Sportjodie stimpsonTriathlonGlasgow 2014

Jodie Stimpson Wins First Gold At Glasgow Commonwealth Games (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

England's Stimpson Claims First Gold At Commonwealth Games
The Huffington Post UK/PA
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English triathlete Jodie Stimpson won the first gold medal of the Commonwealth Games to banish the pain of missing out on the London Olympics.

Canada's Kirsten Sweetland took silver with England's Vicky Holland making it a dream start for the team by clinching a surprise bronze.

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Jodie Stimpson crosses the line and eases her London 2012 pain

The leading group of six began to splinter towards the end of the penultimate lap of the 10-kilometres run as Stimpson took the lead.

As the contenders fell away, only Holland and Sweetland could stay with her.

Holland dropped off a few hundred metres from the line, leaving Stimpson and Sweetland to fight it out.

Almost within sight of the line, Stimpson made her break and the 25-year-old from Oldbury in the West Midlands pulled away to take victory.

A battle between England and Wales had been highly anticipated, but injuries to world champion Non Stanford and Helen Jenkins ended Welsh medal hopes.

It was still a strong field, though, with seven of the world's top 12 this season in action.

As expected, the England trio pushed the pace on the 1.5-kilometres swim in Strathclyde Loch, with Vickky Hall coming out of the water first ahead of Holland and Stimpson.

They formed a leading group on the bike with Northern Ireland's Aileen Reid and New Zealand's Nicky Samuels, but before long the chasers caught up to form a group of 10 that included all the main challengers.

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It stayed that way until the latter stages of the fourth lap, when Hall made her break, and initially she opened up a decent gap, but by the time they finished the 40km ride they were all back together.

Holland set out first on the run but Stimpson quickly moved to the front to push the pace and start reducing the pack.

Britain Commonwealth Games Day 1
Britain Commonwealth Games(01 of23)
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England's Jodie Stimpson celebrates after winning the women's Triathlon race at the Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2014, Strathclyde Country Park, Scotland, Thursday, July 24. 2014 . The games run till August 3, with 71 countries and two territories taking part. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Commonwealth Games(02 of23)
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England's Jodie Stimpson celebrates after winning the women's Triathlon race at the Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2014, Strathclyde Country Park, Scotland, Thursday July 24. 2014 . The games run till August 3, with 71 countries and two territories taking part. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
APTOPIX Britain Commonwealth Games(03 of23)
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Members of the New Zealnad team compete during the Men's team pursuit 4000m qualifying at the Velodrome in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday July 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Commonwealth Games(04 of23)
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Sophie Taylor of England competes in a Women's 50m Breaststroke heat at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre during the Commonwealth Games 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday July 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Commonwealth Games(05 of23)
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Sophie Taylor of England competes in a Women's 50m Breaststroke heat at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre during the Commonwealth Games 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday July 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Commonwealth Games(06 of23)
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England's Lucy Hall, right, and Vicky Holland exit the water during the swim in the women's Triathlon race at the Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2014, Strathclyde Country Park, Scotland, Thursday, July 24, 2014 . The games run till August 3, with 71 countries and two territories taking part. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Commonwealth Games(07 of23)
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Leiston Pickett, right, and Sally Hunter both of Australia smile at the end of a Women's 50m Breaststroke heat at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre during the Commonwealth Games 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday July 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Commonwealth Games(08 of23)
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Members of England's team compete during the Men's team pursuit 4000m qualifying at the Velodrome in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday July 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Commonwealth Games(09 of23)
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Alia Atkinson of Jamaica competes in a Women's 50m Breastroke heat at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre during the Commonwealth Games 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday July 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Commonwealth Games(10 of23)
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Members of the men's South Africa team during the Men's team pursuit 4,000m qualifying at the Velodrome in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday July 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Commonwealth Games(11 of23)
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Members of England's men's team during the Men's team pursuit 4,000m qualifying at the Velodrome in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday July 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Commonwealth Games(12 of23)
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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, back left, smiles as she watches the swimming at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre during the Commonwealth Games 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday July 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Commonwealth Games(13 of23)
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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, back left, watches the swimming as water splashes up at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre during the Commonwealth Games 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday July 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Commonwealth Games(14 of23)
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Members of the men's Canadian team ride during the Men's team pursuit 4,000m qualifying at the Velodrome in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday July 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Commonwealth Games(15 of23)
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Amy Myer of Australia, in white, attempts to throw Shushila Likmabam of India during their women's 48 kg judo quarterfinal bout at the Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2014, in Glasgow, Scotland Thursday, July, 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Commonwealth Games(16 of23)
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Australia's Matthew Glaetzer sets a new Commonwealth record during the Men's sprint 200m qualifying at the Velodrome in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday, July 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Commonwealth Games(17 of23)
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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II , center, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, left, sit to watch hockey at the Commonwealth Games 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday July 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Commonwealth Games(18 of23)
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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II , top second from left, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, left, sit to watch hockey at the Commonwealth Games 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday July 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Commonwealth Games(19 of23)
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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II , top right, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, left, sit to watch hockey at the Commonwealth Games 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday July 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Commonwealth Games(20 of23)
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Onoh-Obasi Okey, right, holds down Chanel Kavanagh of New Zealand during their women's 48 kg judo quarterfinal bout at the Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2014, in Glasgow, Scotland Thursday, July, 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Commonwealth Games(21 of23)
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Trinidad and Tobago's Quincy Alexander rides with his back tyre off the rim during the Men's sprint 200m qualifying at the Velodrome in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday July 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Commonwealth Games(22 of23)
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Competitors dive off the pontoon during the start of the women's Triathlon race at the Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2014, Strathclyde Country Park, Scotland, Thursday July 24. 2014 . The games runs till August 3, with 71 countries and 2 territories taking part. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Commonwealth Games(23 of23)
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England's Lucy Hall, centre, cycling in the main group during the women's Triathlon race at the Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2014, Strathclyde Country Park, Scotland, Thursday July 24. 2014 . The games runs till August 3, with 71 countries and 2 territories taking part. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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