Triathlon: Gwen Jorgensen kickstarts Paris 2024 Olympic comeback with podium finish in Taupo

The 36-year-old marked her return with a podium finish at the 2023 Ocean Triathlon Cup Taupo in New Zealand fourth months since giving birth and over six years since her last triathlon race

2 minBy Chloe Merrell
Gwen Jorgensen
(2016 Getty Images)

United States Rio 2016 Olympic triathlon champion Gwen Jorgensen made an encouraging return to World Triathlon racing claiming bronze at the 2023 Ocean Triathlon Cup Taupo on Saturday (24 February).

The 36-year-old finished in third behind New Zealand Olympians Nicole Van her Kaay and Ainsley Thorpe who finished in first and second respectively.

Jorgensen’s podium finish marks her first step back to competitive racing since announcing last December that she would be returning to triathlon with the Paris 2024 Olympics as her target.

The American officially retired from triathlon back in 2017 as one of the most dominant athletes to ever race. After winning back-to-back ITU Triathlon World Championships in 2014 and 2015, she then peppered her sparkling resume with an Olympic title, and the USA’s first-ever triathlon gold, on Copacabana Beach in 2016.

Following the birth of her first son Stanley in 2017, Jorgensen then announced her departure from the sport revealing she wanted to focus on marathon running instead

It was not until she began swimming and cycling during her second pregnancy in 2022 that she contemplated making an Olympic comeback, spurred on by the prospect of the mixed relay format that debuted at Tokyo 2020.

The United States can qualify three women for the Olympics in Paris. Currently, the country has four athletes ranked in the world top 20 with Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist Katie Zaferes unranked as she returns from pregnancy.

Jorgensen will remain in New Zealand ahead of the World Triathlon Cup New Plymouth on 25 March where points will be available for Paris 2024.

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