Ashleigh Gentle

Ashleigh Gentle (born 25 February 1991 in South Brisbane, Queensland) is an Australian triathlete who was selected as part of the team for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She took second overall in the 2017 ITU World Triathlon Series, her career best to date.[2]

Ashleigh Gentle
Ashleigh Gentle at the ITU World Triathlon Series in Edmonton in 2015
Personal information
Born (1991-02-25) 25 February 1991
South Brisbane, Australia
ResidenceGold Coast, Australia
Height170 cm (5 ft 7 in) [1]
Weight56 kg (8 st 11 lb) [1]
Sport
Country Australia
Coached byJosh Amberger
Medal record
Women's triathlon
Representing  Australia
World Championships
2017 Elite
2017 HamburgMixed team relay
Commonwealth Games
2018 Gold Coast Mixed team relay

Biography

Gentle was born in South Brisbane, Queensland, on 25 February 1991, but now lives on the Gold Coast.[1] She has two brothers.[3] She attended St Vincent's Primary School and All Saints Anglican School.[4] In 2009, she entered Griffith University, where as of 2016, she is studying for a Bachelor of Public Health degree in nutrition.[1] She has trained with the Australian Institute of Sport and the Queensland Academy of Sport. Her partner is long distance triathlete Josh Amberger.[1]

At school, Gentle participated in many different sports, including touch football, netball, athletics and cross country running. In 2004, a family friend persuaded her to take up triathlon. Initially this was to improve her running times, but she soon found that she enjoyed the swimming and cycling too. She won silver at the Junior World Championships in Hamburg in 2007 and Vancouver in 2008 before winning in Budapest in 2010.[1][5]

In 2011, she ran in her first ITU World Triathlon Series (WTS) event, and was placed ninth. She finished in 130th position in the 2010 ITU World Championship Series.[6] In 2012 and 2013, she ran in ten WTS events, and was placed in the top ten in all of them. In years 2011—2014 Gentle placed in the final ITU series rankings at 24th, 15th, 7th, and 34th place.[7][8][9][10]

In 2015, Gentle finished the year in 12th position in that year's ITU series[11] while also placing first in the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon, a non-standard distance triathlon starting on Alcatraz island.[12] In 2015 and 2016 she placed second at the ITU races in Yokohama in 2015 and 2016, as well as at the ITU race in Abu Dhabi in 2016.[1][5][13] By May 2016, she was ranked third in the world which helped solidify the Australian Olympic Committee's selection of Gentle as one of three female triathletes who would represent Australia at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, her first Olympics.[14][15] Gentle would place 26th overall in the Olympic event.[16] Gentle would then finish out the 2016 ITU World Triathlon Series with and overall series ranking of 10th place.[17]

Gentle had her highest ITU series finish, placing year in 2nd overall in the 2017 ITU World Triathlon Series.[18] The next year, at the final race of the 2018 season in Gold Coast, Gentle managed to distance her rivals Vicky Holland and Katie Zaferes on the run to finish first, with Holland winning the subsequent sprint with Zaferes for second place to take the 2018 ITU World Triathlon Series Grand Finale race. She finished the season in 6th position.[19]

In 2019, Gentle took gold for the second time of competing in the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon, a non-standard distance triathlon starting on Alcatraz island.[20].

Notable performances
Year Competition Country Position Time Source
2016 WTS Yokohama Japan1h 57'  20"[21]
WTS Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates1h 56'  18"[21]
2015 WTS Yokohama Japan1h 58'  33"[21]
Noosa Triathlon Australia1h 59'  18"[21]
2014 5150 Philippines Philippines2h 2'  0"[21]
Noosa Triathlon Australia1h 59'  10"[21]
2013 Noosa Triathlon AustraliaTiming[21]
2012 OTU Triathlon Oceania Championships Australia1h 57'  26"[21]
ITU Triathlon World Cup – Tiszaújváros Hungary0h 58'  39"[21]
2011 OTU Triathlon Oceania Championships New Zealand2h 6'  5"[21]
ITU Triathlon World Cup – Edmonton Canada2h 0'  14"[21]
Oceania Cup Mooloolaba Australia2h 3'  25"[21]
2009 Asian Cup in Singapore Singapore1h 54'  31"[21]

Notes
  1. "Ashleigh Gentle – AUS Team – Rio 2016". Australian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 13 June 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  2. Carlson, Timothy (16 September 2017). "Duffy dominates Grand Final, repeats WTS World title". Slowtwitch.com. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  3. "Australian Team Media Guide – Barfoot and Thompson World Triathlon – Auckland 14–22 October 2012" (PDF). Triathlon Australia. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  4. Boswell, Tom (4 August 2016). "Ashleigh Gentle opens up about the beginning of her Olympic Games dream ahead of Rio". Gold Coast Bulletin.
  5. "Ashleigh Gentle: Professional Triathlete". Subaru. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  6. Union, International Triathlon. "2010". ITU World Triathlon Series.
  7. Union, International Triathlon. "2011". ITU World Triathlon Series.
  8. Union, International Triathlon. "2012". ITU World Triathlon Series.
  9. Union, International Triathlon. "2013". ITU World Triathlon Series.
  10. Union, International Triathlon. "2014". ITU World Triathlon Series.
  11. Union, International Triathlon. "2015". ITU World Triathlon Series.
  12. "2015". Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon.
  13. Boswell, Tom (16 May 2016). "Triathlete Ashleigh Gentle tops off her push for Rio Olympic Games with silver in Yokohama". Gold Coast Bulletin. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  14. "Athlete profile – Ashleigh Gentle". International Triathlon Union. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  15. "Six triathletes selected for the Rio Olympic challenge". Australian Olympic Committee. 23 May 2016. Archived from the original on 4 July 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  16. "Triathlon – Women Official results" (PDF). Rio 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  17. Union, International Triathlon. "2016". ITU World Triathlon Series.
  18. Union, International Triathlon. "ITU World Triathlon Series". ITU World Triathlon Series.
  19. Union, International Triathlon. "ITU World Triathlon Series". ITU World Triathlon Series.
  20. "2019". Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon.
  21. "Athlete results – Ashleigh Gentle". International Triathlon Union. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
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