Rio 2016 triathlon gold medallist Gwen Jorgensen: "I'm having a ton of fun whereas last time was just so rigid"
The American mother of two is back on the triathlon circuit with Paris 2024 in mind, but despite a seemingly impossible task, the two-time world champion is enjoying the ride more than ever.
Gwen Jorgensen's new coach had plenty to say when the Rio Olympic triathlon champion suffered a setback in her bid to make the USA team for Paris 2024, when her first World Triathlon Championship Series race back in seven years didn't go to plan.
The 37-year-old was lapped on the bike following a poor swim in Cagliari, Italy in May, with Jorgensen explaining that she felt sad after the race because she had "worked so hard and performed less than what I trained for".
Her coach's advice was grounding.
“That’s okay, you have lots of medals.”
The aforementioned coach is Jorgensen's five-year-old son Stanley, who will no doubt have had additional words of wisdom for his mother as she heads to Germany for the Mixed Relay World Championships that take place as part of the World Triathlon Sprint and Relay Championships taking place in Hamburg from 13-16 July.
Incorporating the Elite Men’s and Women’s Super-Sprint World Championship Finals on Saturday 15 July and the Elite Mixed Relay World Championships on Sunday 16 July, the latter sees four Paris quota spots available for the winning team – two for men and two for women – providing their NOC have not already qualified for the Games. Only France as hosts, and GB as second-place finishers behind France at last year’s Mixed Relay World Championships in Montreal have secured quotas so far.
Should Team USA qualify the quota spots, Jorgensen is aiming to be one of those selected.
She certainly has the pedigree.
An icon of the sport, Jorgensen claimed Olympic gold at Rio 2016 40 seconds ahead of her nearest rival, and two world titles in 2014 and 2015 that included 12 consecutive series wins across the two seasons.
So Stanley's not wrong about the medals.
But having taken time out of the sport for a brief foray into marathon running, in which qualification at Tokyo 2020 proved elusive, the birth of her second son, George in October, and the strength-in-depth of the American team, Jorgensen is under no illusion the journey will be "an uphill battle".
Gwen Jorgensen's slow and steady triathlon return
It was in 2017, months after giving birth to Stanley, that Jorgensen announced she was giving up triathlon to pursue a spot in the marathon at Tokyo 2020, in 2021. But an injury-affected period curtailed qualification, and a third Olympic Games – Jorgensen's first Olympics was London 2012, when a flat tyre scuppered any chance of a podium – was off the cards.
After baby George arrived in October 2022, Jorgensen took careful steps to return to fitness, avoiding goals that would encourage her in-built over-exuberance in achieving said goals.
By December 2022, however, Jorgensen felt ready to announce her plan – a comeback to the USA triathlon team for a shot at Paris 2024.
"I am inspired by the mixed-team relay’s silver medal in Tokyo and aspire to contribute to that team in 2024. I believe Team USA can be one step higher in Paris! This return is about more than just me. As a mom of two and long-time supporter of USA Triathlon, I strive to set an example that motivates and inspires my family, moms everywhere, and team USA."
By nature, triathletes love a challenge, to test themselves, but Jorgensen recognises this new goal is quite the leap.
With only a maximum of three places for each nation per gender in triathlon at Paris 2024, Jorgensen currently sits eighth in the Olympic qualification rankings... among US athletes alone.
Having missed the 2022 World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) that offers Olympic qualification points, and only competed in one WTCS event in 2023 so far, Jorgensen recognises she's almost two years behind on points, with just one year to go to Paris 2024.
"It's an uphill battle for me for sure," Jorgensen told World Triathlon in an interview in April, "And that's something that's really exciting as well. I think I'm someone who thrives in challenging situations and I'm going to be bold in all of this and I think the biggest thing is performance talks."
Jorgensen also has a new weapon in her armoury that she didn't have at the end of her first triathlon career – fun.
Running with a smile
"I'm having a ton of fun," said Jorgensen ahead of a race in New Zealand in April, "whereas last time was just so rigid and so super-focused and if one thing didn't go right it wasn't enjoyable, and this time around, I'm enjoying every piece of it.
"Even being back here in Plymouth, I came back and thought, wow I don't remember this being so beautiful, and this being so fun and being able to do this adventure. And I think it's really allowed me this time to appreciate it knowing I'm older and knowing I don't have many years left is really letting me make every opportunity count."
Enjoying that journey with her family as a support tribe – including indispensable husband and assistant coach, Patrick Lemieux, a chef and former pro cyclist himself, and co-assistant coach George who keeps an eye on mum's training when the head coach is at school – is adding to the pleasure of her return.
In February, after Jorgensen came third at the Taupo Oceania Cup in New Zealand, she posted on Instagram: "I heard a quote earlier this week, 'It’s hard to beat someone having fun.' I’m having so much fun that although I got beat, I felt like a winner.
"Hard to beat a podium in your first race back after 2 kids, a handful of years & career change!"
Quite.
World Triathlon Sprint and Relay Championships 2023 schedule
Friday 14 July
08:00: Elite - Men Super Sprint (qualifiers)
10:00: Elite - Women Super Sprint (qualifiers)
19:00 - Elite - Men/Women Super Sprint (repechage)
Saturday 15 July
19:40 - Elite Men/Women Super Sprint World Championships finals
Sunday 16 July
14:15 - Elite - Mixed Relay World Championships
How to watch the World Triathlon Sprint and Relay Championships 2023
The World Triathlon Championship Series elite races are streamed live and on-demand at triathlonlive.tv