Taylor Spivey's 5th Place Leads U.S. Elite Triathletes at 2026 WTCS Samarkand
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by USA Triathlon
SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan — U.S. elite triathletes kicked off the 2026 World Triathlon Championship Series season on Saturday, April 25, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with U.S. Triathlon National Team member Taylor Spivey (Redondo Beach, Calif.) leading the way with a fifth-place finish.
Nine U.S. athletes raced in the 2026 World Triathlon Championship Series Uzbekistan race, held under blazing hot conditions that pushed athletes to their limits.
Spivey, who finished the 2025 World Triathlon Championship Series season fourth in the overall standings, started her 2026 campaign strong, turning in a trademark consistent performance in Samarkand that saw her in the lead group across the 1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike, and 10k run portions of the race. She placed fifth with a time of 1 hour, 54 minutes, 53 seconds in the Olympic distance triathlon.
Great Britain’s Beth Potter won the race with a time of 1:53:17. France’s Leonie Periault (FRA) took second in 1:53:26 and Jeanne Lehair of Luxembourg placed third in 1:54:20.
Spivey was among the leaders in the wetsuit swim and in the lead pack on the bike that included U.S. teammate Kirsten Kasper (North Andover, Mass.), Potter, Periault, Lehair, Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR), Laura Lindemann (GER), Tanja Neubert (GER) and Sian Rainsley (GBR).
Taylor-Brown led a breakaway on the final lap of the bike, opening up a 34-second gap heading into transition. Potter, Periault and Lehair all reeled in Taylor-Brown on the run to land on the podium, while Spivey clocked a 35:13 10k to nearly catch Taylor-Brown.
Spivey’s teammate Erika Ackerlund was the next best U.S. athlete, placing 17th. Kasper placed 19th, Gwen Jorgensen (Boulder, Colo.) 24th and Danielle Orie (Orchard Park, N.Y.) 30th.
Seth Rider led the U.S. in the men’s race, placing 27th with a time of 1:46:44.
Portugal’s Vasco Vilaca won his first career WTCS race, taking the win in a sprint finish with Germany’s Henry Graf, pulling away on the blue carpet to break the tape in a time of 1:43:33. Graf finished 4 seconds behind and Canada’s Charles Paquet took third in 1:43:41.
Next up in the 2026 World Triathlon Championship Series is WTCS Yokohama on May 16, the final event before the LA28 Olympic qualification period begins on May 18.
2026 World Triathlon Championship Series Samarkand
1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run
Elite Women
Top 3
1. Beth Potter (GBR), 1:53:17
2. Leonie Periault (FRA), 1:53:26
3. Jeanne Lehair (LUX), 1:54:20
U.S. Finishers
5. Taylor Spivey (Redondo Beach, Calif.), 1:54:53
17. Erika Ackerlund (Helena, Mont.), 1:56:13
19. Kirsten Kasper (North Andover, Mass.), 1:56:48
24. Gwen Jorgensen (Boulder, Colo.), 1:58:28
30. Danielle Orie (Orchard Park, N.Y.), 2:02:23
Elite Men
1. Vasco Vilaca (POR), 1:43:33
2. Henry Graf (GER), 1:43:37
3. Charles Paquet (CAN), 1:43:41
U.S. Finishers
27. Seth Rider (Germantown, Tenn.), 1:46:44
33. Darr Smith (Atlanta, Ga.), 1:47:31
38. John Reed (Virginia Beach, Va.), 1:48:46
40. Chase McQueen (Columbus, Ind.), 1:50:23
2026 World Triathlon Championship Series Schedule
WTCS Abu Dhabi | March 28-29 (POSTPONED)
WTCS Samarkand | April 26
WTCS Yokohama | May 16
WTCS Alghero | May 30-31
WTCS Quiberon | June 20-21
WTCS Hamburg | July 11
WTCS London | July 25
WTCS Weihai | Aug. 29
WTCS Karlovy Vary | Sept. 13
Championship Finals Pontevedra | Sept. 23-27
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon, paratriathlon, and indoor and virtual multisport events in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 3,500 events and races and connects with and supports more than 300,000 unique active members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work at the grassroots level with athletes, coaches, and race directors — as well as the USA Triathlon Foundation — USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including World Triathlon Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of World Triathlon and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).
