Bermuda's Clarence Saunders produced a career best leap of 2.36 metres to win the high jump in Auckland 28 years ago in what remains a Games record.

Duffy produced a similarly world-class display today.

The 30-year-old two-time world champion soon moved into second place behind only her friend and rival Jessica Learmonth of England in the 750 metres swim which opened a race taking place in windy but cool conditions.

Duffy and Learmonth then worked together to press home their advantage over the 20 kilometres cycle and had a virtually unassailable lead by the time they began the 5km run. 

Duffy, a hugely improved runner, attacked on the first of two laps and a gap swiftly opened.

The Bermudan pressed clear before slowing to grab a national flag to cross the line in 56min 30sec.

"I came in the favourite so that adds its own pressure," she said afterwards.

"For me it was personal, I wanted to do well.

"It's gonna take a while to soak in - it's a very cool feeling."

A visibly tired Learmonth crossed 43 seconds behind in second place.

Canada's Joanna Brown won a nine-way battle for third after a blistering run-leg to cross just five seconds further back.

Her performance was especially remarkable considering she fractured her left shoulder at a World Triathlon Series race in Abu Dhabi on March 2.

England's Olympic bronze medallist Vicky Holland missed out on a repeat of the third place finish she secured at Glasgow 2014 as she settled for fourth.

Action took place over the shorter sprint distance rather than the full Olympic one to avoid tiring athletes too much before the mixed relay on Saturday (April 7).

Duffy will lead Bermuda's first ever mixed relay team then and will also race in cross-country mountain biking at these Games.

A two-hour delayed followed the women's race and this proved enough time for conditions to change as torrential rain suddenly poured down.

English brothers Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, defending gold and silver medallists, are used to these conditions when they train in Yorkshire and seemed likely to prosper.

They duly emerged in the lead out of the swim but were unable to shake off Schoeman, the Olympic bronze medallist.

A group of six remained clear at the end of the bike leg with the favoured trio joined by Australia's Matthew Hauser, New Zealand's Tayler Reid and Marc Austin of Scotland.

They were blown apart in the opening kilometre of the run, however, as Schoeman broke clear and Alistair Brownlee dropped off the pace.

Jonathan Brownlee was briefly in second place but then too dropped back at the beginning of the second lap.

Schoeman eventually triumphed in 52:31 to win by seven seconds over fast finishing Australian Jacob Birtwhistle, who clocked a superb 14:36 5km running split to win the first home medal of the Games.

Austin held on the for third place in 52:44, two seconds clear of Hauser, to cap a breakthrough performance.

Jonathan Brownlee finished seventh with brother Alistair 10th.