Search
shop

Road to Paris 2024: How pregnancy inspired Olympic champion Gwen Jorgensen to make triathlon return

Gwen Jorgensen reveals why her pregnancy proved to be a catalyst for her return to racing.
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Having retired from the sport after winning an Olympic gold medal in 2016, it seemed like it would take something big to bring American Gwen Jorgensen back to triathlon.

During her time away, she pursued her passion for athletics as a professional runner for the Nike Bowerman Track Club and gave birth to her two children, Stanley and George.

After recently speaking with Gwen, she shared how it was during her pregnancy with George that she started to think about returning to triathlon. We spoke about her swim journey and route back to the sport – you can watch the full interview at the bottom of this article.

“I’m really enjoying this”

Having retired from the sport after falling out of love with swimming, Jorgensen said despite previous suggestions of a comeback, it wasn’t until she fell pregnant for the second time and couldn’t run that she gave the idea some serious thought.

Gwen Jorgensen Olympic Triathlon Rio 2016
Gwen Jorgensen of the United States celebrates winning triathlon gold at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio (World Triathlon).

“A comeback is something Patrick [her husband] would bring up occasionally. At first, I just very quickly said, ‘No! Absolutely not’. But as time passed and I got pregnant with George [her second child], I couldn’t run much at the time, so I started to swim again. 

“I was like, wow, I thought I didn’t like swimming, but I’m really enjoying this! I want to swim again! That’s how it started. I had stopped the sport because I wasn’t enjoying swimming. But when I was pregnant, I started to enjoy it. And then I thought, maybe Paris 2024 is something that I could try for.”

18 months on from that decision, Jorgensen is now one of the favourites to qualify for Team USA alongside Taylor Knibb, with the crucial Olympic qualification period coming up over the next few months ahead of the Games.

Mark Allen
Written by
Mark Allen
Mark Allen has to be in any conversation about the greatest triathlete of all time. A six-time IRONMAN World Champion, he won every other title that mattered in the sport and dominated like few others
Discover more
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumTriathlon’s mid-season report card: Tim Don on who’s raising the bar this triathlon race season
TRI-FIT VANGUARD tri suit review
The entry-level tri suit with a serious amount of performance for the price point – TRI-FIT VANGUARD review
Hayden Wilde bike supertri Boston 2024 photo credit supertri
Premium10 ways to make your road bike faster and more aero for triathlons
Kristian Blummenfelt photo credit: PTO Canadian Open
PremiumIs your gut health impacting your performance? The untapped potential of good gut health for triathletes
Laura Philipp and Kat Matthews on the run at the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship
PremiumHas triathlon reached peak performance? Tri experts and legends on how much faster triathletes could get
latest News
Anne Haug wins Challenge Roth 2024 [Photo credit: Simon Fischer | Challenge Roth]
Triathlon legend and current world record holder Anne Haug announces her retirement
Lovseth Perterer Sanchez IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025
Rising Norwegian star underlines Kona claims and says that’s now the big goal
Vincent Luis San Francisco 49ers tri suit 2025
Short-course triathlon great Vincent Luis is OUT of T100 London
Marquardt Hogenhaug Foley IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025
‘World Championship level’ – Marquardt says bike bar was raised at Lake Placid
Solveig Lovseth wins IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025
IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025 women’s results: Løvseth shows she’s the real deal and next Norwegian superstar
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

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

100+ new articles/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...