The New Zealand triathlete Andrea Hewitt has won bronze in a world series race on the Gold Coast.
New Zealand triathlete Andrea Hewitt 4th at Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The world number one, Gwen Jorgensen, was beaten for the first time in 17 races, the American winning silver behind Britain's Helen Jenkins.
New Zealand played a prominent role throughout the race, with four Kiwis in the initial lead group of 19 out of the water, led by Nicky Samuels (Wanaka), Hewitt, Rebecca Clarke (Auckland) and Simone Ackermann (Auckland),
Hewitt showed her strength to instigate a breakaway during the cycle leg with Jorgensen only catching Hewitt in the closing metres of the run to outsprint the Kiwi for silver.
"I rode as hard as I could. I saw that some of the girls were struggling on some of the corners so when we got the break we just kept riding right up until the end," said Hewitt.
"I felt a little wobbly on the run, but I tried to keep pushing. This is my first Olympic distance of the year and I braced myself on the run.
"I could judge on the U-turns where Gwen was. It just came down to the blue carpet at the finish," she said.
Samuels was in just her second race on return from a year long injury layoff and came home in 20th place.
Ackermann was next best of the Kiwis in 26th, New Zealand's Rebecca Spence finished 29th while Clarke was 46th.
The men's race was also a thriller with Mario Mola leading a Spanish one-two in the men's race from Fernando Alarza, with Britain's Jonathon Brownlee claiming bronze.
Braden Currie was the only Kiwi in the men's race, but the Wanakan man failed to finish.
