Kristian Blummenfelt ran for gold in the triathlon competition on Monday night, and perhaps Olympic debutant Miller dreamed of recreating it with a good performance in the women’s competition.
Miller had a poor charge for the triathlon competition. Just over a month ago, she had to go to the hospital after an accident at training. She tested aerodynamic seating positions on a velodrome in the Netherlands when things went wrong.
Then she went with her chin first in the parquet. But she got to start in Tokyo.
Delete from start
Miller got it tough right from the start. She ended up early in the back of the swim, and to change cycling she was a bit behind the best, and passed 1.37 minutes behind the leader, as number 36.
On the bike, she ended up in the third group, and fought hard to try to take minutes on the management team, without success. Before the race she was number 25, 3.18 minutes behind Katie Zaferes from the USA, who was leading at the time.
Zaferes and Flora Duffy from Bermuda got a hatch out on the running part, but it did not take long before the latter ran away and took control of the race.
Became historic
Duffy ran to the finish line in solitary majesty, taking Bermuda’s first Olympic gold through the newspaper. The island with around 65,000 inhabitants had only one bronze medal from before. It came in boxing in 1976.
Gerogia Taylor-Brown from the UK took silver, while Zafares took the bronze.
– HISTORICAL: Flora Duffy took Bermuda’s first Olympic gold. Photo: Loic Venance / Reuters.
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– She is in a class of her own for herself, said Discovery’s expert Mikal Iden about historical Duffy.
The gold medalist himself was ecstatic.
– It feels quite surreal right now, but I think I can get used to being called Olympic champion every day for the rest of my life. This has been my dream since I was a little girl and it is Bermuda’s first Olympic gold so it is very special, she says to Eurosport.
Lotta Miller fought her way to a 24th place, 7.07 minutes behind the winner.
– It was not my best day today, but I worked with what I had. It is very symbolic too, to know that you have done so much work to get here, Miller told Eurosport after the race.
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