Tokyo 2020 - Silver medalist Georgia Taylor-Brown admits she entered "panic mode" after getting a flat tyre
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Updated 27/07/2021 at 03:34 GMT
Georgia Taylor-Brown described how she panicked when she suffered a flat tyre in the bike race of the triathlon. Taylor-Brown was leading the race before disaster struck and had to battle back to win a silver medal. “I lost maybe 15 seconds on the group. The first lap of the run I was in panic mode," she said.
Duffy storms to gold as Taylor-Brown recovers from puncture to claim silver
Georgia Taylor-Brown admitted she was in “panic mode” after picking up a puncture in the bike race of the women’s triathlon at Tokyo 2020.
The Team GB athlete was leading the race before the disastrous flat tyre in the final lap on the bike and had to dig deep to fight back to claim the silver medal.
Taylor-Brown might have been celebrating gold instead of Bermuda’s Flora Duffy had she not suffered the set-back, but the Brit was over the moon with her performance.
“I had a really good swim and I got out and we had 35 seconds and I thought this is perfect,” Taylor-Brown said afterwards.
The bike – we worked really well, I got a puncture coming out of the park with about 2km to come and I panicked.
“I didn’t know what to do so I just rode on the flat.
“I lost maybe 15 seconds on the group. The first lap of the run I was in panic mode. I think I definitely paid for it on the latter part of the run but it paid off.”
Duffy put her foot to the floor in the run circuit, eventually finishing 74 seconds ahead of Taylor-Brown, who passed American Katie Zaferes in the final stages.
The unpredictable weather played its part in Tokyo and there was disappointment for Britain’s Vicky Holland who finished 13th.
Jessica Learmonth was leading the race for the first two-thirds but faded rapidly in the foot race to place ninth. It is Team GB’s second silver in successive triathlon’s after Alex Yee came second in the men’s race on Monday.
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Duffy’s victory is Bermuda’s first ever gold medal and she was brimming with emotion after the history-making race.
“It’s definitely a lot of emotion to deal with,” she said.
“This had been my dream since I was 8 years old, I always wanted to be Olympic champion.
“I feel like I crossed the line today but I did it for everyone in Bermuda. What an experience to come down the finish line and enjoy it.”
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