Alex Yee of Great Britain clinched a spectacular and intense gold medal in the triathlon at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
This men’s race was highly anticipated and surrounded by controversy.
In a thrilling conclusion, Yee overcame a 15-second gap to New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde, ultimately securing first place.
Despite being 23rd during the cycling segment, Yee managed to join the leading group and took an early lead in the 10km run.
However, Wilde’s surge put Yee on the defensive, seemingly aiming for silver as the pack gained on him.
As the bell rang for the final 2.5km, Yee launched an impressive finish, surpassing Wilde and winning by six seconds.
This triumph marked the sixth gold medal for Team GB at the Paris 2024 Olympics and complemented Beth Potter’s silver in the women’s triathlon event.
In a touching display of sportsmanship, Wilde sat with Yee at the finish line, where they embraced.
Frenchman Leo Bergere, who secured bronze, joined them after crossing the line.
Yee, who previously won silver in the men’s triathlon and gold in the mixed relay at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, credited his victory to teammate Sam Dickinson’s strategic pacing on the bike before retiring.
Reflecting on his win, Yee said, “I have so much respect for Hayden and how much he made me dig in there. He was an amazing athlete and for me, almost two laps in I thought that silver was on the cards but I owed it to myself to give myself one last chance. With about 2km to go I thought I’d give it everything I had and I’m just so proud that I was able to do that for my family, for everyone that’s worked hard, for my girlfriend Liv.”
He continued, “There’s so many more people than just me who have worked towards this. This was our dream and I’m the lucky one who gets to do it, so thank you to them.”
“I gave it everything I had and I was going through a really bad patch. Many people have told me that you’re gonna go through a bad patch during a race no matter how perfect or bad it is, so I think for me I just rode that wave and said one more try and let’s see if we can do it.”
The men’s race was delayed by 24 hours due to poor water quality in the River Seine following heavy rainfall.
Once deemed safe, large crowds in Paris enjoyed two exhilarating races, with Cassandre Beaugrand taking women’s gold.
