MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia's Emma Snowsill powered away on the final run leg to win the gold medal in the women's triathlon at the 18th Commonwealth Games on Saturday.

The world number two fought off a strong challenge from New Zealanders, with Sam Warriner winning silver. Andrea Hewitt outsprinted fellow Kiwi Debbie Tanner to take bronze on the line.

Snowsill, the 2003 and 2005 world champion, kept in touch with the leaders during the 1.5 km swim and 40 km bike legs, but came into her own as she surged to the front about a third of the way into the closing 10 km run along Melbourne's foreshore.

"I honestly can't believe it, it's still sinking in," the 24-year-old Snowsill told Australian television.

Australia had never won a women's triathlon gold medal at the Commonwealth Games or Olympics and an emotional Snowsill stopped to kiss her father and drape an Australian flag over her shoulders before crossing the finish line.

Featured Boigraphy: Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova saw the daylight on April 19th, 1987 in Nyagan, a town in the Siberian region of Russia. In 1989 her family moves to the Black Sea when she is just 4, which introduces many changes into her life. There she meets the father of the tennis champion Evgenny Kafelnikov, who provides her with her first tennis racket. Since this moment on she rushes into the tennis world, turning this sport into her greatest passion. Two years later Maria meets another champion - Martina Navratilova, who is amazed that a 6-year-old girl is so talented. Then the tennis legend tries to convince the father of the young prospective star to enroll Maria in the world-famous Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida. Upon getting the same advice from the chief trainer of the national team, her father Yuri embarks on a trip to America, without knowing a word in English and with less than $1,000 in his pocket. Then Maria is of the tender age of 7. Fortunately, the IMG sports company decides to sponsor Maria with $35,000 a year, which is enough for her stay at the Bollettieri Academy. With no knowledge of English, she is very shy and unsociable. When turning 9, Maria is sent to a regular school, where she has to live with two older than her girls. Her mother, however, stays in Russia at that time, because she is refused to get a visa. It is no sooner than two years later that Maria's mother reaches Florida. So, in this important period of her life Maria is deprived of the cares of her mother. She has to meet the challenges of life in the company of her father only. These challenges lead to the official start of her tennis career in 2001. The same year she wins 25 matches and loses 3 only. Maria sweeps away three tittles in Sacramento, Hilton Head and Pilsen in the Czech Republic. The following season Sharapova marks even greater results - 26 victories and 3 losses and again three 3 titles: Vancouver, Peachtree and Gunma in Japan. The same year she plays matches in a professional tournament. The talented young tennis star wins a match and loses two, one of which is against Monica Seles. Then she occupies the 186the position in the WTA charts. In 2003 Sharapova is already a participant in the great league. She joins the WTA Tour. The same season Maria has 34 victories and 11 insignificant losses. She also wins two professional titles: Quebec City and the Japan Open. Along with Tamarine Tanasugarn, Maria wins two double titles: Luxembourg and the Japan Open. In 2004 Maria beats Serena Williams, thus astonishing the public. This remarkable victory makes her the first Russian to win a Wimbledon singles title and the third-youngest women's champion in history.