Triathlete ‘super happy to scoop bronze’
Medal winner ‘dug really deep’ in dramatic race as she and Team GB divers celebrate
TEAM GB triathlete Beth Potter said her success was for her supporters “back home” as she today won a dramatic bronze medal.
The 32-year-old started her career as a distance runner and represented Great Britain in the 10,000 metres at Rio de Janeiro in 2016, before taking up triathlon. She said she “dug really deep” and was “super happy to come away with bronze” in this morning’s race to earn Team GB their 13th medal of the Games.
There had been huge doubts over whether the event would take place due to concerns over the water quality in the River Seine, which yesterday led to the men’s triathlon being postponed.
It was given the green light in the early hours but a sudden rain shower made conditions on the course treacherous, with several competitors crashing during the cycling leg.
Potter came in behind French athlete Cassandre Beaugrand, who won gold, and second-place Swiss competitor Julie Derron, after a tight final road race through the streets of Paris. She told the BBC: “I’ve come a long way in eight years and I’m so happy to be here and win a bronze medal. I feel like I did it for me but I did it for everyone who has helped me in the past eight years and believed in me from day one. It’s for them, its for them back home as well.”
More than a billion euros was spent cleaning up the river in preparation for the Games, but heavy rain in the days before the competition caused levels of the harmful bacteria E. Coli to rise.
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo took a dip on July 17 to showcase the Seine’s improved cleanliness ahead of scheduled open water events in the river but at one point officials feared the swimming leg would have to be cancelled and the competition made a duathlon.
The men’s triathlon, postponed from yesterday, began this morning shortly after the conclusion of the women’s race — with Lewisham’s Alex Yee among the favourites for gold.
Britain scooped another bronze medal a short time later when Lois Toulson and Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix came third in the women’s synchronised 10m platform diving. Spendolini-Sirieix was watched by her father, First Dates star Fred Sirieix. Team GB flagbearer Tom Daley, who won silver in the men’s event on Monday, was in the crowd, knitting, as he cheered on the pair.
They add to Team GB’s medal haul which was boosted by two golds yesterday. Nathan Hales held his nerve to seal Great Britain’s first shooting gold medal since 2012 in Châteauroux and bag an Olympic record in the men’s trap event.
In the pool, the men’s freestyle relay team retained their 4×200 Olympic title with swimmer Matt Richards’ father saying he was “belting out God Save the King” poolside as he won. Richards and teammates James Guy, Tom Dean and Duncan Scott edged out the United States by 1.35 seconds.
Simon Richards said: “Never in Olympic history have four individuals ever retained Olympic gold in a swimming relay. Countries have done it, but never the same four swimmers. It’s incredible that our son has done that with his friends.”
At Roland-Garros, an emotional Sir Andy Murray continued to write a remarkable final chapter to his career as he and Dan Evans conjured another dramatic escape to reach the quarterfinals of the men’s doubles and edge closer to a medal to cap off his career.