Rio Olympics 2016: Gwen Jorgensen wins triathlon, Britain’s Vicky Holland gets bronze

She tried to carry on but was soon pulled from the race by officials.

She agreed to give triathlon a try and quickly realized she was indeed a natural. “The first thing I said to her was “I’m so sorry”. “I tried to go with every person who passed me, but didn’t last very long”.

The 34-year-old picked herself up after her disastrous first Olympic result, managing to collect World Series silver in 2013. Early into the run, she and Jorgensen took off leaving Britain’s Stanford and Holland alongside Barbara Riveros in a chase pack that couldn’t maintain their incredible pace.

So, before Saturday, Spirig had never raced against Jorgensen at Jorgensen’s peak and hadn’t finished a race against anybody since August 22, 2015.

Spirig hung with Jorgensen for over three-quarters of the 10-kilometer run.

The final weekend of the Rio Games kicks off Saturday and with it comes the chance for several local athletes to medal.

“I think it will raise awareness and create momentum for a sport with a very strong and avid group of fans and participants”, sports marketing expert David Abrutyn of Bruin Sports Capital said.

She appeared no less happy with silver on this occasion, nor indeed should she.

When she crossed the finish line Saturday, Jorgensen burst into tears. The added difficulty of the bike course could make it the key to the whole event, as it will now favour competitors who are good across all fields, as opposed to specialists.

Jorgensen placed 38th in the 2012 London Games but has been on a roll ever since.

She and now-husband Patrick Lemieux packed up and moved to Australia, where Jorgensen trained with coach Jamie Turner and his Wollongong Wizards.

As for Jorgensen, who knows.

The Australian athletes detained by police in Rio de Janeiro after a flap over credentials at an Olympic basketball game have been released and a team official says they will pay a fine.

At 30, well-spoken, modest despite her fantastic achievements and an inspirational example to aspiring sportswomen, sponsors are likely to be queuing up, not just for her signature but for a piece of the triathlon action.

Both Kiwis were in a group of 18 that came off the bike leg together but Jorgensen and Switzerland’s Nicola Spirig Hug cleared out from the rest of the field on the 10km run. The medal is as much Patrick’s and Jamie’s as it is mine. We know everything about each other, and we know we will help each other.

Holland followed in the footsteps of Leeds brothers Alistair and Jonny Brownlee to win Yorkshire’s 13th medal of the Olympic Games. She has contributed to TeamUSA.org since its inception in 2008.