Great Britain secured the bronze medal in the Olympic triathlon mixed team relay after initially being announced as silver winners following a dramatic photo finish in Paris.
The team, consisting of Alex Yee, Georgia Taylor-Brown, Samuel Dickinson, and Beth Potter, fought fiercely with Germany throughout the race.
They entered the final stage with a five-second lead, but Potter was overtaken during the cycling leg by Germany’s Laura Lindemann and the American Taylor Knibb.
Despite enthusiastic support from the British team along the iconic Pont Alexandre III, Potter couldn’t match Lindemann’s final surge, and she and Knibb crossed the finish line nearly simultaneously.
Initially declared silver medallists, Britain’s position was revised after a review by race officials confirmed that the United States had secured second place, leaving Great Britain with the bronze.
This marks Great Britain’s third triathlon medal of the Games, following individual gold for Yee and bronze for Potter.
The team was defending its title in this event, which involves each athlete completing a 300m swim, a 7km cycle, and a 1.8km run.
There were concerns about the event’s progress due to poor water quality in the Seine, which had been a recurring issue throughout the Games.
Despite requests from teams to delay the competition for more preparation time after the familiarisation swims were cancelled, the race proceeded as planned on Monday morning.
Yee gave Britain a strong start with support from the enthusiastic crowds, and an impressive bike leg followed by a strong sprint extended the lead.
Taylor-Brown then performed exceptionally on the bike but trailed by one second after being overtaken by Germany’s Lisa Tertsch.
Lasse Luehrs kept up the pressure, running closely behind Britain’s Dickinson on the final stretch.
Dickinson managed to tag Potter with the lead, but the final sprint saw Potter, Lindemann, and Knibb in a tight race for the finish. Potter and Knibb were separated only by a photo finish.
Though not the silver Britain initially believed they had won, the team can take solace in leaving Paris with a medal in every triathlon event.
“I really don’t think Beth Potter could have given any more,” former British triathlete Annie Potter said on BBC TV.
“I just think the fatigue from winning the bronze medal in the individual was too much for her.
“You could see how fatigued she was when she crossed the line.”
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