Japanese triathlete wins first-ever Youth Olympic gold medal
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Yuka Sato of Japan hit the finishing line first in the girls individual triathlon event in the East Coast Park on Sunday, claiming the first gold medal in the on-going inaugural Youth Olympic Games.
The 18-year-old Japanese finished the race, which included a 750-meter swim in open water, a 20km cycle ride (three lap course), and a 5km run (two lap course), in one hour and 49 seconds.
"At the beginning, I already told myself I could do this," said Sato, who crossed the finishing line holding a Japanese national flag in her hands. "I'm so excited, I'm dizzy. There are no words to describe what is going on in my head right now."
"The weather is good and easy to get used to," said Sato after the competition, referring to the rain which moistened the island country early on Sunday morning.
Sato was the winner of 2009 Incheon ITU Triathlon Asian YOG qualifier and is considered as one of Japan's promising stars, having competed five rounds of the Triathlon ITU World Championship Series in Elite category this year.
First taking up at the age of 9 with her mother's encouragement, Sato also topped the 2010 Sendai Bay ITU Triathlon Asian Cup and 2010 Amakusa ITU Triathlon Asian Cuo in elite category.
Australian Ellie Salthouse took the silver medal in 1:01:04, while the bronze went to Kelly Whitley from the United States, who clocked a time of 1:01:13.
Several triathletes crashed during the third lap of the cycling section, with Kim Hee-sun of South Korea and Betancourt de Leon C.L. from Puerto Rico failed to finish the competition.
The competition format for individual competitions in Singapore YOG is half of that in traditional Olympic Games.
There are three events for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games triathlon competition, which are men's and women's individual and mixed team relay events.
