Photo Essay: Chloe Dygert Owen dominates track finale
Just 20 years old, Chloe Dygert Owen has already had a remarkable career, and her future appears unlimited. Dygert Owen recently won UCI world track championships in the women’s team pursuit and individual pursuit. Those wins added to a remarkable total of five world championships in two years; junior women’s road and time trial…
Photo: Casey B. Gibson
Golden girl Chloe Dygert Owen, was delighted with her second gold medal at the 2017 UCI Track World Championships in Hong Kong. After leading the US team pursuit squad to gold, she followed up with a dominating performance in the individual pursuit, almost breaking the world record in qualifying. She also won the gold medal ride, winning by over seven seconds, in 3:24.641. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.comPhoto: Casey B. Gibson
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!
Download the app.
Just 20 years old, Chloe Dygert Owen has already had a remarkable career, and her future appears unlimited. Dygert Owen recently won UCI world track championships in the women’s team pursuit and individual pursuit. Those wins added to a remarkable total of five world championships in two years; junior women’s road and time trial championships at the 2016 Richmond World Championships, the first women’s team pursuit championship at the London Track Worlds in 2016, and now two more in Hong Kong in 2017. The world titles came on the heels of another strong performance at the Feb. 25-26 UCI World Cup round in Los Angeles, where Dygert Owen anchored the team pursuit to a win. She also competed in her first individual pursuit at that World Cup, setting the fastest time recorded in the World Cup in 2017. Photographer Casey Gibson was on hand for both the Los Angeles World Cup and the world championships, and documented Dygert Owen’s success at these events.
With only three riders left in the last 8 laps, Dygert Owen, Kelly Catlin, and Jennifer Valente were still able to win the women’s team pursuit. The LA World Cup was the only opportunity for the US team to wear their World Championship jerseys in front of an american crowd, after winning last year in London. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Dygert Owen got focused for her final in the individual pursuit at the LA Track World Cup, alongside coach Chris Daggs. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Dygert Owen celebrated her first win at the World Cup with her parents. The LA World Cup in February 2017 was her parents first opportunity to see Chloe race at the World Cup level. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
After winning the individual pursuit at the Los Angeles World Cup in February, Dygert Owen mugged for the camera. It was a big change from her wins at the Road World Championships in Richmond in 2015. After winning the junior road and time trial events, Chloe looked a bit stunned on the podium, perfectly understandable for an 18 year old not used to the attention from the press. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
The US Team qualified for the gold medal ride in the women’s team pursuit at the Hong Kong Track world championships, setting a time of 4:18.716 in round one. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
In the team pursuit final, the US team was behind by almost half a second, with less than a kilometer to go to the finish. Virtually everyone in the sold out arena believed the Australian squad would win. Dygert Owen pulled for three full laps, making up an incredible .8 seconds on the final lap to win the final over the Australian team by .4 seconds. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Kim Geist (far right) and the USA Women’s Team Pursuit celebrated with the American flag, moments after defeating the Australian squad in a miracle finish. Photo: Casey B. Gibson
The US team pursuit women relax on the podium with their gold medals and rainbow jerseys for a second year in a row. Left to right, Kelly Catlin, Chloe Dygert Owen, Kim Geist and Jennifer Valente. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
In the qualifying round of the women’s individual pursuit, Chloe Dygert Owen came within .7 seconds of breaking the world record, finishing in 3.22.920. The record was set at altitude in Aguascaliente, Mexico by Sarah Hammer in 2010 . Riding at sea level, Dygert’s ride is even more impressive. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Chloe Dygert Owen warmed up in the team cabin at the Hong Kong velodrome. Dygert used kinesiology tape to treat some issues in the lower back, which didn’t seem to interfere with her medal winning performances. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Putting in a totally dominating performance, Dygert Owen won the final in the women’s individual pursuit by a huge 7 seconds, defeating Rebecca Wiasak of Australia. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Golden girl Chloe Dygert Owen, was delighted with her second gold medal at the 2017 UCI Track World Championships in Hong Kong. After leading the US team pursuit squad to gold, she followed up with a dominating performance in the individual pursuit, almost breaking the world record in qualifying. She also won the gold medal ride, winning by over seven seconds, in 3:24.641. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Dygert won both world championships riding the left side drive pursuit bike developed by Felt for the 2016 Olympics. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Sarah Hammer was trackside to congratulate her protege on her first world championship. Hammer is the world record holder in the women’s pursuit, and 5 time world champion. They rode together at the London Track Worlds in 2016, where they won the United States first women’s team pursuit. Hammer has worked with Chloe for some time, and they share many of the same qualities of hard work and dedication, and the ability to suffer greatly. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Kelly Catlin of the US joined Dygert on the women’s individual pursuit podium. It was Catlin’s first individual pursuit at worlds, and shows the strength of the program. Dygert Owen beat Rebecca Wasak of Australia by 7 seconds in the final. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Chloe showed off her awards for the gold medal, a Tissot watch and the dragon mascot of the championships, with her trusted mechanic, Victor Bonnin. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Chloe Dygert Owen signed rainbow jerseys for the UCI after the team pursuit podium. Chloe is getting quite a collection herself, as she now has 5 rainbow jerseys, at the ripe old age of 20. Junior road and time trial champions at Richmond, Team pursuit in London in 2016, and now both team and individual pursuit champion in Hong Kong in 2017. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
