Swiss triathlete gets Olympic silver

Spirig in action on the bike part of the race Keystone

Nicola Spirig has won silver in the women’s triathlon at the Rio 2016 Olympics, four years after she won gold at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

The 34-year-old, who was the 2015 European Games champion, fought a brave battle but she faced tough competition from the United States’ Gwen Jorgensen, who sprinted away at the end to get the gold medal.

Spirig crossed 40 seconds later for the silver medal. In doing so, she became the first woman to win multiple Olympic medals in triathlon. 

Vicky Holland outsprinted British teammate Non Stanford to win the bronze.

Spirig told Swiss public radio afterwards that she was feeling emotional and very happy with the result and that she had given it her all.

The Olympic triathlon is made up of a 1.5 kilometre- swim, a 40 km cycle and a 10km run.

Spirig took the 2012 Olympic title, winning a close race in a photo finish with Sweden’s Lisa Nordén. In that year she was also the Swiss Sports Personality of the Year.

The athlete’s life has undergone a lot of change since her London win. She had a son, born in 2013, (with fellow Olympic triathlete husband Reto Hug), and then returned to racing.