilly course. While she spent almost 8km running side by side with Spirig, she made her move on the final run lap.

As seen so frequently on the World Triathlon Series circuit, she then strode away powerfully to record an eventual winning margin of 40 seconds. It was the second biggest winning time in the history of the Olympic event, only behind Emma Snowsill‘s win in Beijing. Jorgensen became the first American woman to win a Gold medal in the event, and was also the first winner of a test event to win Gold the next year.

Earlier the day started on Copacabana beach, the first time the Olympic triathlon event has started with a beach sprint into the water. Australia’s Emma Moffatt is no stranger to the sand and used her strength to initially hit the lead in the choppy surf. But at the first buoy the field came together, with Spain’s Carolina Routier leading Brazil’s Pamella Oliveira. Moffatt, Andrea Hewitt (NZL) Katie Zaferes (USA) were just behind, followed closely by Flora Duffy (BER) and Claudia Rivas (MEX).

By the end of the 19 minutes in the water Routier had pushed the pace enough to string out the field, but all of the pre-race favourites had stuck right near the top. Exiting the water within 15 seconds of Routier were all those listed above, as well as Non Stanford (GBR), Gwen Jorgensen (USA), Helen Jenkins (GBR), Sarah True (USA), Nicola Spirig (SUI), Vicky Holland (GBR), Erin Densham (AUS), Lisa Norden (SWE), Barbara Riveros (CHI) and Rachel Klamer (NED).

The first …

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