Three-time world champion Emma Snowsill outlasted Vanessa Fernandes to win Australia the women's triathlon at the Beijing Olympics on Monday.

Emma Snowsill of Australia crosses the finish line in the Women's Final of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games triathlon event in Beijing, China, Aug. 18, 2008. Emma Snowsill won the gold medal with a time of 1 hour 58 minutes and 27.66 seconds.[Xing Guangli/Xinhua]

Snowsill, 27, rushed through the finish line in ease with 1 hour 58 minutes and 27 seconds carrying her national flag and clapping hands with her supporters.

Portugal's Fernandes, the all-time World Cup wins leader and the only woman to win on the Beijing course, came in second 1 minute and 6 seconds later. 23-year-old Fernandes was a credited triathlete for the course for winning the last three Beijing world cups.

Snowsill's teammate Emma Moffatt took the bronze with 1 minute and 28 seconds more. Moffatt was also a four-time world championships medalist.

"I knew I had to get out on that run. Coming down on the last lap I had to throw in whatever I had left. There's nothing like running scared. I had to make sure I didn't leave anything out on that field. I put every ounce of energy into this," said Snowsill after the race.

"This is a very challenging bike and I was very thankful to see the finish line."

On competing in her first Olympics, Snowsill said: "I tried to maintain the attitude that it's a swim, bike, run race and the Olympic rings come afterwards."

Snowsill was neglected from Australian squad at the Athens Games. "There was a reason for that. Lessons were learned and it was a great motivation for coming to Beijing, but that has never been a sore point for me," said she.

Snowsill and Fernandes were on a different level to the rest of the competitors and were expected to decide the gold between them in the final stages of the run.

"I think everyone trained hard and wanted to be the best here. This medal is silver, but it feels like gold for me, it's in the Olympics," said Fernandes. "It means a lot to me because a little Portuguese country has medallists too. I think it's good for Portugal and Europe to boost some girls to the top in the Olympic Games. For me, I can put this medal on the top of other medals.

"I won her a few times, she won me a few times. In the race, you need to judge everything according to specific situation."

Laura Bennett of United States, who finished the first leg in water in 19:49 seconds, was settled in fourth place.

Snowsill was in fifth in 19:51 after the 1.5km open water swimming and Vanessa Fernandes came out of the water in the ninth place in 19:53.

Then a batch of around twenty triathletes formed up the first group from the very early stage of cycling and medal hopefuls were booked up in the group, including all three podium finishers.

After the 40km cycling race, Maffatt was in first place, while Snowsill was fifth and Fernandes in sixth. In the run part, the top two finishers sprinted out the small bunch and established advantage.

"It's pretty high up there (on life achievements). It's those people who got me here they deserve it as much as me," said the bronze medallist Maffatt.

"I started my strategy by pacing myself. My plan worked. You have to be a smart racer at this level. This course is very challenging.

"It's really hot. You must block those things out. It's really tough," added Maffatt.

It's not a surprise at all for Snowsill to win here. Fernandes has faltered this year, losing to Snowsill in Mooloolaba, finishing 10th in a surprisingly weak world championship title defense, and failed to finish in Hamburg, her final race before the Olympics.

(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2008)