Gwen Jorgensen (C) celebrates with her gold medal next to Switzerland’s Nicola Spirig (L) with the silver and Britain’s Vicky Holland (R) with bronze on the podium.
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“She was leading first and then she left me in front and I was leading in the headwind”.
She crushed the course and the competition Saturday, giving the United States its first Olympic triathlon gold medal by cruising across the finish line in 1 hour, 56 minutes, 16 seconds.
In a post-race interview, Jorgensen told reporters Spirig reminded her, “I have a gold medal and you don’t”.
“To watch Gwen in full flight, usually from behind, is quite something, ” said Holland, who outsprinted teammate Non Stanford for the bronze medal.
Vicky Holland of Great Britain was third with a time of 1:57:01. Jorgensen is the second Badger athlete to strike gold in the 2016 Olympics after swimmer Cierra Runge claimed first place on August 10 as a member of Team USA’s 800-meter freestyle relay.
Fellow Americans were not so fortunate.
Sarah True, who finished fourth in London and fourth in the test event had a heart-breaking end to her Olympic race, she came off the bike and after re-starting her race not once but twice, earning huge cheers from the crowd on the bike course, was forced to withdraw.
Reid was still in contention coming out of the water following the 1.5km swim, lying 31st but only 18 seconds behind the leader from Spain, Carolina Routier. All of the 2012 London Olympic medalists-Nicola Spirig (SUI), Lisa Norden (SWE) and Erin Densham (AUS)-were also part of the mix early on. By the end of the eight-lap, hilly bike course the lead off the front stood at nearly four minutes-making it clear that the three medalists would come from that lead pack.
Jorgensen didn’t lead all the way, but she pulled ahead late for what turned out to be a win that looked easy. Spirig Hug hung with her, staying just off her right hip, as the pair broke away. She soon stopped (she did not crash) and rubbed her knee.
Now at her peak, Jorgensen prevailed for the 16th time in her last 18 top-level worldwide races.
As the lead pack began its first climb of a brutal, lung- and leg-busting hill, Jorgensen made her move. She previously competed in 2012 at the London Games.
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The veteran New Zealand triathlete was comfortable talking about her seventh placing, why her pre-race tactics didn’t play out and how a stomach bug hampered her run.
