Rising U.S. Elite Triathlon Stars Win World Cup Medals Across the Globe

A new generation of U.S. elite triathletes is making waves on the international stage, with three up-and-coming athletes capturing World Triathlon Cup medals in June.

Erika Ackerlund kicked off the medal streak with a thrilling silver-medal performance at the World Triathlon Cup Huatulco in Mexico on June 15.

Battling soaring heat, Ackerlund surged to the front during the run and powered down the blue carpet in a dramatic sprint finish, claiming the first World Cup podium of her career. The performance marks a breakthrough moment for the 29-year-old from Helena, Montana.

"I've raced Huatulco many times, but it has never been like this," Ackerlund said. "After my last race in February, I herniated two discs in my back, so I've been recovering and trying to train. So I was very nervous ahead of the race. I've wanted a World Cup podium for so many years that I almost had to try to stop wanting it. In that running race against those girls, I never would have guessed I would be on the podium."

Just a week later, two more U.S. athletes reached the podium at the World Triathlon Cup Saidia in Morocco, showcasing the depth of young American talent.

Danielle Orie, 26, earned silver in the women’s race, making an impressive move on the run to earn her first career World Cup medal in only her third career World Cup start. The result signals a strong arrival on the international scene for Orie, a former NCAA runner at the University of Wisconsin. In addition to racing professionally in triathlon, Orie also works as a legal fellow at Wisconsin’s State Democracy Research Initiative.

In the men’s race at the World Triathlon Cup Saidia, John Reed, 23, captured the bronze medal, his third World Cup podium in his young career. A member of the U.S. Elite Triathlon National Team, Reed has shown solid progress racing on the World Triathlon stage since 2023.

Both Reed and Orie are a part of USA Triathlon's Global Tri training group, coached by 2000 U.S. Olympian and USA Triathlon High Performance Director Ryan Bolton. In this video, Bolton explains the vision for the Global Tri training group, which includes both developing athletes like Reed and Orie and established athletes like two-time Olympian Morgan Pearson.

With Ackerlund, Orie, and Reed all earning medals on the sport’s international stage, the future of U.S. triathlon is bright. These results underscore the development pipeline for elite talent in the United States — and show that a new wave of U.S. athletes is ready to compete with the world’s best.

Follow their journey and stay up to date with all U.S. elite triathlon results at USA Triathlon's Elite Hub and by following @usatriathlon, @usatriathlonteam, @global_tri, @usatprojectpodium, and @auxocollective on Instagram.