For the first time, the comeback trails of Gwen Jorgensen and Katie Zaferes will intersect. Next weekend, two of the biggest names in triathlon will be racing against one another at the Americas Cup in St. Peters, Missouri.
Jorgensen announced her comeback late last year having retired in 2016 after winning gold at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. In the intervening years, she raced on the track and in the marathon, hitting a best time of 15:08 in the 5000m.
In this new phase of her career, her primary goal is to race for Team USA in the Mixed Team Relay at the Paris Olympics next year.
During her time away from the sport, Jorgensen also gave birth to two children. It is here that her path crosses over with Zaferes.
Previously the 2019 world champion, Zaferes won individual Olympic bronze in 2021 before stepping away from the sport for a maternity break. Like Jorgensen, Zaferes has started her comeback with the Paris Games growing on the horizon.
In 2023, both have raced twice already.
Jorgensen started her season with a stint in New Zealand. She first tackled the Oceania Cup in Taupo in which she won bronze. A month later, she finished 14th at the New Plymouth World Cup.
Meanwhile, Zaferes picked up where she left off by jumping straight back to the WTCS level. In her first race back she finished 37th at WTCS Abu Dhabi.
A little over a week later, she followed that up with a silver medal at the Americas Cup in Sarasota.
Both, then, already have a Continental Cup medal to their name this season.
In St. Peters, they will be racing each other for the first time since 2016 and, while it will not be a major aspect of the race for either of them, they will have a small opportunity to measure up against one another. With points towards their world rankings on the line, the race will also be an important staging post on their potential paths to Paris.
On the other hand, the women’s field contains a number of strong athletes and it is entirely possible that neither Jorgensen nor Zaferes makes the podium.
Canadian athlete Amelie Kretz is on paper one of the strongest athletes in the field. Moreover, her compatriot Dominika Jamnicky will arrive in St. Peters on the back of a win in La Paz.
In addition, Amber Schlebusch has already beaten Zaferes once this year in Sarasota. Zaferes might be able to get one back over Schlebusch but equally the South African athlete might arrive in even better form.
Then there is World Cup medallist Anahi Alvarez Corral. Alvarez has not had the best start to the season with disappointing races at WTCS Abu Dhabi and the New Plymouth World Cup. On her day, though, she is one of the fastest runners in the field so will need to be watched.
Finally, the British youngster Bethany Cook will be racing in lieu of the British Junior performance assessments. As the reigning British Junior champion, she will be starting her first international Senior race.
The men’s race in St. Peters will also be a competitive affair.
Tyler Smith of Bermuda will fancy his chances of a win, as will Charles Paquet. Paquet’s fellow Canadian Mathis Beaulieu will also be hoping for a repeat of his stunning victory in Sarasota from earlier in the year.
The bulk of the field, though, will consist of a large American cohort. Darr Smith is the pick of the Americans and will likely figure for the medals. The younger American names, though, might just be more intriguing.
Ka’eo Kruse is relative newcomer in the sport and has already won medals in Sarasota and La Habana this year. Then there is Carter Stuhlmacher who will be racing after impressing in the water at the North American Junior Championships. The bronze medallist from the Junior Championships, Sullivan Middaugh, will also be starting in St. Peters.
With a mix old youth and experience, both races promise to be a treat.
