American Gwen Jorgensen won the women's triathlon at the Summer Olympics on Saturday. She finished atop a field of 56 triathletes, who wound from the water to their bikes to a run to the finish.

It was one of the Games' most apparently grueling tests, and it ended with Jorgensen, in 1:56:16, becoming the first American to ever win the event. No American had won triathlon gold since it became an Olympic sport in 2000.

Two triathletes — Switzerland's Nicola Spirig and Gwen Jorgensen — pulled well ahead of the rest of the field, and the two were in a cat-and-mouse race against one another for the last mile of running. A couple of Jorgensen's American teammates lagged hundreds of feet behind them, but the finish was very much a one-on-one.

Both Jorgensen and Spirig made smooth transitions between the triathlon's phases, which helped them stay clear of the rest of the race. Spirig is regarded as a better runner than Jorgensen, but the American pulled a few feet ahead as the two came into a final dash down the streets of Rio de Janeiro. And then Jorgensen just took off, leaving Spirig and everyone else well behind her.

Jorgensen didn't lead all the way, but she pulled ahead late for what turned out to be a win that looked easy. Of course, it certainly wasn't. Spirig won bronze, and Great Britain's Vicky Holland pulled in third to win the bronze medal.

After her win, Jorgensen was practically overcome:

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Jorgensen finished 38th in the women's triathlon in London in 2012, and she moved overseas to train in preparation for Rio. Now, she's gotten exactly what she's wanted.