Australia’s first Olympic gold medallist in Paris, cycling star Grace Brown, will retire at the end of the year with another slice of sporting history after becoming the first woman to complete the Olympic-world titles time trial golden double in the same year.
Brown finished 16 seconds ahead of Dutch rider Demi Vollering over the 29.9km course that also ended along Lake Zurich with defending champion Chloe Dygert of the USA taking the bronze medal 56 seconds behind the Australian.
The victory means Brown, 32, will retire at the end of the year as the first woman to win both the Olympic and world title gold medals in the time trial – and the first Australian woman to win world time trial gold.
“The experience of the Olympics gave me confidence and I said to myself ‘I can be world champion’,” said Brown.
“I´m still finishing after the end of this season.
“I was relaxed and confident.”
Brown had been trailing the Dutchwoman at the final time check but powered home to secure the victory.
“I was riding in the last couple of kilometres and I just kept telling myself I can be world champion. That gave me the strength to push all the way to the end,” she told reporters.
“I was glad I was ahead at the top of the climb because I sort of expected I might be a bit back there because Vollering is such a strong climber.
“Then I guess she just attacked the middle section of the race a little more than I did.
“It took me a couple of kilometres on the flat to get into the rhythm after all the climbing but I felt I gained strength towards the end.”
It was the fourth victory of the year for Brown who also won the national titles and Liege-Bastogne-Liege this year.
“I feel lucky just to be finishing like this,” she said.
“It honestly feels like I’m in a bit of a dream these last couple of months.
“These big goals seem ambitious, but I’ve been able to get out on the road and do it and realise those dreams. It’s really cool.”
Brown has one more chance to add to her fairytale career swan song, in next weekend’s road race.
Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel also completed the Olympic-world title double in the men’s race, surviving a lost chain on the starters ramp as he triumphed ahead of Italian pair Filippo Ganna in second and Edoardo Affini in third.
Australia’s Jay Vine finished covered in blood when a fall ended his hopes of bronze, but he showed great courage by clambering back into the saddle.
