Triathlete Duffy's day again

LONDON • After becoming tiny Bermuda's first gold medallist at last year's Tokyo Olympics, a national holiday was declared on Oct 18, appropriately named Flora Duffy Day, in honour of the triathlon star.

There are still over 21/2 months before that day comes around but, when the 34-year-old returns home to the 60,000-strong Caribbean island, the smallest nation to finish top of the podium at a Games, the festivities will again break out.

Duffy lived up to expectations as both the current Olympic and world champion by retaining her Commonwealth Games title with a dominant display in the women's triathlon in Birmingham yesterday.

She crossed the tape in 55min 25sec, 41 seconds clear of England's Georgia Taylor-Brown, who also took silver in Tokyo last year, while Beth Potter of Scotland finished third.

On her latest feat, Duffy said: "No one has ever won twice and that was weighing on me. The crowd was really behind Georgia [TAYLOR-BROWN]but I was soaking it up and it was really special.

"It's been a really strange start to the year and coming off the Olympics - and having Covid-19 twice - but I knew if I gave myself time and patience, I could put on a good performance here.

"I don't know that I was comfortable - that was a brutal run course - but, once you got up, it wasn't too far to finish and I soaked in the crowd."[/TAYLOR-BROWN]

While the home fans in Birmingham were disappointed not to see Taylor-Brown win gold, England's Alex Yee got the ball rolling by finishing first in the earlier men's triathlon in 50min 34sec.

After taking silver in Tokyo, the 24-year-old hailed his latest win as his "greatest achievement".

New Zealand's Hayden Wilde, who took the bronze in Japan, was the runner-up this time, coming in 13 seconds later, with Australia's Matthew Hauser third.

Yee, who also won the mixed relay gold in Tokyo, said: "There were so many nations and athletes that I have not raced before. I feel extremely grateful and proud to be a triathlete today.

"This is a home Games and the first time I have been able to race in front of my parents for a long time.

"This is probably I'd say my greatest achievement ever."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE