Beth Potter took bronze behind home favourite Cassandre Beaugrand in a brutal women’s race at the Olympics in Paris, but things didn’t pan out as hoped for fellow Brits Georgia Taylor-Brown and Kate Waugh.
GTB, silver medallist in Tokyo three years ago, has had to work incredibly hard over the last year just to book her place at the Olympics following a serious calf tear.
And she was in the nine-strong front group coming off a bike leg which saw a succession of women fall in the slippery conditions, but eventually had to settle for sixth place.
Waugh meanwhile endured a torrid swim, where the strong currents really played their part, but despite having plenty to do she battled on to take 15th.
‘We’re not robots’
And afterwards they both spoke to the BBC, Taylor-Brown saying: “I’m not sure how I feel. Obviously, I’m disappointed not to walk away with a medal, but I always saw that all I could do was give it my all, and that’s exactly what I did.
I just had nothing today. I had nothing on the run which is a shame obviously with timings, not great to have empty legs, but it is what it is. I got in the front pack, I’m happy with that and tried to work hard on the bike, I just didn’t have it on the run but I gave it everything.
“I’ve been feeling really good in the lead up to this and been training the best that I have ever probably, so I don’t know what happened. I was just empty unfortunately.
“I worked quite hard on the bike, maybe I should have just sat in a little bit more, but it’s a triathlon. I wanted to work hard on the bike, so it is what it is. It happens and we have those days, we’re not robots, we do have bad days.”
‘I’ll be back’
Waugh meanwhile summed up her race as follows: “I didn’t have my best day. I probably had the worst swim of my career which is a bad day to do it. But I fought until the end and the crowds were incredible.”
On becoming an Olympian, the 25-year-old said: “I’m so proud of myself for making it here and one day I’ll come back.
“[But] it’s the girls I race day in, day out and it’s the worst result I’ve had so of course I’m disappointed.
“I’ve shown I have medal potential in the past so to not even be in the fight is extremely disappointing. But I’m hungrier than ever and I’ll be back.”
And on Potter earning the bronze, she said: “I’m so happy for Beth, she’s a fighter and I trained with her when she first started triathlon and I could tell she was hungry for it. It’s truly inspiring so hopefully I can come back one day and do the same.”
Team GB now have to decide which two of the three will line up in the Mixed Relay on Monday alongside Alex Yee and Sam Dickinson as the Brits look to defend that crown.
