Former AIS scholarship holder Emma Snowsill ended Australia's Olympic triathlon drought when she claimed gold in the women's race in Beijing.

The triple world champion ran a devastating road race to win gold in a time of 1hr 58:27min.

Snowsill defeated fierce rival Vanessa Fernandes of Portugal by 1.06 min with Australian and AIS scholarship holder Emma Moffatt taking bronze.

It’s the first time that Australia has won an Olympic gold medal in triathlon.

Snowsill missed selection in Athens four years ago after suffering a leg stress fracture during the trials.

However at Beijing she confirmed her standing as the world's greatest female triathlete.

AIS Director Professor Peter Fricker paid tribute to both athlete’s persistence and determination.

'This is an outstanding result for both Australian athletes and for the AIS triathlon program,' Professor Fricker said.

'To win a gold and silver medal in the one final is a real testament to both athletes personal commitment to their sport.’

Moffatt’s coach, Shaun Stephens, paid tribute to the 23-year-old's tremendous achievement.

'To win an Olympic Games bronze medal takes hours and hours of training and perseverance.' Stephens said.

'Emma has worked really hard to achieve this great result for Australia.'

The Australian Institute of Sport was established in 1981, and has consistently contributed to Australia’s outstanding sporting performance on the world stage.

The Australian Olympic team in Beijing consists of 433 athletes. Of these, there are 262 current or former AIS athletes.

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC), on behalf of the Australian Government, invests in and supports our Olympians and Paralympians in many ways.

In addition to the $18.1 million the ASC provided to the AIS in 2007/08, the ASC also funded the athletes’ sports to the tune of $53.4 million in 2007/08.

Furthermore, the ASC provided direct funding totalling $4.3 million to more than 400 athletes in 2007/08 — vital support for athletes in their preparation for sporting success. This represents a total Australian government investment of $75.8 million in 2007/08 for our Olympians and Paralympians. The ASC is committed to providing all Australians with the best opportunity possible to participate in sport.