Reese Vannerson Wins First World Cup Gold

CHENGDU, China — U.S. elite triathlete Reese Vannerson scored his first World Cup victory on Saturday, May 10 in Chengdu, storming home in an exciting final sprint on the blue carpet at the 2025 World Triathlon Cup Chengdu.

Vannerson, making his professional debut at the Olympic-distance, was unstoppable in the final stages of the run, surging to a commanding victory in a time of 1 hour, 39 minutes, 41 seconds on the 1.5-kilometer swim, 40k bike and 10k run course. Overcome with emotion, the rising star who trains with USA Triathlon's development group Project Podium, celebrated his breakout moment on the world stage.

“I can’t even talk. I put so much into this training block, it just means so much,” Vannerson told World Triathlon media following his big win.

Fans can watch the replay in full on TriathlonLive.tv.

Vannerson won the fast and furious race that featured 56 athletes racing a tactical course in warm, dry conditions in front of an enthusiastic crowd. The win gives Vannerson crucial early-season points during the 2025 season.

Israel’s Shachar Sagiv took silver and Australia’s Brandon Copeland finished with the bronze.

Vannerson's Project Podium teammate, Keller Norland, placed 25th.

Hungarian triathletes Márk Dévay and Márton Kropkó led out of the water, with France’s Igor Dupois, Baptiste Passemard, and Jules Rethoret, Kevin Tarek Viñuela González of Spain, and Maciej Bruzdziak of Poland right on their heels. Together, they led the first bike group that was quickly bridged by Australia’s Brandon Copeland and Brayden Mercer and Hungary’s Bence Bicsák.

Midway through the 40k bike, the chase pack, led by Norland and Australia's Luke Schofield, joined the main pack and the large group charged forward. Soon after, Dévay and Schofield launched a breakaway, surging clear of the group and building a solid lead by the final laps of the bike.

Dévay led through the first 5k of the run, but Vannerson had him and the leaders in his sight.

A Texas high school state champion in the 1,600, Vannerson started his 2025 by clocking a 13:48 5,000m indoors. That is only 20 seconds slower than Olympic medalists Alex Yee and Hayden Wilde, two of the biggest stars of the sport. Vannerson stormed to the lead on the run by the final lap and on the final turn, surged ahead for the sprint finish victory, his first at the World Cup level.

Vannerson's victory in Chengdu shows the U.S. men are a force to be reckoned with.

“I think the Americans are starting to prove themselves a lot more," Vannerson told World Triathlon ahead of the race in Chengdu. "We have John (Reed), who's just an animal. He is a few years older than us, and he's really paving the way. He’s raced really well in the U23 side, he has a World Cup win, he's raced well in the Series, and I think that's just there's a lot more to come on our team. We have a pipeline right now where everyone's super motivated to get something, and I think the home Games just adds so much more to that.”