How did Olympic Rower Jason Osborne Dominate the Zwift World Championships?

An extraordinary tale of athletic metamorphosis has unfolded in the realm of cycling. An Olympic rower has gracefully traded his oars for the digital pedals of E-sports cycling. The sudden shift from the serene waters of rowing competitions to the intense virtual landscapes of Zwift racing is nothing short of an epic.

Jason Osborne was already a force to be reckoned with in the Olympic world. But he seamlessly integrated his rowing prowess and transcended into the realm of cycling, utilizing Zwift as both a training ground and a competitive platform. It wasn’t merely a switch from boat to bike. Rather it was a strategic move aimed at the pinnacle—the 2020 UCI Esports World Championships.

Remarkable transformation of Jason Osborne, Olympic rower turned e-sports cycling sensation

Osborne’s passion for cycling was fueled by allure of KOMs, and virtual races. When he was asked regarding how he transcended in the cycling world from being a medalist in rowing, he shared how his interest was ignited after encounters with fellow rowing enthusiasts in the digital realm. He added, “It was my plan to move into road cycling, so I targeted the 2020 UCI Esports World Championships to try to attract the attention of some of the bigger teams”. 

Osborne is now officially a part of the UCI WorldTeam, Alpecin–Deceuninck. Winning a silver medal for his country in the 2013 World Rowing Championships and after competing in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro he was already well-established as a rower. But in 2020, Osborne took an unexpected decision as he stepped into the professional cycling world. Making a grand entry, he won the first edition of the UCI Cycling ESports World Championships in December 2020.

The 29-year-old former rowing champion shared a few valuable inputs regarding indoor cycling. He said, “I have a big engine, but e-racing takes away most of the parts that are important on the road – positioning, manoeuvring through the peloton”. He further shared how it can make it easier to get the engine into place. Osborne added that one can learn more about indoor racing from experience.

From rowing waters to virtual roads: Jason Osborne’s thrilling dual-world sporting odyssey

Osborne transcended the cycling world carrying a lot of experience that he has gathered from the realm of rowing. His patience and high pain tolerance ultimately helped him in the peloton too. “Even though a race might be only six minutes, the intensity is high and you consume even more oxygen [than in cycling]. It really teaches you how to accept the pain, and in a Zwift race, mostly decided in high-intensity sections, this plays a huge role”, said Osborne. He also added that the pain one has to experience while rowing is comparatively more than cycling.

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Sharing his views regarding how one can build themselves for e-racing he mentioned that one has to face attack over and over again. He stated, “Punchiness and your sprint also need to be decent, though you don’t need to be the best sprinter. The best riders are those who are able to repeat all-out efforts by recovering faster.”

Osborne also mentioned that cyclists must also know how to balance their energy and conserve it to spend it while required. Also one should learn to relax and rest according to the needs. 

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