Gwen Jorgensen, an overwhelming Olympic gold-medal favorite who hasn’t lost a top-level international triathlon since April 2014, felt like an underdog at a special November competition.
At the Island House Invitational in the Bahamas, Jorgensen faced a unique field including Olympic-distance rivals like London silver medalist Lisa Norden as well as Ironman champions Leanda Cave and Mirinda Carfrae.
The new event was foreign to Jorgensen, a three-day stage race a month and a half after the conclusion of her grueling and undefeated international season.
“I didn’t think I was going to win,” she said.