The weekend of April 25-26 promises to be a memorable one for 2016 Olympic champion Gwen Jorgensen.

It will see her turn 40 and take part in WTCS Samarkand – which has clearly been circled in her diary for the upcoming campaign.

The American star has worked her way back up the rankings after returning to the sport three years ago but in that spell a fourth place is so far the best she has achieved in a World Triathlon Championship Series race, the highest tier of the sport.

Podium progression

Setting out her targets in her latest YouTube video, which is embedded below, she says: “I got sixth two years ago at a WTCS, I got fourth last year – I think a podium would be a good goal but I really want to win.

“So that’s my goal and I also seem to set a really high bar for myself. So that’s what I’m focussing on and the series overall.

“I’m really excited to go to Uzbekistan this year. It’s on my 40th birthday and I’ve never been there before.”

‘In a good place’

And while she jokes 40 is “really old”, this year also sees the start of the Olympic qualifying process for Los Angeles 2028 and what would be a home Games for Jorgensen, who has said she wants “to have another three good years” in the sport.

Last year’s progress was stalled by surgery for Haglund’s deformity but that was a success and Jorgensen actually returned to action in December in Dubai to support a new women-only event for World Triathlon.

Speaking in the latest video she confirmed things have gone well since then, explaining: “I’m consistently building up that Achilles strength and feel like I’m in a good place and going in the right direction. I’ve been doing some longer runs and I actually did my first run workout – so progressing.”

Her training groups are working out well too and there’s the potential for WTCS action before Samarkand, with Abu Dhabi kicking the season off in late March.