WORLD TRIATHLON Gwen Jorgensen hungry for success

 

Wearing the number one is USA’s Gwen Jorgensen, with her quest for success still very much fired up after strong showings at WTCS Weihai and the Championship Finals Torremolinos. With only two races since Hamburg and a subsequent collarbone fracture suffered in training, the Rio 2016 champion will be ready to show her race-power once again in the sprint hit out, only her second over the distance this season.

Anyone thinking that Jorgensen has been quiet across 2024 compared to last season would do well to remember her 2023 World Cup dominance, scoring four wins and seven consecutive podiums in under 12 months. Coming in hot, however, is Belgium’s Jolien Vermeylen, winner of her first World Cup in Tongyeong just 10 days ago, and having been knocking on victory’s door repeatedly the past two years.

Slim bike-break potential on stop-start course

It was a bike breakaway with Sian Rainsley that helped Vermeylen seal the deal in Korea, something we could see the Brit try again on Saturday, especially given her teammate Jessica Fullagar’s formidable bike power. If Yuko Takahashi can also get in that mix, a first home World Cup gold would represent a huge achievement at the end of a tough year for the Asian Champion, who has five top 10s to date here, but no podiums to her name in Miyazaki.

Alissa Konig will be backing herself for a medal return after the Swiss talent’s first taste of a World Cup podium in Rome a month ago, a prize USA’s Erika Ackerlund would love to land for the first time if she can dig in on the run.

Italy’s Beatrice Mallozzi and Hungary’s Marta Kropko are two rising talents currently making their mark at the World Cup level, while GB’s Katie Rodda, Germany’s Lara Thekla Ungewickell and USA’s Micehelle Magnani make their debuts.

For the full start list, click here. https://triathlon.org/events/start_list/2024_world_triathlon_cup_miyazaki/635372