Alex Yee of Great Britain won a brilliant and dramatic gold medal in the triathlon as the men finally got to compete in one of the most anticipated and controversial races at the Paris Olympic Games.
The 26-year-old upgraded the silver he won in Tokyo three years ago to gold after surging clear of New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde with a scarcely believable comeback in the run to close out the three-discipline competition.
He becomes only the second British man to bring home individual triathlon gold after Alistair Brownlee did so in back-to-back Games in London and Rio de Janeiro. Yee, alongside Alistair’s brother Jonny, Jessica Learmonth and Georgia Taylor-Brown, won gold in the sport’s first mixed team relay event in Tokyo.
France’s Leo Bergere made it a multi-event medal double for the hosts, after compatriot Cassandre Beaugrand had earlier taken gold in the women’s event, following Wilde home for bronze.
Unbe-YEE-vable!!
Alex Yee, Olympic triathlon champion! #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/RWwszDke2N
— Team GB (@TeamGB) July 31, 2024
The buildup to Wednesday’s race had been the story of the early part of these Paris Games with the planned familiarisation training swims cancelled not once but twice before the main event, scheduled for Tuesday, was postponed by a day.
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