Sport
31 July, 2024
Gold for Grace
CAMPERDOWN’S Grace Brown is once again the golden girl of the western district.
Brown etched her name in history last weekend by winning a career-defining gold medal in the Olympic Games women’s individual time trial.
The 32 year-old, who will retire at the end of this season, won Australia’s first gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics after clocking an impressive time of 39min 38.24sec in the wet, on Saturday afternoon.
The 32.4 kilometre course (which took riders through the middle of Paris before ending on the Pont Alexandre III Bridge) proved a challenging one for riders, with many coming to grief in reportedly ‘treacherous’ conditions.
Brown beat her nearest rival, Great Britain’s Anna Henderson, by a massive 1:31.59 with defending champion, American Chloe Dygert, crossing the finish line in third.
Australia last won an Olympic gold in road cycling in 2004 when Sara Carrigan won the women’s road race.
Speaking with media after the event, Brown said she had a plan to pace the race to win gold.
“I was able to execute my plan pretty much to perfection, if not better,” she reportedly said.
“I can’t ask for a better day.”
Brown, the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion, will now prepare to compete in the women’s road race on August 4.
“I’ll be able to race my next event a bit more relaxed, take it in my stride, and see what opportunities I can take,” she said.
“I’ve one gold medal and that’s pretty good. I’m really proud to go out on such a high.”