Search
shop

‘2022 is a clean slate’: Ashleigh Gentle just glad to be racing again

After a challenging couple of years due to the global pandemic, Aussie star is looking forward to a busy season
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

Australian Ashleigh Gentle is just thankful she can now race internationally once again as she prepares to take on CLASH Miami on Friday.

The two-time Olympian spent the majority of the global pandemic at home in Australia, living under some of the most stringent COVID-19 restrictions in the world. Constraints which limited her ability both to travel and compete.

Advertisement

Starting afresh

“2022 is a clean slate,” explained the 31-year-old on Breakfast with Bob ahead of CLASH Miami.

“I’m just happy and grateful to be at Clash Endurance Miami and to be racing here on Friday – it feels like it has been a long time coming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQSW5MjebSE&t=930s

“There’s not been much racing at all, obviously the worldwide lockdown in 2020 and then we [with her partner Josh Amberger] decided to stay home – Australians were told basically not to travel.

“Even in 2021, I decided to prep for the Olympics at home because we still had really strict hotel quarantine for two weeks coming back from overseas, so if you were to go overseas you would have to commit to living there until the Games without being able to come home.”

“A lot of Australians missed a lot of racing unless they committed to an environment overseas, which some did.

“I wish I could have done more races – in hindsight maybe I could have – but in the reality the rules and everything was changing so rapidly. I think I made the best decisions with the information I had.”

Third wheel at Couples Championship

Gentle, along with her partner Amberger, were set to compete at the Couples Championship last weekend – but Josh was refused entry to the United States.

“It’s been quite the trip so far,” she joked, “but everyone at the Couples Champs were super welcoming as I was there by myself.

“I was still able to do a 5km run and a charity relay – they donated a lot of money that weekend so it was great to be a part of.

“I was very jealous watching, I wish Josh and I could have a chance to be competitive in that race, but Non [Stanford] and Aaron [Royle] did amazing.”

With the 2022 race schedule now getting into full swing in the U.S., Gentle has made the difficult decision to stay put after CLASH Miami, despite admitting she had booked her air ticket home in her mind multiple times.

“I think I’ll stay in the USA after the race. I think I’d like to do IRONMAN Oceanside 70.3 at the start of April – from what I’ve seen in previous years it’s really competitive.

“I’d also like to do the PTO Series, but I don’t have any points, I don’t know how I’ll qualify for it, but there are so many races – I’m just going to experience a whole lot and see what happens.”

Gentle, for now, sees CLASH Miami as the ideal start point in 2022.

“This year for me is all about experience, I want to be able to do courses like CLASH Endurance Miami, and then I want to go do some hilly races, flat races and half-distance.

“This is a cool distance for me too because it’s early season – everyone’s at different points in their prep – but it’s a perfect in-between distance of Olympic and half.”

Stuart Dick
Written by
Stuart Dick
Stuart is a graduate of the University of Sunderland with a masters' degree in Sports Journalism. He spends a lot of his time running and cycling around West Yorkshire, England.
Discover more
Challenge The Championship Marjolaine Pieree
How to qualify for Challenge The Championship – and why it should be on your triathlon bucket list
Cadomotus aero triathlon cycling shoes
Can your triathlon cycling shoes make you faster? How shoe choice could speed up your triathlon finish times
French Riviera T100 bike course Esterel
Is this the ultimate middle distance triathlon bike course? We rode the French Riviera T100 bike course and it’s EPIC
Ironman gear guide – everything you need to get to the finish line of a full distance triathlon
Challenge St. Pölten 2024 - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
Expert swim coach on the three most common swim mistakes age group triathletes make (and how to fix them!)
latest News
The PTO's CEO Sam Renouf
PTO reveal ambitions of matching Roth and Kona as French Riviera T100 triathlon course details unveiled
Sam Long St George 2024 photo credit Getty Images for IRONMAN
‘No No No’ – Sam Long says he felt ROBBED by swim cancellation at ‘69.1 Chattanooga’
IRONMAN World Championship 2024 Nice Age Group Swim Start
IRONMAN to review World Championship slot allocation model after fears raised for Age Group women
Jonny Brownlee / Jonathan Brownlee - Super League Triathlon London 2023
Did the Brownlee brothers nearly join pro cycling’s Team Sky after 2012 Olympic heroics?
Kristian Hogenhaug interviewed after The Championship 2025
Danish triathlon star highlights blistering bike split as key to The Championship success.
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...