Two hours after the last competitors soared over the finish line at Pont Alexandre III, Alex Yee and Sam Dickinson gathered around a journalist’s laptop, examining the photo finish. “That’s unbelievable,” they exclaimed, trying to grasp the incredibly close margins.
The mixed triathlon team battled for 85 minutes through the murky waters of the River Seine, with the outcome hinging on the minuscule difference in their final pushes. Ultimately, there was a mere one-second gap between the first, second, and third places.
On the large screens, Team GB was almost immediately heralded as silver medallists. The course was designed to please global viewers—great visuals over functionality—leading to swift announcements of standings in an effort to hold audience engagement amidst waning attention spans. Delays do nothing to boost clicks.
With a microphone thrust in front of them, Yee, Dickinson, and Georgia Taylor-Brown expressed their pride in Beth Potter’s outstanding performance during the anchor leg. It was noted that she had edged out America’s Taylor Knibb in a sprint finish, which was expected given Potter’s background as an Olympic runner.
However, unbeknownst to the numerous spectators in Paris, a review was underway. The finishing ribbon had obstructed the cameras, and upon further examination, it was revealed that the British team was, in fact, third.
Great Britain claimed a third triathlon medal in Paris with bronze in the mixed relay on Monday
Beth Potter was initially given silver but was downgraded to Bronze after a photo review
Potter could not match the pace of Germany’s Laura Lindemann (left) on the final sprint
“I think we got you,” Yee said with a grin, glancing towards their American rivals at the press conference. The Americans were not convinced. “We were all at the finish line, and from where we stood, it appeared that Taylor out-leaned Beth,” replied Morgan Pearson.
It marked a chaotic conclusion to a tumultuous series. “They wanted to post results as quickly as they could, and it initially seemed clear,” explained British performance director Mike Cavendish. “However, when reviewing the photo finish from both angles, the clarity diminished.” He added, “To give credit to World Triathlon, they promptly provided me with the footage, and upon close inspection, it became evident that it was exceptionally tight but ultimately clear.”
With blisters still fresh from the individual races the previous week, Yee and their 15 fellow starters dove into the brown-tinted waters under the morning sun. There would have been 16 participants, but the Belgians withdrew after one member was hospitalized due to a suspected case of E. coli.
Expectations for gold were high for France, but they fell 40 seconds behind after Pierre le Corre’s bike chain malfunctioned during a collision with New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde. Yee surged to the lead as he sprinted towards the Champs-Élysées, moving like a sightseeing bus through the streets of Paris.
The athletes navigated iconic sights such as Le Grand Palais, Le Musée d’Orsay, and Boulevard Saint-Germain. Both Yee and Dickinson secured notable leads during their transitions, placing pressure on Taylor-Brown and Potter to fend off the fierce competition behind them.
They struggled against strong currents in the river, which had recently undergone a £1.2 million cleanup effort. Heavy rainfall raised the potential for infection, placing the athletes’ health on the line as they chased victory. “I could see my hand in the water, but it was indeed quite murky,” noted Pearson.
“It felt a bit like a gamble whether we’d actually race or not. One day it would rain, and the water quality would improve, only to decline again. I went to bed expecting the race might be canceled. It’ll be interesting to see how many athletes fall ill in the coming days.”
Individual men’s champion Alex Yee had given the British team the perfect start
Great Britain´s Georgia Taylor-Brown rides in front of the Arc de Triomphe
During the final leg, Potter began with an 18-second lead over Knibb, but the American leveraged her cycling expertise to close the gap, pulling along Laura Lindemann, the German winner. Potter fell to third during the last transition and fiercely sought to overtake her competitors in the concluding run.
“The run leg was tough,” Potter recounted. “I was a bit fatigued from the bike. I lost some distance on the first lap but managed to rejoin the pack and gave it my all in the final 200 metres. I thought we might secure the silver.”
Alas, it was not to be. A sprint finish, a confused medal announcement, and the striking backdrop of the River Seine; there might be some upset stomachs in the upcoming days, but at least it made for captivating television.
