France’s Cassandre Beaugrand wins women’s triathlon gold to delight Paris
Cassandre Beaugrand claimed gold for France in the women’s triathlon to delight the home crowds watching along the Seine as Great Britain’s Beth Potter took bronze.
To rapturous applause from the home crowd, the 27-year-old from Paris became the first French triathlete to win Olympic triathlon gold in a time of 1hr 54min 55sec.
Potter, who won the test event around the streets of Paris last year, was one of the favourites for gold but ultimately she could not match the pace of winner Beaugrand.
Athletes dived into the Seine on Wednesday after water tests showed lower levels of bacteria, ending days of uncertainty over whether the swim leg in Paris was viable after heavy rains. The triathlon, conceived as a central showpiece of these Olympics, started and finished at the Pont Alexandre III at the heart of the French capital and took the athletes along a section of the Champs-Elysees and past monuments including the Musee d’Orsay.
Just as overnight rain was easing, the women began their competition at 7am local time, the triathlon offering spectacular views as they swam in the Seine before racing their bikes into the heart of Paris. A handful of athletes, however, crashed off their bicycles after slipping on the wet cobblestones of the Champs-Élysées.
Julie Derron finished second for Switzerland, with Emma Lombardi of France in fourth.
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