Switzerland’s McMahon bags triathlon gold

Sydney: Switzerland ruined the Australian party at the women's Olympic triathlon on Saturday as Brigitte McMahon out-sprinted home favourite Michellie Jones, the world number one, to take the gold medal.

Fellow Swiss Magali Messmer won bronze.

In front of a sun-drenched Sydney Opera House, the athletes provided the thrilling race and wonderful spectacle the organisers had dreamed of as McMahon, 33, reversed the placings from the World Cup event held on the course in April.

McMahon, who crossed the line in two hours, 40.56 seconds, said the feeling was indescribable. "It's unbelievable, I just can't express it... just fantastic," she said.

"When I got to that last turn and saw it was just Michellie and me, I thought 'first or second, I can't lose' but then tried to push it as hard as I could."

Jones, who has been at the very top of the sport for 10 years and won the world title in 1992 and 1993, said she was just unable to stay with McMahon's fierce pace in the run-in.

"It was really tough, it was like sprinting for three kilometres," she said. "I'm really disappointed but when I think about it, a silver medal ain't bad."

"I've been in the sport for such a long time but I think I'll try and hang on for another four years," said Jones, 31.

American Sheila Taormina, a swim gold medallist in Atlanta, emerged from the 1500 metres swim with a 35-second lead but within just over a lap of the six-lap 40km bike leg, the chasing pack of 14 had reeled her in.

The three Australian favourites, Jones, Loretta Harrop and Nicole Hackett, were safely among them but so were the two Swiss and three Americans.

Canadian Carol Montgomery, the best runner in the field and considered a great medal chance, was in the following group but her race ended early on the third lap when she crashed. She will hope to recover in time to take her place in the track 10,000 metres next week.

German Joelle Franzmann, at 21 the youngest in the race, and American Jennifer Gutierrez, one of the oldest at 33, tried again and again to escape from the front but it proved impossible on the difficult, hilly course and all 15 women arrived at transition together, a safe two minutes clear of the field.

Jones was fastest through and set off on the 10km run in the lead but by the halfway mark she was in a group of five with McMahon, Messmer, Harrop and American Joanne Zeiger.

McMahon, who said she felt comfortable throughout the bike leg, had made up a 30-metre gap to join the leaders but once with them, settled into a smooth rhythm.

She and Jones broke clear with about 4km remaining, roared on by enormous crowds lining the city's streets. McMahon finally pulled away only in the last 300 metres to win by two seconds.

Messmer, 29, held on strongly for bronze a further 26 seconds back, ahead of Zeiger, Harrop and Taormina.

The men's race takes place at the same venue on Sunday.



(c) Reuters Limited.