US Olympic gold medalist Gwen Jorgensen is determined to ‘fight through the heartbreak’ as she continues to juggle her return to international competition with the task of raising a family.
The 39-year-old US superstar, who claimed gold at Rio in 2016, had arrived at WTCS Alghero full of hope after an impressive fourth-placed finish in Yokohama last month – but her dreams were left shattered by a flat tyre.
Having returned to triathlon in 2023, after taking time out to have sons George and Stanley, Jorgensen admits life back on the road is proving to be heartbreakingly difficult as she spends extended periods of time away from her children.
Failure to finish in Alghero represented the latest blow in a long run of bad luck for the two-time World Champion in Sardinia. A sequence that, despite all her troubles, she is keen to put right one day.
More misery in Sardinia
Writing on her Instagram account, she said: “Sardinia and I haven’t quite figured each other out yet. In 2023, I came to Sardinia (Cagliari) for my first WTCS since 2016. My family got COVID, George wasn’t sleeping, I got bitten by a dog, and I got lapped out.
“In 2024, I was on the start list, until I wasn’t. And this year? A puncture ended my race before it really began. Right now, I’m sad. I feel deflated. I missed a week with my boys for a race I couldn’t finish. George asked me every day where I was, and that stings more than any result ever could.
“But if the roles were reversed, if my kids had the chance to go after something they worked hard for, I’d want them to take it. That’s why I showed up. Because we make decisions based on what we know, not what might happen.
“These moments test you. They hurt. But they also shape you. Sardinia, I hope I get another shot, because I like a challenge, and I believe in fighting through heartbreak.❤️🩹”
Next up Hamburg
Speaking on her YouTube VLOG last month, Gwen had spoken of her determination to once again feel the thrill of a podium finish, making it clear that even that fourth in Yokohama had not satisfied her thirst for more success.
She will be hoping for better luck when the World Triathlon Championship Series moves onto Hamburg, with the elite women due to compete on Saturday July 12.
Last weekend’s race in Sardinia was won by Cassandre Beaugrand of France, with Italian Bianca Seregni in second and British athlete Olivia Mathias coming in third.
The victory was particularly sweet for Beaugrand, who had crashed out of Yokohama two weeks earlier, for the kind of comeback-style gold medal that Jorgensen is clearly still desperate for.
