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

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 Cup races.

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

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.

Laura Bennett of the United States, who finished the first leg in water in 19:49, 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 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)