RIO DE JANEIRO -- As she wobbled along on a flat tire four years ago in London, Gwen Jorgensen promised to turn that heartbreak at Hyde Park into a conquering of Copacabana Beach at the Rio Games.She crushed both the course and the competition Saturday, giving the U.S. its first Olympic triathlon gold medal by cruising across the finish line in 1 hour, 56 minutes, 16 seconds.That was 40 seconds ahead of silver medalist Nicola Spirig of Switzerland, who won gold at the 2012 Games after Jorgensens flat tire relegated her to a 38th-place finish.Vicky Holland outsprinted British teammate Non Stanford for the bronze.Jorgensen and Spirig were even until Jorgensen made her move with 2 kilometers left in the 10K final leg that followed a steep, 38.5K bike ride and a one-loop ocean swim.As she approached the blue carpet, Jorgensen turned to look for Spirig, who wasnt even in view around the bend.Her goal within her grasp, Jorgensen lifted her sunglasses to her head and that look of dogged determination shed had since London dissolved into a smile.After crossing the finish line, she reached down and grabbed the green, gold and blue ribbon and held it high above her head in triumph before breaking down in tears.She said she was thinking of all the sacrifices, not just hers, but those of coach Jamie Turner and her husband, Patrick Lemieux, who abandoned his pro cycling career to serve as her operations manager .Ive been pretty vocal about my goal for the past four years. After London, I said I wanted to go to Rio and I wanted to win gold, Jorgensen said. And for anyone thats been around me, they know how much my husband Patrick has invested. Hes given up his career to support me. And then I also have Jamie Turner, who Ive been on this four-year journey with and hes done so much for me.Just thinking about all the investments theyve put into me and thinking about the four years, it all came down to one day, Jorgensen said. And to be able to actually execute on that day is pretty amazing.Jorgensen didnt just fulfill her pledge she made four years ago but she checked off a bucket list box shed long ago erased when she realized she was too slow in the pool to ever be an Olympian.After an All-American track career at the University of Wisconsin, where she also was on the swim team for three years, Jorgensen settled into her first job as an accountant for Ernst & Young in Milwaukee in 2010.One day, the phone rang. It was Barb Lindquist, who was running USA Triathlons college recruitment program. She suggested Jorgensen would be perfect for the sport that combines swimming, cycling and running.Jorgensen didnt even realize triathlon had been added to the Olympic program a decade earlier.She agreed to give triathlon a try and quickly realized she was indeed a natural.She took it up fulltime and has emerged as the best female in the world, collecting 17 career wins in the World Triathlon Series and winning back-to-back ITU world championships before cutting back this year in the lead-up to Rio.On the course where she also won the Olympic qualifying race a year ago, Jorgensen used her superior hill climbing skills to make up a 12-second deficit coming out of the water, surpassing almost all of the 22 racers whod been faster getting ashore in choppy water.By the time she dismounted she was just two seconds behind leader Lisa Norden of Sweden and immediately broke away with Spirig, setting the pace.They took turns drafting until the final 2 kilometers, when they exchanged words and Jorgensen took off.Nicola and I were playing some games, neither of us wanted to lead in the headwind, so it made it exciting for fans, Jorgensen said.Gracious in defeat, Spirig, the only female triathlete with multiple Olympic gold medals, congratulated Jorgensen for not flinching.I tried to tire her out on the bike. I tried to stick with her on the run, Spirig said. I did everything right and she still won, so she definitely deserves the gold.Just 30, Jorgensen would be the favorite in Tokyo in 2020, too.Ive had a four-year plan and Im definitely a planner, Jorgensen said. But I have zero plans for Aug. 21st, so wait and find out.---AP Summer Games website: http://summergames.ap.org---AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta contributed. Follow AP Sports Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapletonCheap San Francisco 49ers Jerseys . The 28-year-old from Calgary matched his career best after missing just one shot in his two rounds of shooting in the mens 10-kilometre sprint competition. Smith finished in 23 minutes 15. Cheap Indianapolis Colts Jerseys . The phone hearing is scheduled for 4:30pm et/1:30pm pt. 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RIO DE JANEIRO -- Yelena Isinbayeva walked away from competing but not from her sport on Friday.The womens pole vault world record holder announced her retirement as she focuses on a new career in sports politics and considers an offer to lead Russian track and field.Isinbayeva was prevented from seeking a third Olympic title in Rio de Janeiro after the IAAF banned all but one Russian track and field athlete from the games over their countrys state-sponsored doping scandal.She still traveled to Rio to campaign in the election for the athletes representative on the International Olympic Committee. A day after being among the four winning candidates, the 34-year-old Isinbayeva decided she doesnt want to compete anymore.Today in Rio on August 19 2016, Yelena Isinbayeva is finishing her professional career, she said close to the end of a 50-minute news conference.Yesterdays election to the IOC commission inspired me, Isinbayeva added through a translator. It means I am not saying goodbye to the sport. I say goodbye to the pole, to my medals ... I fulfilled my dreams.And without doping, she maintains.I have proved it again and again, she said. All my tests were negative.One of her priorities now is campaigning for Russias IAAF suspension to be lifted so fellow clean athletes can resume their professional careers. Isinbayeva could be taking on that mission as the top administrator in Russian athletics.I have received an offer to head up the federation, Isinbayeva said. It is an interesting offer but it is also a serious challenge.When I get back from the Olympics I will meet the president of the federation. We will talk about my future role. I find it very interesting ... I think I can bring thhe federation back into the IAAF fold.ddddddddddddIsinbayeva remains aggrieved about the IAAFs treatment of Russia. She said it speaks volumes about the IAAF leadership that they didnt congratulate her for being one of four successful candidates in the IOC athletes commission election.I am a bit offended, she said. We are the same team ... but for some reason I didnt receive any congratulations.Although Isinbayeva said she forgives IAAF President Sebastian Coe for the injustice of banning Russia, she said: Let it be on their conscience. God will be their judge.Isinbayeva also railed against the unfair investigations by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which has published reports in the last year by investigators Dick Pound and Richard McLaren.All of the accusations that have leveled have been built upon assumptions, there are no facts, no proof but for some reason (McLarens) assumptions were sufficient to raise the question of banning the entire Russian team (from the Olympics), Isinbayeva said. I would like to see more facts, more specific proof against specific athletes.She urged sports administrators to be dignified in developing sport rather than fostering some useful war.Isinbayeva won gold medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2008 Beijing Games. She took bronze four years ago in London and will be elsewhere in Rio rather than watching the womens Olympic pole vault final on Friday night.When you compete without Isinbayeva this isnt going to be a fully-fledged gold medal, she said---Rob Harris at www.twitter.com/RobHarris and www.facebook.com/RobHarrisReports ' ' '