Potter makes it two! | Weekend Review 3-5 August

The weekend saw another bout of inspiring performances over swim, bike, and run, as Scotland’s Beth Potter stormed to another bronze medal at the Olympic Games. Meanwhile, on Scottish soil, the Irvine Sprint Triathlon once again proved why it is so popular year after year.

Olympic Triathlon Mixed Relay (Monday, 5th August)

On Monday 5th August, Team GB were in search of another medal in the mixed relay at Paris 2024 after two medal successes in the individual events from Beth Potter (silver) and Alex Yee (gold).

Both athletes were on the team for the race and were joined by Georgia Taylor-Brown and Sam Dickinson.

The race was a nail-biter from start to finish. Team GB began strong, and Sam Dickinson passed over to Beth Potter on the final leg with a five second lead, but Germany’s Laura Lindemann and American Taylor Knibb were not far behind and caught her on the bike segment. On the final 1.8km run it was a three-way battle, with Potter, Lindemann, and Knibb running neck-and-neck.

In the final meters, Lindemann managed to surge ahead and secured gold for Germany. Potter and Knibb crossed the line almost simultaneously, leading to a photo finish. USA took the silver and Team GB the bronze.

Reflecting on her time in Paris, Beth Potter said she was “leaving Paris with a full heart and plenty of bling.” Inspired by Kelly Holmes’ performances in 2004, Potter’s journey of switching from running to a start-out triathlete has been impressive. She concluded by expressing her hope to have “inspired the younger generation to try our wonderful sport and to dream big.”

Full results can be viewed here.

Watch back the full race on BBC iPlayer here.

Find out more about the mixed relay here.

The Irvine Sprint Triathlon

The Irvine Sprint Triathlon, organised by over 30 volunteers from the Ayrodynamic Triathlon Club, offered a unique race experience over the weekend to multisport athletes both a beginner level and to those more experiences. The warm water at Irvine provided a comfortable swim, though the bike segment proved challenging with headwinds in both directions. The run was pleasantly sheltered, providing a nice contrast.

A total of 150 athletes took to the start line, proving the popularity of the event and it also a visually impaired athlete and her guide, adding an inspiring element to the race.

In the men’s open race, Cameron Kerr from the National Triathlon Centre took first place with a time of 1:01:21. Ruari Laskey of Glasgow Triathlon Club finished second in 1:06:05, followed by Colin McMorrin of Tri Bridges in third.

For the women, Shona Girdwood (not attached) claimed victory with a time of 1:16:50. Katie Broadfoot (not attached) secured second place, and Rhona Mowat from Edinburgh #3 came in third with a time of 1:20:28.

Full results can be found here.

Check out the full photo album here.