Michellie Jones (born 6 September 1969) is an Australian triathlete, and a winner of two ITU Triathlon World Championships, an Olympic Silver Medal in Sydney 2000.
When it comes to sustained success over the course of a triathlon career, Australia’s Michellie Jones is the undisputed queen. From her first ITU World Championship in 1992, to a bronze medal in her final ITU World Championship race in 2003, she collected eight ITU World Championship podiums in her career. That’s including a three-year break from the circuit in the mid-90s. Only three times she did compete an ITU World Championship race and not make the podium, her debut race in 1990, and then in 1999 and 2002 when she finished fourth.
“Back in 1992 I sort of knew that I had found my sport, and I’m glad my high school running coach suggested that I should do triathlon.”
Before that influential suggestion, Jones had been identified as a talented race-walker. But as told to Multisport Dreaming, she had grown on a farm where she had swam, rode horses and enjoyed running, she was a multisport athlete at heart. Starting University in Wollongong, Jones started to ride to the Cronulla Triathlon Club to train on weekends, around 65km. From 1990 she was making a living from triathlon.
Outside of her ITU career, Jones became one of the most consistent athletes ever, with a win tally that is reported to be over 175 across Olympic, off-road and long-distance events.
Jones also became the first Australian woman to win a World Ironman Championship and it made her only the second Australian in history to win the event, behind 1994 Men’s World Champion, Greg Welch.
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