Kungani Umgijimi Wesithathu Wama-Olympic Ethukile NgeMarathon Yakhe Yokuqala

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UGwen Jorgensen unobuso bomdlalo obulalayo. Engqungqutheleni yabezindaba eRio ezinsukwini ezimbalwa ngaphambi kokuba abe ngowokuqala waseMelika ukunqoba igolide kwi-triathlon yabesifazane kuma-Olimpiki Asehlobo lowezi-2016, wabuzwa ngesifiso sakhe sokugijima umjaho webanga elide. UJorgensen wathi, "Akuyona into engake ngacabanga ukuyenza. Ngokusobala kuzodingeka ngiziqeqeshele yona. Kwazi bani?!"

Into umpetha wama-Olympics oneminyaka engu-30 ubudala angazange akuvume ngaleso sikhathi ukuthi umjaho webanga elide wawusengqondweni yakhe isikhathi eside. Njengenkanyezi ye-track yangaphambili futhi evame ukuba ngowesifazane oshesha kakhulu kusekethe ye-World Triathlon Series, u-Jorgensen ungumgijimi kuqala, bese kuba ngowesibili wabathathu. Ukuthi umgijimi waseWisconsin angagijima ibanga elingakanani ngumbuzo azowuphendula ngoNovemba 6 lapho ezolayini ekuqaleni kwe-TCS New York City Marathon. (Uya e-NYC ukuze ubukele, ujabule, noma ugijime ibanga elide? Nansi inkomba yokuvakasha enempilo oyidingayo ngokuphelele.)

"INew York City Marathon ingelinye lamamaroni abukekayo futhi amakhulu kunawo wonke emhlabeni. Kuyangijabulisa impela ukuthola ithuba lokuncintisana nabanye babasubathi bamazwe bamazwe abaphambili njengoba sigijima emabhodini amahlanu," kusho umgijimi osezingeni eliphezulu we-ASICS . UJorgensen uvumile ukuthi usenqume ukugijima umjaho nakangaphambi kweRio, kepha ubesazigcina kuye lapho kubuzwa lowo mbuzo eBrazil. "Ukugijima kuyintandokazi yami emikhakheni emithathu ye-triathlon," uJorgensen uyanezela, "ngakho ukugijima ibanga elide kubonakala kumnandi kimi." (Ake sibheke ukuthi ngabe ucula lelo culo yini ku-mile 18.)

Yize imarathon ibikade isekhalendeni lakhe lomjaho eliyimfihlo isikhathi esithile, uJorgensen akazange akushintshe ukuqeqeshwa kwakhe okuholela eRio. Umgijimo wakhe omude kunayo yonke wama-pre-Olympics wawungamamayela angu-12. Umgijimo wakhe omude kakhulu oholela emjahweni we-NYC: 16. Umgijimi wentela ophenduke u-triathlete akadingi isibali ukuze athole ukuthi amamayela angu-10 amasha okuzodingeka awathole ngosuku lomjaho. Akulungile, kodwa akazange abe nako ukukhetha okuningi njengoba esanda kuvala isizini yakhe ye-triathlon maphakathi no-Septhemba ku-ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Final Cozumel. Futhi uma uzibuza, ulale isibili, engena ngaphansi kwemizuzu emibili ngemuva kowinile. Lokho kusho ukuthi ubenenyanga eyodwa yokulungiselela. (Ningazami lokhu ekhaya, zingane. Lokhu kuyinto engaphezu kwamandla omuntu.)

“Njengoba sekusele amasonto amane nje ukuba ngizilungiselele, bekufanele ngihlakaniphe ngokuqeqeshwa kwami ​​futhi ngingabi sengozini yokulimala,” kusho uJorgensen. Isikhathi esijwayelekile sokuqeqeshwa kwemarathon singamaviki angama-20. Ukuqeqesha ingxenye yesihlanu yesikhathi esinconywayo akuyona nje ingozi kodwa futhi akunakwenzeka kubantu abaningi. UGwen, nokho, akuyena umgijimi wakho ojwayelekile-yize yena kwenza bona ukuthi ukuqeqeshwa kwakhe okufushanisiwe kuzomshiya esesimweni esingesihle.

"Ngiyazi ukuthi ngizozilungiselela ukungena ngendlela engajwayelekile, kodwa ngiyazi ukuthi cishe zonke izinhlanga kanye nabagijimi bobabili abangochwepheshe kanye nabashubile-nabo bazoba nohlobo oluthile lokuxakaniseka ekuziqeqesheni kwabo, ngakho-ke ngicabanga ukuthi ngiyakwazi abagijimi abaningi,” usho kanje. Icebo lokwenza ukuthula ngokungakwazi ukuletha umdlalo wakhe ojwayelekile we-A: Akazibekelanga ezinye izinhloso ngaphandle kokufika entanjeni - umehluko omkhulu kothile owathi ngonyaka odlule wabamba umncintiswano wokuwina umjaho we-13 ongakaze ubonwe ama-triathlons.

"Anginakho okulindelwe noma imigomo yesikhathi engizama ukuyifinyelela," esho. "Ngizophuma ngiyojabulela i-marathon yami yokuqala ngaphandle kwalokho ebengikulindele. Lena yinto ebengifuna ukuyenza iminyaka. Ngifuna ukuyingenela ngigubhe lo mcimbi."

Ngenkathi uJorgensen engakulungelanga ukwenza izibikezelo zesikhathi, abanye bayakujabulela ukumenzela lokho. I-Wall Street Journal muva nje uhlole izikhathi zakhe ze-triathlon futhi walinganisela ukuthi angase akwazi ukuqeda amamayela angu-26.2 ngaphansi kwamahora angu-2 nemizuzu engu-30, kanye nabanye abagijimi besifazane abavelele. Kodwa lokho kuphela uma engakwazi ukuqhubeka naleso sivinini esisheshayo esiyimizuzu emi-5 namasekhondi angu-20 abukise ku-USA Track and Field 10-Mile Championships eMinneapolis-St. Paul cishe inyanga edlule. Uphume isithathu, eshaya umjaho webanga eliphakeme uSara Hall, ongene endaweni yesine.

Akungabazeki ukuthi lona kuzoba umjaho onzima ku-Jorgensen, kodwa ungase usheshe umbone ehamba esifundweni kunokushiya phakathi nokuthola i-DNF. “Angihloniphi ibanga kuphela kodwa nezifundo ze-NYC,” usho kanje. Njengoba ukushaya umgomo wesikhathi kungeyona inkinga, siphakamisa ukuthi ayeke ukuthatha ama-selfies, asayine ama-autographs, futhi ajabulele leli thanga lokunqoba njengoba evala unyaka wakhe wokuwina indondo yegolide yama-Olimpiki.

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