Courtesy: USAT

U.S. elite triathlete Susan Williams became a media darling on Wednesday when she overcame high temperatures and a crash on the bike to win the bronze medal in the women's triathlon at the 2004 Olympic Games in the Athens municipality of Vouliagmeni.

Williams (Littleton, Colo.), once considered a long shot to make the 2004 Olympic team, put the crown on her Cinderella story by finishing third to Austria's Kate Allen and Australia's Loretta Harrop. Allen won in 2 hours, 4 minutes, 43 seconds, thanks to an amazing 10k run of 33.48, which she used to pass leader Harrop in the final meters of the race.

Harrop finished in 2:04:50 and Williams' time was 2:05:08.

Interviewers from the Today Show and many local NBC affiliates have been touched by Williams' story. She is also scheduled to participate in the Top 10 list on the Late Show with David Letterman on Thursday night (Aug. 26).

"It was the race of my life. I'm thrilled. I was the dark horse to even make the team and to wind up with a medal is a tremendous honor," Williams said. "The heat didn't bother me. It really is a drier heat and I kept myself pretty wet and stayed cool."

Williams' teammates did not have it as easy. Barb Lindquist (Alta, Wyo.), one of the pre-race favorites, was third out of the water and rode with Williams on the bike after Williams crashed into the padded barriers on a sharp turn. But she fell back on the run and finished ninth.

"Barb, bless her heart, waited for me," Williams said. "I think riding together helped both of us."

"The swim was tough for me today. I swam hard to keep up with Sheila (Taormina) and Loretta and it took something out of me," Lindquist said.

"I just didn't have any legs on the bike. But still, I had a good race."

Taormina (Livonia, Mich.), the reigning world champion, was in second place coming out of the swim and shared the lead with Harrop on the bike, but slowed down on the run due to hamstring cramps. Taormina dropped back and rode the last lap of the bike with Williams and Lindquist. As they headed into transition, Taormina told her teammates to "go win some medals."

Taormina, a three-time Olympian, finished 23rd and after the race, reiterated that it had been her last.

"It's fun, but it keeps me from doing too many things that I enjoy," she said. "I have a lot of speaking engagements. I want to give back to my sponsors, the people who have supported me. I want to get a camper and cruise the country going to expos."

Williams plans to race for at least another year. Right now, she is enjoying more than her 15 minutes of fame. The media has jumped on her story. Williams was a favorite to make the Olympic triathlon team in 2000 when she found out she was pregnant shortly before the second Olympic qualifying event. She named her daughter "Sydney" and calls her "my gold medal from 2000."

For complete results, go to http://www.athens2004.com/en/TriathlonWomen/resul ts.