After an impressive 2019 season, Australian triathlete Jacob Birtwhistle has two main goals: to become World and Olympic Champion. Birthwistle climbed to sixth in the overall world rankings after recording his first World Triathlon Series wins taking gold in Leeds and Hamburg. Birtwhistle has already tasted success as a runner and is an eleven times Australian Junior Champion over middle and long distances, but since making the move to triathlon he has risen quickly to the top of the sport.

Born in Tasmania, Australia, Birtwistle had a promising running career, winning 11 junior athletics championships between 2009 and 2012. He then became World School Cross Country Champion in 2012 before trying triathlon when he was 17 years old. Birtwistle soon made a name for himself on the world triathlon stage, climbing the podium in Australia’s first Super League Triathlon.

Birtwistle went from strength to strength in 2018, clinching a Silver medal at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and racking up five top-five finishes at the highest level of triathlon including a second Silver medal at Yokohama In the 2018 ITU World Triathlon Series. His impressive form carried on into 2019, with his first WTS wins coming in thrilling style in Leeds and Hamburg. Birtwistle now splits his time between training in Europe and his home country, and his goals of becoming World and Olympic Champion are coming closer all the time.