Taylor Spivey Leads U.S. with Silver Medal Performance at Karlovy Vary WTCS

KARLOVY VARY, CZECH REPUBLIC — U.S. Elite Triathlete Taylor Spivey (Redondo Beach, Calif.) delivered a standout performance on Sunday, Sept. 14, earning the silver medal at the World Triathlon Championship Series Karlovy Vary. Racing on a demanding Olympic-distance course, Spivey battled the technical, hilly bike course on a rainy day with slick road conditions to secure her first WTCS podium of the 2025 season.

The race featured a 1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike, and 10-kilometer run on Karlovy Vary’s signature course, renowned for its steep climbs, cobblestone streets, and punishing terrain.

Great Britain’s Beth Potter claimed the women’s gold in 2 hours, 2 minutes, 12 seconds. Spivey crossed the line just behind in 2:02:25, with Germany’s Lisa Tertsch taking the bronze in 2:03:07.

Spivey’s silver was earned on the bike course. Working together with Dutch triathlete Maya Kingma, the duo put a minute into their chasers by the time they arrived into T2. With the 1-minute lead, Spivey controlled the run in the lead with visions of her first WTCS gold medal in sight. She held onto the lead until the final run lap when Potter finally caught her.

“It's really nice to be back on the podium. I did my best to stay ahead of her (Potter),” said Spivey, who has dealt with a few nagging injuries this season, forcing her to take the last four weeks off from proper run training. “She just got me on the last lap. … I knew this was a course that suited me, but I didn't know it suited me this well. I was happy to see Maya (Kingma) take the lead on the bike and I did my best to catch her and stay with her. With the wet conditions, I was trying to be cautious, not go down and not lose the race because of a sully mistake. I'm happy to come away with the second.”

Also competing for the U.S. women, Gina Sereno (Madison, Wis.) placed 25th.

On the men’s side, Henry Graf of Germany earned his first WTCS victory in 1:49:22, followed by Miguel Hidalgo of Brazil and Csongor Lehmann of Hungary.

The U.S. squad was led by Seth Rider (Germantown, Tenn.), who finished 18th. John Reed (Virginia Beach, Va.) placed 22nd. Morgan Pearson (New Vernon, N.J.) and Chase McQueen (Columbus, Ind.) did not finish.

The Karlovy Vary stop marked the penultimate European race of the 2025 WTCS season before the Series heads to Weihai, China, on Sept. 26 and the Championship Finals in Wollongong, Australia, Oct. 15-19.

2025 WORLD TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES KARLOVY VARY
Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic

1,500m swim, 40k bike, 10k run

Complete Results

Women

1. Beth Potter (GBR), 2:05:11

2. Taylor Spivey (Redondo Beach, Calif.), 2:05:43

3. Lisa Tertsch (GER), 2:06:18

U.S. Results

25. Gina Sereno (Madison, Wis.), 2:14:19

Men

1. Henry Graf (GER), 1:49:22

2. Miguel Hidalgo (BRA), 1:49:29

3. Csongor Lehmann (HUN), 1:49:46

U.S. Results

18. Seth Rider (Germantown, Tenn.), 1:51:20

22. John Reed (Virginia Beach, Va.), 1:51:53

DNF Morgan Pearson (New Vernon, N.J.)

DNF Chase McQueen (Columbus, Ind.)

2025 WORLD TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES SCHEDULE

The World Triathlon Championship Series, which began in 2009, is an annual series of triathlon events where athletes compete head-to-head for points. The rankings are used to determine the best-performing triathletes of the season and, ultimately, the World Champions.

Series schedule:

WTCS Abu Dhabi | Feb. 15-16 | Individual Race Recap | Mixed Relay Recap

WTCS Yokohama | May 17 | Race Recap

WTCS Alghero | May 31| Race Recap

WTCS Hamburg & Mixed Relay World Championships | July 12-13 | Recap

WTCS French Riviera | Aug. 31 | Recap 

WTCS Karlovy Vary | Sept. 14

WTCS Weihai | Sept. 26

Championship Finals Wollongong | Oct. 15-19