Waukesha native Jorgensen sets record for World Triathlon Series race wins
Gwen Jorgensen found a gear no one else had and pulled away to a historic victory in a World Triathlon Series race Saturday in Chicago.
A 66-second deficit at the final changeover proved to be no problem for Jorgensen, who reeled in the leaders during the 10-kilometer run and become the first woman to claim six World Triathlon Series titles.
The 28-year-old Jorgensen, a Waukesha native who lives in St. Paul, Minn., won her third consecutive race and secured the national championship with an outstanding performance in Grant Park.
Jorgensen, ranked No. 1 in the world, completed the 1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike and 10K run in 1 hour 55 minutes 33 seconds.
Helen Jenkins of Great Britain, the 2011 world champion, finished second in 1:55:53 and Juri Ide of Japan was third in 1:56:00.
Going into the race, Jorgensen was tied with Emma Moffatt of Australia and Paula Findlay of Canada with five WTS victories. She said a vocal crowd, including numerous friends and family members, helped push her on a hot day.
"The crowd was incredible," Jorgensen said in a story at www.usatriathlon.org. "I don't think I've ever been affected by cheers that loud. They gave me chills throughout my entire body."
After the swim, Jorgensen fell off the lead group early in the bike leg and sat comfortably in the chase group. At the final changeover, she trailed by 66 seconds, with Jenkins, Ide and Kirsten Sweetland of Canada out in front.
Jorgensen, a standout runner at the University of Wisconsin, cut the gap in half at the 5K mark, moving through the field and passing most of the front group.
She continued to reel in the leaders with every foot stroke, joined a faltering Jenkins and Ide at the front and steadily pulled away.
In May, Jorgensen won WTS races in Yokohama, Japan, and London.
"(The record) is not something I focus on," she said. "I just wanted to come out here and do the best I could. Looking back on this race I'm still going to have to work on my swim and my bike, but I'm thrilled to race on home soil."
The men's race is set for 4 p.m. Sunday.
