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- Bermuda is now the smallest territory to win Olympic gold as Flora Duffy took top spot in the triathlon.
- The British territory in the North Atlantic Ocean is only 20 square miles and has a population of 63,000.
- Duffy beat Team GB's Georgia Taylor-Brown who suffered a puncture during the bike section.
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Bermuda became the smallest territory by land size in Olympic history to win gold on Monday when Flora Duffy took top spot in the women's triathlon at the Tokyo Olympics.
The 33-year-old, who was born on the remote Atlantic island 640 miles off the US coast, finished with a time of 1 hour, 55 minutes and 36 seconds, beating Team GB's Georgia Taylor-Brown, who suffered a puncture during the bike section.
With a population of 63,000 and a land size of 20 square miles, Bermuda is now the smallest territory by physical size to win gold at the games. Only Liechtenstein has a smaller population of the previous gold medal winners, with just 40,000 citizens.
To illustrate quite how small Bermuda is, its 63,000 population wouldn't even fill the Tokyo Olympic stadium, which – in non-COVID times – seats 68,000 fans.
"I think the whole [of] Bermuda is going crazy, that's what makes it so special.
"Yes, this was my dream, but I also knew it was bigger than me." said Duffy.
Duffy was congratulated on Twitter by the Premier of Bermuda David Burt who said she made the "entire island proud!"
-Premier David Burt (@BermudaPremier) July 26, 2021
Both of Duffy's parents were born in England, but the triathlete said her heart is in Bermuda.
"My mum grew up in Burnley and my dad is from Barrow-in-Furness, but I'm born and raised in Bermuda, that's where my heart is.
"I have family in England and that's special but for me, it was always Bermuda that felt the most special. But it is kind of nice that when God Save the Queen is played, it honors my British and Bermudian side, which is special."
Duffy took the lead during the 10km run, and did so with her homeland's hopes on her shoulders.
"It's been a heck of a lot of pressure. I would never recommend being an Olympic favourite for five years. But it is all worth it now." Duffy said.
The women's triathlon on Tuesday played out in significantly less dramatic fashion than the men's race. For one thing, a speedboat didn't stop the race from starting like in the men's event.
Duffy, unlike the male winner, was not sick at the finish and did not have to be taken away in a wheelchair - both of which happened to men's winner Kristian Blummenfelt.