Bermuda wins first gold

I like the Commonwealth Games, it gives lesser nations and athletes a chance on a big stage. Bermuda has only ever won one medal at an Olympics, and five at a Commonwealth Games, the last being a bronze in ten-pin bowling in 1998. Luckily for the rest of the Commonwealth there isn’t a rum drinking contest, because they may have medalled in that as well.

Flora Duffy is the women’s world number one in triathlon, so it was no surprise that she won gold last night in the Gold Coast’s first medal final. She surprisingly missed out on a place at the last Olympics, but has emerged as the world’s best since winning the last two ITU world titles, and despite the weight of 63,000 Bermudians on her strong shoulders she romped home 43 seconds ahead of England’s Jessica Learmonth to claim gold.

She was second behind Learmonth through the 750m swim and 25km bike ride but broke away on the 5k run grabbing a Bermudian flag in the final straight and crossed the line in 56.50. Then in a real show of sportsmanship she waited to greet her competitors as they finished behind her.

I work with Flora’s brother and her parents moved to Bermuda from Burnley, they are all crazy Clarets fans, and she splits her time living in South Africa with her husband and training in Boulder, Colorado.

Bermuda only has a team of seven Athletes in Australia, but Flora isn’t finished as she competes next week in the cross country mountain bike.