Search
shop

Gwen Jorgensen on big DQ call in Chile: “This is not the way that you want to win a race.”

Former Olympic champion with her reaction to a day of high drama in Chile.
News Director
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

Gwen Jorgensen said she decided to trust herself rather than follow the four leaders when they took what proved a race-ending route over the finish line midway through the run at World Triathlon Cup Vina del Mar in Chile on Sunday.

Katie Zaferes, Tereza Zimovjanova, Anna Godoy and Mathilde Gautier would go on to finish first, second, fourth and fifth respectively but it was Jorgensen – who charged up to third on the final lap – who was awarded the win when all four were disqualified due to taking the wrong turn.

Advertisement

‘We all knew the course and the map’

Vina del Mar was Jorgensen’s fourth World Cup victory of a season where she has podiumed in six of her seven World Cups on her return to the sport.

But the 2016 Rio Olympics champion told World Triathlon afterwards: “This is not the way that you want to win a race, I would have much rather raced to the line on a fair competition.

“But we all knew the course and the map.

When I saw them going straight I was very confused, I didn’t know why they were going that way and didn’t know what to do, but I decided to trust myself.

“I told myself that I know the course and I just should follow the course, and I took a longer line. It is a really unfortunate situation and we are all sad about it.”

Giving it her all

Equally though there were plenty more positives for Jorgensen to take from her own performance as she bids to make the US Olympics team for Paris next year.

She added: “I had a good race. My swim was almost there. I’m coming from a lot of racing and I feel like I haven’t had the chance of training, I’m always either racing, recovering or traveling, with so many trips that I had to do to get points.

“But I gave everything I had until the end, and I am proud of that.”

It took three hours for the medal ceremony to take place in Chile, with original sixth Gina Sereno and seventh Vicky Holland joining Jorgensen on the podium.

Gina Sereno Gwen Jorgensen Vicky Holland World Triathlon Cup Vina del Mer podium 2023Gina Sereno Gwen Jorgensen Vicky Holland World Triathlon Cup Vina del Mer podium 2023
[Photo credit: World Triathlon / Wagner Araujo]

‘My heart goes out to those penalised’

Course knowledge was important for runner-up Sereno, who also got silver in Vina del Mar last year, and who was second in the Pan American Games Mixed Relay over the route a week before.

Talking about the incident, Sereno said: “We heard people yelling at us ‘izquierda, izquierda’ – left, in Spanish – and I was familiar with the course, because I had done it last week and also last year. But these type of things are mentioned usually in the race briefing.

“My heart goes to those who are being penalised for this, because they were at the front, they were dominating the race and we don’t want to be on the podium because of this but at the same time we all have to follow the rules.”

Jonathan Turner
Written by
Jonathan Turner
Jonathan Turner is News Director for both TRI247 and RUN247, and is accustomed to big-name interviews, breaking news stories and providing unrivalled coverage for endurance sports.  
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...