Snowsill ambles to victory in Triathlon

If you thought Usain Bolt was nonchalant with his finishing then Australia's Emma Snowsill was more comically laid back still yesterday in winning a women's triathlon that was disappointing for Britain and a sickener, literally, for team GB's Hollie Avil.

Anyone arriving at the finish line at the same time as Snowsill, who crushed the opposition in 1hr 58min 27.66sec, might reasonably have thought her race had ended some time ago. She was ambling between friends, chatting, exchanging high fives, and borrowing an Australian flag. And then she ran the last yards across the line. She was more than a minute ahead of her nearest rival.

"I had to make sure I didn't leave anything out on that field," she said. "I put every ounce of energy into this."

Britain's Helen Tucker, the world champion, could manage only 21st place, and lost valuable time with a footwear problem. “I didn't have an ideal transition from the bike to the run," she said. "My shoe got caught and cost me a few seconds."

Avil, 18, had to drop out of the race altogether after a few laps of the cycling because of the ongoing effects of food poisoning, contracted on Saturday.

"I woke up this morning feeling OK and kept my breakfast down," she said. “But when I was on the bike I was sick, and every time I took on fluids I was sick again. It's not great when you've got sick down your arms and your new white shoes are ruined.

"It's the worst thing when everyone is cheering you on and you can't keep going. I have always told myself I would never not finish a race and it's hard to describe how I feel having to pull out."