- Beth Potter finished third in the women’s triathlon on Wednesday
- There were doubts whether the race would go ahead at all
- But it got the green light and Potter performed on the big stage, taking bronze
Team GB star Beth Potter won a stunning bronze medal in the women’s triathlon in Paris on Wednesday morning.
There were doubts about whether the event would go ahead, due to concerns about the water quality of the Seine. But early Wednesday morning it was given the green light and at 8am local time the women set off.
Potter came out on top in the swim and retained her position in the cycling, leaving four women competing for three medals in the 10km run.
In the final stage, she ran alongside two French women and a Swiss athlete, while favourite Cassandre Beaugrand made the final sprint to the finish and took a decisive lead, becoming the first ever French Olympic triathlon champion.
But Potter refused to give up and went on to finish a superb third behind Switzerland’s Julie Derron, after beating France’s Emma Lombardi, to give the British team their 13th Olympic medal.
Beth Potter won a bronze medal in the women’s triathlon on Wednesday morning
Potter (left) collapsed to the ground exhausted after crossing the finish line after nearly two hours of racing
Potter was in the lead group after the swim and maintained her position
Cassandre Beaugrand won gold and became the first French Olympic triathlon champion
Switzerland’s Julie Derron narrowly beat Potter for the silver medal in the French capital
Potter collapsed to the ground, exhausted, as she crossed the finish line after nearly two hours of racing.
The 32-year-old Scot competed in the 10,000 meters in Rio eight years ago, but has since focused on triathlon.
The move to a new event paid off as she won a medal on a humid morning in the French capital.
Last year she won the World Triathlon Championship Series, but in recent months she has struggled to find her best form.
Potter managed to pull off one of her most notable performances when it mattered most: a spot on the podium.
Reflecting on her performance, Potter told the BBC: “I’m so happy, I was going for gold but Cassandre and Julie were just too good for me today but I’m absolutely delighted to come away with bronze. I’ve come a long way in eight years and I’m so happy to be here with a bronze medal.
“I did it for myself, but I also did it for everyone who helped me for eight years and believed in me from day one. It’s also for them back home.
“I dug deep and found something else.”
Potter’s British compatriots also performed well: Georgia Taylor-Brown, who won silver in Tokyo, was sixth, while rising star Kate Waugh was 15th.
There were doubts whether the race would go ahead at all due to the water quality of the Seine, but organizers gave the green light on Wednesday morning
Georgia Taylor-Brown finished sixth, three years after winning silver in Tokyo
Britain’s Kate Waugh finished a creditable 15th at her first Olympic Games
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The day’s triathlon action isn’t over yet: the men’s race takes place at 10:45am local time (9:45am BST).
Britain’s Alex Yee is one of the favourites after winning a silver medal in Tokyo three years ago.