Given the euphoric success enjoyed by British athletes in this city over the last year, however, a full recovery was expected to end in triumph once again.

Despite the early start time of 8.30am and the distinctly autumnal drizzle, the thousands of sports fans and triathlon enthusiasts alike massing together around the course were already dispelling a celebratory atmosphere of firm expectation rather than optimistic hope.

At first this seemed slightly presumptuous as word spread that Stanford had been penalised for not placing her wetsuit in the correct box following her swim, which meant that at a time of her choosing on the run she would have to stop for 15 seconds.

Yet a similar penalty did not stop teammate Jonny Brownlee from reaching the podium in the men's Olympic race last year and already Stanford's problem seemed small fry in comparison with those engulfing her principal rivals.

First Germany's Anne Haug - ranked second overall - finished over two minutes adrift of the leaders in last place after the swim and despite the best efforts of her teammate Anja Knapp, who slowed to pace her, she only slipped further behind.

A slip of the literal kind was then the undoing of series leader Gwen Jorgensen as, after safely negotiating the swim in the lead pack, the American crashed heavily on the treacherous London roads early on in the bike stage.

Although she battled gamely onwards she was forced to eventually drop out with her title aspirations so cruelly in tatters.

American Gwen Jorgensen cuts a despondent figure after eventually withdrawing following a crash which put paid to her chances


With the door firmly opened the British pair seemed destined for glory.

A large pack entered the final transition together but - with her impending time penalty clearly on her mind - Stanford attacked in the first half of the 10 kilometre run and quickly accrued a lead far greater than 15 seconds.

She stopped for her penalty on the penultimate lap and, in a fashion more befitting of a motor racing pit stop, restarted dramatically with her lead firmly in tack as the roars of the crowd grew ever louder.

In the final stages this advantage grew only greater as Stanford finished in a magnificent 2 hours 1min 32 sec after a trademark celebratory saunter down the finishing strait with her Welsh flag.

Reid outsprinted Moffat for silver as Stimpson's fourth place was enough  to pull herself into second overall while Haug was rewarded for her persevearence with third overall despite being down in 35th in this final race. 

Non Stanford and Jodie Stimpson, along with Anne Haug of Germany, enjoy a well earned celebration on the podium after their first, second and third placed finishes in the world championship series



Stimpson admitted that she was "slightly disappointed" to miss out on the podium this time around, but described her overall result as "awesome" and thoroughly making up for her non-selection for the Olympics last year.

There was no doubt who the biggest star was however as a smiling Stanford revealed just how tough the race had been both physically and mentally.

"I couldn't feel my hands they were so cold and it felt like you were running on stumps for the first two laps of that run because you couldn't feel your feet," she said.

"The penalty was never ending - the guy said, 'I'll give you a countdown from five seconds' and I was looking at him and thinking when is this countdown coming, come on!

"But it did come, and when it did I was out of there as fast as I could.

"To stand on the podium with Jodie was fantastic and it really put the icing on the cake.

"I couldn't think of a better way to end it and now hopefully the boys can do the same tomorrow and it will be a perfect weekend for Great Britain."

Indeed with the men's race tomorrow due to include defending world champion Jonny Brownlee and his Olympic gold medal winning brother Alistair it is hard to envisage anything other than more celebrations here for the home crowd tomorrow afternoon.