RIO DE JANEIRO _ Four seconds is virtually nothing for a gifted runner like Gwen Jorgensen.
Jorgensen was a mere four seconds behind the leader, Mari Rabie of South Africa, in the bike-to-run transition of the women's Olympic triathlon on Saturday morning.
Just like that Jorgensen erased the lead and surged into first in a matter of seconds. The only runner to stay with Jorgensen during the 10-kilometer run along the scenic Copacabana course was veteran Nicola Spirig Hug of Switzerland.
The battle between Jorgensen and Spirig Hug came down to Jorgensen pulling away on the final lap. Jorgensen, of St. Paul, Minn., won the first triathlon gold for the United States, beating Spirig Hug by 40 seconds. Overcome by emotion, her smile quickly turned to tears after she crossed the finish line.
The only other medal the U.S. women have won in this event was a bronze by Susan Williams in 2004 in Greece.
For Jorgensen, it was a wildly different experience from London. In 2012, she suffered a flat tire and finished 38th.
This time, misfortune hit another U.S. athlete, Sarah True, who withdrew during the bike section. It appeared she injured her right knee, attempted to resume riding but was forced to quit.
