Gwen Jorgensen Captures Second Straight World Title in Chicago

CHICAGO — 2016 U.S. Olympic qualifier Gwen Jorgensen broke away from the field in the final 2.5 kilometers of the 2015 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Chicago on Friday to claim her second straight world title and her 12th consecutive win on the ITU World Triathlon Series.
Jorgensen (St. Paul, Minn.) posted a final time of 1 hour, 55 minutes, 36 seconds to top the podium in the race and win the 2015 series World Championships with a total of 5,200 points. Great Britain’s Non Stanford finished second in 1:56:05, and her compatriot Vicky Holland was third in 1:56:20. In the Columbia Threadneedle ITU World Triathlon Series Rankings, New Zealand’s Andrea Hewitt finished second overall after finishing fourth on the day, ending the season with 4,081 points for the runner-up spot. Sarah True, who finished seventh today, finished third in the series with 4,074 points, for her third career ITU World Championships medal. She was also on the series podium in 2011 and 2014.
Jorgensen becomes the first U.S. woman to win back-to-back triathlon world championships and the second U.S. woman to win two career titles, placing her in the company of Hall-of-Famer Karen Smyers.
“This is just crazy,” Jorgensen said. “I never thought I would be unbeaten this season. To be able to perform on so many different days when I am not feeling well, hilly courses, it just doesn’t seem real,” said Jorgensen.
Jorgensen was part of a 29-woman lead pack on the bike. She exited T2 in near the middle of the pack but quickly made her way to the front on the run, where Stanford and Holland had set a blistering pace, quickly separating themselves from the rest of the field. The threesome ran together for three laps with Stanford pushing the pace, Jorgensen covering every move and Holland holding on. Jorgensen’s surge with 2.5k to go was too much for the Brits, who met their country’s Olympic qualifying standards by placing on the podium at the Grand Final and last month at the Rio Test Event.
“When we were running it was a bit cagey out there,” Holland said. “Non was setting the pace, but we knew Gwen had an extra gear so we were just waiting for her to go. There’s not much you can do about that level of a kick, but we have a year to train for that now.”
Jorgensen also extends her win streak to 12 consecutive WTS titles, and now has 15 career victories in the series. With the seven she won throughout the 2015 season, she breaks the record she set last year (six) for number of WTS medals won by any woman in a season.
True, also a 2016 U.S. Olympic qualifier, earned her third world championships podium with bronze. Only two-time Olympian Laura Bennett holds more world championships medals with four. Compatriot Katie Zaferes (Hampstead, Md.) dropped from second to fifth in the series standings after finishing 24th on Friday. Jorgensen and True combined to put two U.S. women on the podium for the second straight year in the history of the World Triathlon Series, which replaced the season-ending ITU World Championship in 2009. In 2014, Jorgensen and True finished the season as the No. 1 and No. 2 world-ranked athletes.
“Maybe you just race enough years it happens. It shows that I’ve learned how to stay consistent over the course of a season and that’s ultimately what gets you on the podium for the series,” True said. “It was an OK race today; definitely some room for improvement. I’m prouder of the fact that I was able to stay consistent over the course of the season.”
Action from the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Chicago concludes tomorrow with the elite men’s race, as well as age-group ITU Standard Triathlon World Championships. The week also featured top talent from age-groupers in the Sprint World Championships, as well as juniors, under-23 athletes, paratriathletes and aquathlon athletes competing for world titles at Grant Park. For complete coverage of the event, visit usatriathlon.org.

2015 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Chicago: Elite Women — Click here for complete results

1,500m swim, 38.33k bike, 10k run
1. Gwen Jorgensen (St. Paul, Minn.), 1:55:36
2. Non Stanford (GBR), 1:56:05
3. Vicky Holland (GBR),1:56:20

U.S. Finishers

7. Sarah True (Hanover, N.H.), 1:57:19

24. Katie Zaferes (Hampstead, Md.), 1:59:25

32. Kirsten Kasper (North Andover, Mass.), 2:00:34

33. Lindsey Jerdonek (Brecksville, Ohio), 2:00:36

49. Taylor Spivey (Redondo Beach, Calif.), 02:03:13

51. Renee Tomlin (Ocean City, N..J.), 02:03:33

67. Erin Jones (Hood River, Ore.), 02:07:08

About USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 races and connects with nearly 500,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work with athletes, coaches, and race directors on the grassroots level, USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of the ITU and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).