Duffy wins women's triathlon bagging Bermuda's first-ever Olympic gold

The 33-year-old timed 1hr 55min 36sec to come home more than a minute ahead of Britain's Georgia Taylor-Brown (1:56.50), with American Katie Zaferes (1:57.03) taking the bronze.

Flora Duffy celebrates as she crosses the finish line to win the women's triathlon during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Odaiba Marine Park
Reuters

Flora Duffy celebrates as she crosses the finish line to win the women's triathlon during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Odaiba Marine Park

Flora Duffy has made Olympic history, winning the women's triathlon in Tokyo to give the tiny island of Bermuda their first-ever gold medal.

The 33-year-old timed 1hr 55min 36sec to come home more than a minute ahead of Britain's Georgia Taylor-Brown (1:56.50), with American Katie Zaferes (1:57.03) taking the bronze on Tuesday.

Duffy's success makes Bermuda the smallest nation in terms of population - around 70,000 - to ever win a gold medal at a Summer Games.

For Duffy it was a welcome reward after persistent injuries and a diagnosis of anaemia in 2013.

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She quit the sport after failing to finish the event at the 2008 Beijing Games and started working in a shop in Bermuda before eventually returning to the sport after studing for a degree.

In a race delayed by 15 minutes because of slippery conditions following heavy overnight rain, Duffy took control in the final running section.

She had opened up a lead of almost a minute after the first of four laps and was never under threat from then on.

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