Gold Coast 2018 – 12th for Beth Potter!

5th Apr 2018 | Written by Gemma Simpson

It was a thrilling start to the Commonwealth Games, with the women’s individual Triathlon event set to be the first medal presentation of the Games.

Hot favourite Flora Duffy (BER), aiming for her first major Games win, lined up alongside a strong Home Nation contingent, with Team England’s Vicky Holland (3rd Glasgow 2014) and Jess Learmonth (2nd WTS Abu Dhabi 2018) as well as Team Captain for Wales, Non Stanford (ITU World Champion 2013).

Debuting for Team Scotland in the Triathlon event, athletics 10,000m runner Beth Potter took to the start line with confidence following intensive preparation in Leeds throughout 2017.

The swim conditions were fair, with some wind, with the water temperature 24 degrees (non-wetsuit swim).

The swim was dominated by Learmonth, with Duffy and Sophie Caldwell (ENG) hot on her heels. Potter held onto 6th place for the majority of the swim, inching ahead of the chase pack and swimming hard during the 750m single lap.

Exiting the water in 9:43 and leading out of T1 it was Learmonth followed by Duffy and Caldwell who held their positions onto the 4 lap 20km bike course. Potter exited the swim alongside Stanford in 9:50, followed by Holland and she fought hard to keep pace, manoeuvring into the second chase pack approximately a minute off the lead pack of Duffy and Learmonth who were tearing ahead with each lap.

Into T2 and it was Learmonth who led out onto the 2 lap 5km run (39:53), to open up a 1:13 lead over the chase group alongside Duffy. Approaching the half way mark, Duffy was up on Learmonth by 9 seconds, increasing to by the second, and in battle for third place it was Vicky Holland and Joanna Brown (CAN) who were storming through the field.

Onto the blue carpet and it was Duffy for gold (56:50), Learmonth silver (57:33) and Brown third (57:38), just pipping Holland to the podium.

Potter with her strength in running made up a number of places to cross the line in 12th place (59:50). In doing so she took her place in the Team Scotland history books with the best women’s result since Triathlon joined the Commonwealth Games programme in 2002, a place higher than Catriona Morrison recorded in 2002.

Speaking after the race, Beth said:

“I have mixed emotions to be honest. I had a great swim and then just lost the pack going into the cycle. I made some passes during the run and I closed a big gap, so I was glad to have found my legs again.

“There’s a lot I can build on – especially on the bike but overall I’m happy. I’ll just be chilling out now until the Mixed Relay on Saturday and then for running on the track on Monday.”

Potter, Austin and Sheldon will race again at Southport Broadwater Parkland on Saturday 7 at 13:01hrs (04:01hrs UK Time) in the Mixed Relay alongside Erin Wallace, who makes her senior Games debut having won gold for Scotland in the 1500m at the Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas.

Results

Full results link

1 Flora Duffy (Bermuda) 00:56:50
2 Jessica Learmonth (England) 00:57:33
3 Joanna Brown (Canada) 00:57:38
12 Beth Potter (Scotland) 00:59:50

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