Gwen Jorgensen leaves BTC, returns to the marathon
The 2016 Olympic triathlon gold medalist explained that a mix of career and family goals led to the decision
After four years with the Bowerman Track Club, Gwen Jorgensen has announced she is leaving the group to be coached by Bobby McGee, and returning to the marathon. The 2016 Olympic triathlon gold medallist announced her departure in a video uploaded to her YouTube Channel.
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Jorgenson has worked with McGee in a variety of capacities over the last decade. In an Instagram post, she explained he “knows how I operate and I understand his approach.” She said her training will be different from what it’s been in the past, as she’ll no longer be with a group. Instead, McGee will be personalizing her training, focusing on technique and mental skills, something she says is vital to success in the marathon.
In her video, Jorgensen says she’s excited about switching to the marathon and says she knows she’s got more in the tank at the distance. “I’ve had two marathons that just haven’t proven I can do it,” she said. “I want to just have a marathon, that’s like, OK, I can run this.”
Career goals were not the only reason for the change, and she added family goals were also an influential factor. She and her husband, Patrick Lemieux, are looking for a new place to live and are thinking of having more children. Lemieux says Bend, Ore., Boulder, Colo., and Bentonville, Ark. are currently on their shortlist.
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Jorgensen explained the hardest part of leaving BTC was saying goodbye to her coach and teammates, who have become like a family to her over the last four years. She said in an Instagram post that she never considered herself to be a fast 5,000m runner, but with her BTC coach Jerry Schumacher’s guidance, she managed to run under 15:10 and place ninth at the U.S. Olympic trials.
RELATED: Colleen Quigley announces she has changed coaches
Several other athletes have left BTC over the past year, including Colleen Quigley, Kate Grace, Ryan Hill and Andrew Bumbalough.
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