Gómez took up triathlon at the age of 15 after previously playing football and competing in swimming. However his career suffered a setback in 2000 when a routine medical test by the Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD) revealed an "abnormal heart valve", leading to a six-year battle between Gómez and the Spanish sporting authorities regarding his right to compete internationally. He initially won this right in November 2003, but he was not selected for the 2004 Summer Olympics and in 2005 the CSD banned him from international and domestic competition until February 2006.[1]
In the nine years from 2002 to 2010, Gómez took part in 57 ITU competitions and achieved 54 top ten positions, among which are 23 first-place finishes. In 2003 and in 2008, Gómez was ITU Triathlon World Champion (both under-23 and Elite categories respectively in 2003). In 2007 and 2009 he was the Elite European Champion. He finished second in the World Championships in 2007 and was the runner up in 2011 ITU Sprint Distance Triathlon World Championships.
At the 2008 Summer Olympics in men's triathlon Gómez was among the pre-race favourites to win. With 300 meters to go in that race, Jan Frodeno was the leader of a group made up of Gómez, Athens 2004 Silver medalist Bevan Docherty of New Zealand, and Sydney 2000 Gold medalist Simon Whitfield of Canada. Whitfield opened up the gap with a sprint with only Frodeno responding. Frodeno sprinted away with 50 meters from the finish to claim the gold medal. Simon Whitfield took the silver medal five seconds behind, and New Zealand's Bevan Docherty won the bronze medal 12 seconds back. Gómez placed 4th, 20.64 seconds behind Frodeno.[2]
In 2010, Gómez was the number one in the World Championship Series ranking, in 2009 he was second, his only rivals being the Brownlee brothers Alistair and Jonathan, with whom he represents ECS Triathlon in the French Club Championship Series Lyonnaise des Eaux. At the 2010 ITU Triathlon World Championship final in Budapest, Gómez came second to British triathlete Alistair Brownlee, but despite the loss in the final, he won the Championship overall.
At the London Summer Olympics in 2012, Gómez took the Silver medal in men's triathlon, 11 seconds behind Gold medalist Alistair Brownlee.[2] Following the Olympic games Gómez won the Hy-Vee Triathlon against a highly competitive field. A month later in his first ever cross triathlon race, he won the 2012 XTERRA World Championship.[3]
In 2013, Gómez continued his success from last year winning the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon[4] and repeating as the Hy-Vee Triathlon winner. He would then go on to win the 2013 ITU World Triathlon Series, his third such title. With this world championship he joined Peter Robertson as the other triathlete with three titles to his name, and is just shy of Simon Lessing who has four world titles.[5] Later that year Gómez competed in his first middle distance race by taking first at the Challenge Half Barcelona race.[6] In February 2014 he raced and won his second middle distance race, Ironman 70.3 Panama.[7]
In 2014, Gómez won his fourth ITU World Championships, winning four out of the eight possible races as well as placing third at the Grand Final, tying him for all time championships with Simon Lessing. Gómez also won the 2014 Ironman 70.3 World Championship. The next year, Gómez took his third consecutive ITU World Championship, and his fifth title overall, by finishing second at the Triathlon World Series Grand Final in Chicago.[8]
In 2019, Gómez won his first full Ironman distance race at Ironman Malaysia with a course record of 8:18:59. He received a qualification slot to the 2020 Ironman World Championship.[9][10]
Gómez will retire from triathlon at the end of 2024.[11]
The following list is based upon the official ITU rankings.[12] Unless indicated otherwise, the following events are triathlons (Olympic Distance) and refer to the Elite category.
Results list
Date
Competition
Place
Rank
2002-09-07
European Cup
Madrid
9
2003-07-20
European Cup
Győr
5
2003-09-14
European Cup
Estoril
5
2003-12-06
World Championships (U23)
Queenstown
1
2004-02-28
African Cup
Bloemfontein
1
2004-04-18
European Championships
Valencia
8
2004-05-09
World Championships
Madeira
8
2004-06-12
World Cup
Tongyeong
4
2004-07-25
World Cup
Salford
9
2004-09-19
World Cup
Madrid
6
2005-04-24
World Cup
Mazatlan
DNS
2006-03-03
World Cup
Doha
10
2006-03-10
World Cup
Aqaba
2
2006-04-23
European Cup
Estoril
1
2006-05-07
European Cup
Alexandrupoli(s)
DNF
2006-06-04
World Cup
Madrid
1
2006-06-23
European Championships
Autun
5
2006-07-23
World Cup
Corner Brook
3
2006-09-02
World Championships
Lausanne
10
2006-09-09
World Cup
Hamburg
1
2006-09-24
World Cup
Beijing
2
2006-11-05
World Cup
Cancun
1
2007-03-25
World Cup
Mooloolaba
2
2007-05-06
World Cup
Lisbon
1
2007-06-03
World Cup
Madrid
2
2007-06-17
World Cup
Des Moines
3
2007-06-29
European Championships
Copenhagen
1
2007-07-29
World Cup
Salford
1
2007-08-11
World Cup
Tiszaújváros
1
2007-08-30
World Championships
Hamburg
2
2007-09-15
World Cup
Beijing
1
2008-02-23
African Cup
Bloemfontein
1
2008-03-30
World Cup
Mooloolaba
1
2008-04-06
World Cup
New Plymouth
1
2008-04-19
Premium European Cup
Pontevedra
1
2008-05-10
European Championships
Lisbon
7
2008-05-25
World Cup
Madrid
1
2008-06-05
World Championships
Vancouver
1
2008-07-13
World Cup
Tiszaújváros
1
2008-08-18
Olympic Games
Beijing
4
2009-05-17
Premium European Cup
Pontevedra
2
2009-05-31
World Championship Series
Madrid
3
2009-06-21
World Championship Series
Washington DC
2
2009-06-27
Elite Cup
Hy-Vee
6
2009-07-02
European Championships
Holten
1
2009-07-11
World Championship Series
Kitzbühel
2
2009-08-15
World Championship Series
London
DNF
2009-08-22
World Championship Series
Yokohama
3
2009-09-09
World Championship Series: Grand Final
Gold Coast
2
2010-03-27
World Cup
Mooloolaba
DNS
2010-05-08
World Championship Series
Seoul
12
2010-06-05
World Championship Series
Madrid
4
2010-06-12
Premium European Cup
Pontevedra
1
2010-07-03
European Championships
Athlone
2
2010-07-17
World Championship Series
Hamburg
1
2010-07-24
World Championship Series
London
1
2010-08-14
World Championship Series
Kitzbühel
2
2010-09-08
World Championship Series: Grand Final
Budapest
2
2010-10-10
World Cup
Huatulco
1
2011-03-26
World Cup
Mooloolaba
5
2011-04-09
World Championship Series
Sydney
1
2011-06-04
World Championship Series
Madrid
3
2011-06-24
European Championships
Pontevedra
40
2011-07-16
World Championship Series
Hamburg
6
2011-07-31
Premium European Cup
Banyoles
1
2011-08-06
World Championship Series
London
4
2011-08-20
World Championship Series: Sprint World Championships
Lausanne
2
2012-04-21
European Championships
Eilat
1
2012-08-07
Olympic Games
London
2
2012-28-10
XTERRA World Championship
Maui, Hawai
1
DNF = Did not finish
DNS = Did not start
Gallery
Javier Gómez, followed by the winner Jonathan Brownlee, at the sprint World Championships in Lausanne, 2011.
Javier Gómez at the Sprint World Championships in Lausanne, 2011.
Javier Gómez at the European Championships in Pontevedra, 2011.
Javier Gómez with his two main rivals, his team mates Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee.