Tokyo Olympics 2020: Kiwi triathletes struggle in wet conditions as Bermuda claim first ever gold

From glory to grazes, New Zealand's fortunes at the triathlon over 24 hours couldn't have stood in sharper contrast.

Whereas yesterday Hayden Wilde swam, cycled and ran to a brilliant bronze, today Ainsley Thorpe crashed out on the first lap of the cycle leg and Nicole van der Kaay finished 29th, 7m 50s behind the winner, Flora Duffy of Bermuda who won in 1h 55m 36s.

While yesterday the men had to put up with a rogue broadcast launch that caused an embarrassing false start, the women were faced with more long-term issues, wild weather that delayed the start by 15 minutes and left the bike course a permanent hazard.

Seven riders crashed and withdrew, including Thorpe, 23, who slid and fell on a left-hand turn made treacherous by lane markings.

Thorpe and van der Kaay were out of contention by that stage because a leading group of seven, reduced to five by the end of the leg, were out in front and stayed there. The medals were always going to be divided up among them, with the race essentially boiling down to a 10km foot race between Duffy, Laura Lindemann, Katie Zaferes, Jessica Learmonth and Georgia Taylor-Brown.

Duffy won in dominating fashion, the two-time world champion bringing her tiny island nation their first Olympic gold medal.

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Brit Taylor-Brown finished a distant second, 1m 14s behind, and Zaferes (US) third a further 13s back.

The Kiwi women were always a long shot to feature in the individual. They have their eyes on a mixed relay prize, a goal that will seem in reach after the heroics of Wilde and to a lesser extent Tayler Reid, who finished in a meritorious 18th, yesterday.

The only question may be whether Thorpe, after the fall, has bumps and bruises that are superficial or more troubling than that.

Sad scenes as Kiwi triathlete Ainsley Thorpe crashed out of the triathlon. Photo / Sky