World Triathlon

The World Triathlon Series returns to the Gold Coast for the first time in six years this weekend. Today some of the ITU’s stars met the press.

Gwen Jorgensen (USA)
On her current undefeated streak of seven straight World Triathlon Series wins:
“I don’t really think about that I guess, I come into every race just trying to execute my swim and my bike and my run and hopefully that turns into a good race.”

On her improved performances in the bike and the swim:
“Since 2012, that’s when I started with Jamie Turner, that’s when we sat down and thought ‘Ok, where do we need to improve,’ and it’s always been that front half of the triathlon, the swim and the bike. So I’ve been working on it for quite a few years now.”

On the thought of the Rio 2012 Olympic Games:
“My goal for this year is to qualify for the US team [for Rio] and we have an opportunity in August as well to do that. So that’s kind of my focus for the year.”

Katie Zaferes (USA)
On any particular strategies or thoughts she has on making the step from second to first:
“I kind of do the same as Gwen, I go into it thinking more just thinking about the swim, bike and run. I think I’m capable of being on the podium, but it’s not something that I expect.”

Ashleigh Gentle (AUS)
On transitioning from junior and U23 racing to consistent senior results:
“I guess that’s the question, I sometimes think about that and know that I need to in the next few years to really step up and get the results, to get on major teams and back into the top 10 at WTS races and obviously it’s been a huge goal of mine to get on the podium at one of these big races. But it’s something that other girls have said, you can’t really go into these things expecting these things and taken anything for granted. So I’m just going into the races trying to do my best.”

Emma Moffatt (AUS)
On one piece of advice that she would pass on to Ashleigh Gentle:
“Well she’s one of my main competitors. So sleep in Saturday, don’t worry about it [Laughs]. Ash is a super smart athlete, I’ve been training with her quite a bit, but for me it’s just been about making sure I’m enjoying it from the start until now.”

Dan Wilson (AUS)
On the course:
“It’s a little bit different to what we had here for the Grand Final in 2009, which was a long time ago now, there is a few technical aspects on the bike which should make it a bit more juicy and also some narrow laneways… Once you put 65 top guys on the start line anything can happen in this race.”

Mario Mola (ESP)
On coming back to the Gold Coast where he beat Jonathan Brownlee to win the 2009 Junior Men’s ITU World Championship:
“It was a good memory, but it was a while ago and it was the junior race. So now is something totally different, but hopefully another good result.”

On whether Brownlee is the one to beat after his Auckland win:
“I think that’s racing and that’s competing. Just to think where we were five, six years ago to where we are now. I think we have been doing things well and hopefully things can keep going like this.”

Jonathan Brownlee (GBR)
On whether he thinks he starts the Gold Coast race with a target on his back as the No.1 ranked athlete:
“Not really no, Auckland is a very different race to here. I’ve always wanted to race well in Auckland and thankfully two weekends ago I did. I like the course there, it’s very much like Yorkshire, whereas here it’s about as far from Yorkshire that you can get. The last time I was here was in 2009 and Mario beat me to become World Junior Champion. A lot has changed since then, mind you Courtney is back again which makes you feel that less has changed. But I want to race well here, but as I said, it’s very different to Auckland.”

On whether he is thinking about Rio:
“About two weeks ago it was 500 days to go, so it’s not that far. But in sport 500 days is a long long time, and I’m the kind of guy that thinks about the next training session, then the next race, so that’s a long time away. I have looked at the course in Rio and it looks like a great course, but there is a race here on Saturday. Then another one after that, and another after that. There are lots of races to come.”

Courtney Atkinson (AUS)
On Australian triathlon and the Gold Coast:
“I might be biased, but I don’t think you could get a better world championship spot than here on the Gold Coast. There is probably only one other place where I want to be at the moment and that’s Rio. But with the weather like it is in Queensland at the moment I think it’s going to be a pretty good race. One thing the internationals might not realise is that Gold Coast has a pretty special place in Australian triathlon, this is where some of the greats like Miles Stewart of Michellie Jones started, and triathlon really first started here on the Gold Coast. My story in triathlon that I grew up on a freshwater lake not far from here and all the seniors used to train around there. I was a surf lifesaver, but saw them doing this triathlon thing and then I went to few Olympic Games in triathlon and I’m still here.”

The women will get underway at 11:00am local time. Click here for to convert the start time to your time zone. The men will take off at 2:00pm local time. Check here for start times in your zone.

Watch the races live on triathlonlive.tv and follow on @triathlonlive for play by play updates.