Hot off the heels of her commercial for Nike, Portuguese triathlete Vanessa Fernandes won the silver medal in Beijing. Despite being the favorite to win the triathlon, Fernandes finished with a time of 1:59:34.63, about a minute behind gold medalist Emma Snowsill of Australia. Her medal was the first for the Portuguese in Beijing.
Fernandes was introduced to the triathlon by her father, a former cyclist, in 1999. The 2004 Athens Olympics were her first Olympic Games, where at just 18 she finished in eighth place.
Marissa Brassfield
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