Rio 2016: Vicky Holland brings home medal 62 for Britain with triathlon bronze

Gold went to Gwen Jorgensen, a first in the event for the United States, while defending champion Nicola Spirig of Switzerland took silver

Vicky Holland collects her bronze medal (Getty)

Vicky Holland brought home medal No.62 for Great Britain, sprinting to bronze in the triathlon at the expense of her team-mate, house-mate and training partner, Non Stanford.

“We came here to get a medal and we are walking away with one,” Stanford, who lost out by just three seconds, said of her friend in yet another impressive display of sportsmanship in Rio.

Holland’s bronze helped Britain to another Olympic first, the only team to claim three of the six available triathlon medals after the success of the Brownlee brothers, Alistair and Jonathan, since the sport’s debut in Sydney 16 years ago.

“I just kept thinking 'It's going to be one of us, going to be one of us',” Holland said. “I had to put it out of my mind the fact that we are house-mates because that's not the way you race."

"We are good friends but that's no excuse not to sprint. The first thing I said to her was 'I'm so sorry'."

To which Stanford replied: “To come so close and be out-sprinted is bittersweet but when it's your best friend and your housemate I guess that's a victory in itself.

“I'm absolutely delighted for Vicky, but obviously fourth isn't the best place to be in the Olympic Games.”

Gold went to Gwen Jorgensen, a first in the event for the United States. Defending champion Nicola Spirig of Switzerland took silver.

Jorgensen, world champion in 2014 and 2015, and Spirig took it up on the first of four laps on the run, before the American broke clear to win by 40 seconds in a time of 1:65.16.