Olympic Games Triathlon results: Brilliant Beaugrand strikes gold for France to delight Paris 2024 crowds as Britain's Potter claims medal

Cassandre Beaugrand delighted the French fans in Paris by powering to a brilliant gold medal in the women’s race as triathlon belatedly burst into life at the Olympic Games.

The 27-year-old, who calls Paris home but trains in Loughborough, kicked clear on the fourth and final lap of the run to claim a famous victory in front of huge home crowds.

She was to the fore throughout and not only was she the first French winner of an individual triathlon event but the first ever medal winner.

Julie Derron (SUI) caused a huge shock by chasing her home for silver, with Britain’s Beth Potter taking the bronze just ahead of Emma Lombardi (FRA).

Reigning champion Flora Duffy (BER) and Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR), who took silver in Tokyo, were fifth and sixth after injury-hit campaigns.

A day on from the postponement of the men’s race due to the water quality in the River Seine, an attritional race was notable for a tricky swim due to strong currents, a crash-laden bike leg and then an absorbing battle on the run.

Read on to find out how it all panned out…

Swim – Duffy rolls back the years

The race was only given the go ahead at 4am local time when the water quality was deemed safe to allow the athletes to swim in the River Seine.

It had gone down to the wire with the two swim familiarisation sessions on Sunday and Monday cancelled and then the men’s race postponed on Tuesday but thankfully the improved weather saw the levels drop into an acceptable range.

The current also met the World Triathlon requirements but it was noticeable it was a strong one when they dived off the floating Alexandre III pontoon in warm and very humid conditions after early-morning rain.

That meant a seriously fast start to the first buoy 440m from the pontoon on the first of two laps. But it became harder work after that as the athletes swam back into the current, though a late amendment allowed the athletes to swim closer to the bank on the return than originally planned and pretty much everyone took advantage.

As things started to shake out it was none other than reigning champion Duffy leading from the front in what was her first proper look at the Seine given the cancelled sessions in the last few days and the fact she missed the Paris Test Event last year with a long-term injury.

But she looked back to her brilliant best and used her considerable experience as she hugged that right bank all the way into the return to the pontoon even if that meant her covering more distance than her rivals.

And exiting the water the race was being blown apart – underlining what a farce a duathlon would have been.

Duffy was in front, as she came out of the water for the first time with a three seconds advantage over Bianca Seregni (ITA), who had led the swim at the Paris Test Event last year.

Another super-strong swimmer in Vittoria Lopes (BRA) was third, with one of the two big-race favourites Potter in a hugely promising fourth, albeit 16 seconds back on Duffy.

Potter’s chief rival Beaugrand was in close proximity too in eighth, seven seconds adrift of the Brit.

Another big French hope in Lombardi, Taylor-Brown, Taylor Spivey (USA) and German duo Lisa Tertsch and Laura Lindemann were all in touch too.

But there were big gaps of well over a minute to the likes of Jeanne Lehair (FRA) and Taylor Knibb (USA).

And the pattern was set, diving back in for the shorter second loop which saw Duffy slightly extend her advantage as Seregni and Lopes remained second and third.

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Indeed it was status quo behind too – heading to the first transition, Potter was joint fourth at +20s, with Beaugrand keeping her in her sights.

Taylor-Brown too was nicely positioned but it looked like podium hopes were over for fellow Brit Kate Waugh on her Olympic debut at over two minutes back and 38th out of 55.

Bike – Crash carnage on the streets of Paris

The big question heading out of T1 was whether Duffy would go all in – or wait for a select front group to form.

But she’s the Olympic champion for good reason and the masterclass continued as she powered off solo.

A prime chase group did form behind but the slippery conditions after that heavy overnight rain soon started to take their toll on the first of seven 5.715km laps, with the cobbles and road markings proving particularly tricky.

Indeed it was reminiscent of Taylor Knibb’s hard-to-watch time trial debut on the opening day of the Olympics, though the American avoided early carnage this time.

Instead the likes of Lotte Miller (NOR), one of the strongest cyclists around and who would also crash again later, Lopes, Jeanne Lehair (LUX), Lisa Tertsch (GER), Leonie Periault (FRA), Ainsley Thorpe (NZL), Maria Carolina Velasquez (COL) and Jolien Vermeylen (BEL) all hit the tarmac in the first half of the bike leg.

Up front though Duffy was in splendid isolation with a lead of 17 seconds from the chasers.

But as the spills continued on lap two, things were changing at the front as the gap narrowed between Duffy and the chasers, so much so that by the end of it they had caught the Bermudian.

It was actually Potter who crossed the timing mats first and she was in a group of 10 – Duffy, Beaugrand, Lombardi, Taylor-Brown, Derron, Lindemann, Spivey, Maya Kingma (NED) and Zsanett Kuttor-Bragmayer (HUN) were the others, with 25 seconds and more back to the rest.

Things then finally started to settle down as the spectacular Paris scenery and the sun started to shine through and the roads began to dry.

The iconic Champs-Élysées cobbles were showcased – they didn’t feature at the Tour de France this year because of the Olympic preparations – and the front group stayed intact for laps three and four.

Paris 2024 Women's Olympic Triathlon [Photo: World Triathlon] — Beaugrand produced a brilliant all-round display [Photo credit: World Triathlon]

They had over a minute on the rest but there was some serious firepower in the chase group now, with German hope Tertsch having put her crash behind her and working well with the likes of Waugh and Knibb who had lost so much time on the swim.

But it stayed constant on lap five as the 10 continued to maintain their lead but they were reduced to nine on the sixth loop when Lindemann became the latest to slide to the ground.

That underlined the fine margins and of the two big favourites, Potter narrowly avoided clipping the wheels of fallers on more than one occasion while Beaugrand was showing just how hard she has worked on her cycling handling over the last 18 months – would it lead to the ultimate reward?

Heading into T2 the battle for the medals looked to be between that duo – both incredibly strong runners – and the other seven in that lead group as it was just over a minute back to Lindemann, Knibb, Waugh, Tertsch and the rest.

Run – Beaugrand times it to perfection

Derron had been first into T2 and she was first out but It did not take long for things to splinter on the run.

The leading nine rapidly became a quartet and the French crowds were loving what they were seeing as this point as Beaugrand and Lombardi were part of it alongside Potter and Derron, who was having an absolute stormer.

By the end of the first lap Duffy’s brave bid to retain her title looked to be faltering as she dropped nine seconds back in fifth, with Taylor Brown – who chased her home in Tokyo – right alongside her. Remember that both women had overcome serious injury battles just to make the Olympics.

Meanwhile Kingma was seventh but Spivey and Kuttor-Bragmayer had dropped well off the pace.

All of which left a fascinating battle up front with all of the front four looking relatively comfortable on lap two.

They were locked together at the halfway point and putting more and more time into those behind.

Derron continued to surpass all expectations and tried to kick on the third lap but first Beaugrand and then Potter and Lombardi quickly responded. But one of them was going to miss out on a medal.

Hearing the bell for the last lap that was still the order, with Derron just a metre or two ahead.

But the race-winning move came on the final lap as Beaugrand put the hammer down and no one was able to respond.

And she finished it in style at the end of a brutal race, with Derron keeping on brilliantly for silver and Potter – eight years on from her last Olympics in the 10,000 metres on the track – taking a deserved bronze, with Lombardi the unlucky one to miss out on a medal.