The supposed curse hanging over U.S. athletes in Olympic triathlon is over.
Gwen Jorgensen ended a long, baffling streak of frustration for Team USA, easily winning the gold medal in women's triathlon Saturday in Rio.
Jorgensen, a standout track star at the University of Wisconsin, put that experience to use with a scorching final 1.5 kilometers that helped her break away from 2012 gold medalist Nicola Spirig.
Jorgensen, a 30-year-old Wisconsin native, topped the International Triathlon Union's world rankings the past two years and entered the competition the heavy favorite to take home gold. She did not disappoint.