Saturday 20th August 2016, Women's Triathlon Day, started in the same way as for the men with us heading to the athletes' entrance. We were there to see the three Brits arrive. They didn't set their bikes up quite as close to the fence as the men so we didn't get to know so much about them. I did learn that Canadian Kirsten Sweetland lived up to her name by being very sweet chatting to some through the fence. We also heard a Team USA member speaking through the fence instructing someone on the outside how to get the waterbottle, socks, podium kit and black leggings from the bedroom where one USA athlete had forgotten them. It was also exciting for us that we saw a few of the male triathletes hanging out on the outside including Kiwi Dodds, Spain's Hernandez and South Africa's Ricahrd Murray.
We headed back round to our spot from Thursday where Katie was waiting for us along with the super fans. We chatted to them as well as to a lady who had worked for Adidas supplying the Brownlees with kit.
With less than 10 minutes to go till the start of the swim at 11am, a couple approached us saying they had four tickets for the triathlon but only needed two. So we bought them! Well, we didn't have quite enough cash on us so Katie leant us the money - yay! It turned out we bought them off the brother of a triathlete who had competed for Jordan on Thursday and the tickets said guests of the ITU on them.
We hurried excitedly on through the security and down on to the beach where the women were being announced. John went to try out another vantage point and soon came back to beckon me over. I went to stand with him at the railings behind Helen Jenkins - a great spot I thought. And then I found out why John had called me over as I was standing next to Sir Steve Redgrave on the beach! Yikes!
After the swim had started we moved around so that we could see them running out of the water to the transition zone. We got chatting to a Brit who turned out to be Eddie Brocklesby, the oldest ironman competitor in Britain who has started a charity to get older people exercising, Silver Fit. A very nice lady and we had a fun chat. I've just googled and discovered she's 72 - amazing!
The three Brits came past in the first group and we saw them get on their bikes. Then we headed round to the grandstands which were crammed full but we were able to find a spot perched on the stairs - again something I don't think would have been allowed in London. We were in front of a Russian man who I thought might be a bit annoyed that we were blocking him but yet again I was delightfully surprised as he asked for s selfie with us and gave us magnet of Russian triathlon. Had I been disappointed when Russian athletes were let back in to the Olympics?!
We got to see a lot more of the race this time, as we had a better vantage point to see further, we got to see transition which is always exciting and also there was a big screen with English commentary on the rest of the race. Horray!
We were in the stands with the Bermuda supporters of Flora Duffy (they gave us a Bermuda Olympics pin) and with the family and many supporters of USA Sarah True who unfortunately had trouble and limped round. Non Stanford and Vicky Holland were in the leading pack for the Brits, but so unfortunately was Gwen Jorgenson - the phenomenal American with the unbeatable run. She did indeed pull away on the run but so too did Nicola Spirig who hasn't majorly featured on the triathlon scene since she won gold at the last Olympics. It was good to see someone race with Gwen and it was funny seeing them talk to each other on the run and weave in and out. In the end Gwen had the legs and got the gold everyone was expecting. But it was very close between two of the Brits for the bronze medal. Non Stanford and Vicky Holland, friends and housemates, had been side by side all of the run and just as they got in front of us Non pushed a little but then Vicky pushed even harder and sprinted for the line to get the medal. So tough for Non but well done Vicky.
We cheered the rest of the women over the line and were able to be in a good spot to see (the back of) the medal ceremony. Another super event made even better by getting the tickets.
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