Four years ago, Gwen Jorgensen’s gold medal dreams were crushed after suffering a flat tire in the bike portion of the triathlon at the 2012 Olympics in London. In the four years since, Jorgensen, a former track and field runner and swimmer for Wisconsin vowed for redemption, and in the process became the most dominant triathlete in the world.
On Saturday, the penultimate day of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Jorgensen finished what she started four years ago, winning Team USA’s first ever gold medal in the triathlon.
“Gwen was meticulous in her preparation for today’s competition,” UW Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Mick Byrne said. “She carried a huge burden as a favorite, and executed a flawless race plan, showing her confidence, maturity, and belief in herself. The state of Wisconsin should be proud of her as we are here at UW.”
Jorgensen finished the race, which consisted of a 1.5-kilometer swim, a 40-kilometer bike ride, and 10-kilometer run, in 1 hour, 56 minutes, and 16 seconds, 40 seconds faster than silver medalist Nicola Spirig of Norway.
Jorgensen, a native of Waukesha, Wis., is the first female UW track and field athlete to medal at the Olympics. She is the first track and field athlete to win gold since Arlie Schardt won gold in the 3000-meter team race in 1920. Jorgensen is the second Badger athlete to strike gold in the 2016 Olympics after swimmer Cierra Runge claimed first place on August 10 as a member of Team USA’s 800-meter freestyle relay.
