Gwen Jorgensen, 2016 Olympic triathlon champion, announced on December 13 that she would return to triathlons after five years dedicated solely to running.
“There are so many changes this time,” Jorgensen said in a video announcement.
For one, she is now a mother of two: Stanley and George. Jorgensen and her husband hired an au pair to assist with childcare. Secondly, she won’t be training abroad as she previously had, in order to be near her son’s school. And thirdly, she aims to race the triathlon team mixed relay, an event that made its debut at the 2020 Olympics. Teams consist of two men and two women who each swim 300 meters, cycle for 6800 meters, and run for 2,000 meters.
“I was super inspired at Tokyo watching team U.S.A. get the silver medal in the team relay, so that is what is really motivating me to come back to triathlon,” Jorgensen said.
With more variables in her life, Jorgensen plans to focus on being as consistent as possible: “Stanley could get sick, or George could have a bad night sleep. So, we can’t really be 10 out of 10 and pushing the line too much, cause that 10 out of 10 could quickly become an 11 out of 10, which quickly becomes an injury.”
Jorgensen is excited to “dive in and get it started,” as the Olympic qualifying window is rapidly shrinking. While she doesn’t have her next race lined up yet, she needs to finish top-two or in the top 15 percent of her age group at a USA Triathlon-sanctioned event to earn a spot on the starting line at the USA Triathlon Nationals in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from August 4 to August 6, 2023.
Jorgensen retired from triathlon in 2017 to focus on distance running, joining the Bowerman Track Club. In the past five years, Jorgensen finished top-10 at two USATF Outdoor Championships and ran personal bests of 15:08.28 in the 5,000-meters, 31:55.68 in the 10,000 meters, 1:10:58 in the half marathon, and 2:36:23 in the marathon.
“This comeback is about way more than myself,” Jorgensen said. “I’m really motivated in returning to not only inspire my family, but also USA Triathlon.”
Chris Hatler is a writer and editor based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but before joining Runner’s World and Bicycling, he was a pro runner for Diadora, qualifying for multiple U.S. Championships in the 1500 meters. At his alma mater the University of Pennsylvania, Chris was a multiple-time Ivy League conference champion and sub-4 minute miler.
