England’s Jodie Stimpson won the opening gold of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Thursday on a day when the multi-sport event was hit by the withdrawal of athletics legend Mo Farah.
Stimpson, a silver medal winner in the World Triathlon Series in 2013, sprinted clear with 400 metres remaining of the final 10km run to win a thrilling race that started with a 1.5km swim in and a 40km cycle.
Canada’s Kirsten Sweetland claimed silver, with England’s Vicky Holland taking bronze in warm, sunny conditions.
“I was nervous about the swim but I had an awesome swim actually,” said Stimpson. “The race was brutal and the bike was definitely a challenge. It was important to be aware and sensible.”
In an enthralling finish at the Strathclyde Country Park, the 25-year-old Stimpson managed to pull away from Sweetland to finish in one hour 58 minutes 56 seconds.
In the men’s event later on Thursday, Alistair Brownlee continued England’s golden start with a dominant display.
Olympic champion Brownlee, 24, duelled with younger brother Jonathan for much of the race but pulled away when he upped the pace over the last five kilometres to take the gold.
