An appeal that ended up disqualifying the apparent winner of today’s World Triathlon Cup Vina Del Mar could affect the American Olympic team standings for Paris next year. Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Katie Zaferes had appeared to take the win in a dramatic sprint for the finish line, only to end up being disqualified for going off course at the end of the first lap. After a huge run that moved her to third place in the standings, 2016 Olympic gold medalist Gwen Jorgensen put in an appeal, which resulted in the disqualification of the four women who had been in a breakaway, giving Jorgensen the win, her fourth World Cup title of the year.
Jorgensen and Zaferes are both trying to make the Olympic team after giving birth in 2022. Another athlete affected by today’s result, Great Britain’s Vicky Holland, is also returning to competition after giving birth to her first child earlier this year.
Breakaway group
After an excellent first transition, Zaferes was the driving force of a breakaway group of five that included Mathilde Gautier (FRA), Anna Godoy Contreras (ESP), Tereza Zimovjanova (CZE) and Djenifer Arnold (BRA). The group was able to stay clear of the chase pack that included Jorgensen, Holland and another American with a running background, Gina Sereno.
The breakaway group ended up well clear of the chase group entering T2, but Zaferes struggled with her second transition and found herself chasing at the start of the run. Zaferes would run her way to the front, though, and charged into the lead. Unfortunately the American and the rest of the lead group took a wrong turn and would run through the finish line rather than follow the course which went alongside the finish chute.
Meanwhile, Jorgensen was flying through the run, steadily gaining on the group ahead. As the group started the final kick to the line, Jorgensen managed to pass Gautier and Godoy to move into third. Zaferes sprinted away from Zimovjanova to apparently take the win, with Jorgensen taking third.
Jorgensen would appeal the result, which resulted in almost two hours of deliberation by race officials before the group of four who had run through the finish line at the end of the first lap were disqualified, putting Jorgensen, Sereno and Holland on the podium.
A dramatic end to the World Cup race in Chile saw Gwen Jorgensen earn gold! Gina Sereno is awarded silver and Vicky Holland ends the season with bronze.
The first two women who crossed along with 4th and 5th place were disqualified due to taking a wrong turn on the course. pic.twitter.com/Z7dcJpx6ow
— World Triathlon (@worldtriathlon) November 12, 2023
Women’s podium
1 Gwen Jorgensen 57:28
2 Gina Sereno 58:00
3 Vicky Holland 58:10
Canadians Dominika Jamnicki and Emy Legault finished 10th and 15th.
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