Gwen Jorgensen facts for kids
Jorgensen following her win at the 2013 ITU World Triathlon Series race in Stockholm.
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Gwen Rosemary Jorgensen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | American | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | April 25, 1986 Waukesha, Wisconsin |
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| Residence | Portland, Oregon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 130 lb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Triathlon (2010 - 2017) Marathon (2017 - 2021) |
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| Turned pro | 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Bobby McGee | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | Track and Field mile: 4:39.43 i |
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Medal record
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Gwen Rosemary Jorgensen (born April 25, 1986) is an amazing American athlete. She is known for being a professional triathlete and a distance runner. Gwen became the world champion in triathlon in both 2014 and 2015. She was also named the top female athlete by USA Triathlon in 2013 and 2014. Gwen was part of the US Olympic team in 2012. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, she made history by winning the first-ever triathlon gold medal for the USA. Her winning time was 1 hour, 56 minutes, and 16 seconds.
Contents
Her Amazing Journey
From College Athlete to Triathlon Star
Gwen Jorgensen went to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. There, she was a talented swimmer and runner for the Badgers sports teams. After college, she earned a master's degree in accounting. She even passed a big test to become a certified public accountant (CPA). She started working as a tax accountant for a company called Ernst & Young.
But her path soon changed! USA Triathlon was looking for former college swimmers and runners. They thought these athletes might be great at triathlon, a sport that combines swimming, biking, and running. They encouraged Gwen to give it a try. In 2010, she won a silver medal at the World University Triathlon Championships in Spain. Because of this, she was named USA Triathlon's Rookie of the Year.
Olympic Dreams and Gold
In 2011, Gwen finished second at a big race in London. This amazing result earned her a spot on the 2012 US Olympic triathlon team. However, during the London Olympics, she had some bad luck. Her bike tire went flat during the race, and she ended up finishing in 38th place.
Gwen didn't give up! In 2014, she achieved something incredible. She won four major World Triathlon Series races in a row. No other female triathlete had ever done that before! Her winning streak continued into 2015, reaching an astonishing 13 consecutive wins. This amazing run finally ended in 2016 when another athlete, Helen Jenkins, beat her in Australia.
The highlight of her triathlon career came at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. Gwen won the gold medal in triathlon. After her Olympic victory, she decided to try a different challenge. She ran in the New York City Marathon and finished 14th.
A New Challenge: Running
In January 2017, Gwen announced that she and her husband were going to have a baby. Their son, Stanley, was born in August 2017.
In November 2017, Gwen shared big news. She decided to stop competing in triathlon. Her new goal was to focus on marathon running. She hoped to win an Olympic gold medal in the marathon at the Tokyo 2020 games. However, she faced some challenges with injuries and had heel surgery.
Because of her injuries, Gwen changed her plan in December 2019. She decided to try to qualify for the Olympics in track events instead. She focused on the 5,000-meter or 10,000-meter races. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to qualify for the Olympics in these events.
Family Support and Comeback
In October 2019, Gwen's mother and sister wrote a book about her journey. It's called Go, Gwen, Go: A Family’s Journey to Olympic Gold. The book tells the story of how Gwen went from being an accountant to an Olympic champion. It also shares her family's experiences supporting an Olympian.
Gwen returned to the ITU World Triathlon Series in 2023. She tried to qualify for the US team for the 2024 Olympics triathlon. Even though she didn't make the team, she was invited to be an alternate.
See also
In Spanish: Gwen Jorgensen para niños
