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U.S. Elite Triathletes Gear Up for Thrilling Sprint Showdown at WTCS French Riviera

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by USA Triathlon

U.S. Elite Triathlete Morgan Pearson.

Fréjus, France —Eight U.S. Elite Triathletes are ready to race on the stunning French Riviera this Sunday, Aug. 31, for the fifth round of the 2025 World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS). Held for the first time in this iconic coastal region, the sprint-distance race will unfold across a fast and technical course, offering fans a spectacular race and athletes a critical opportunity to earn points as the championship season enters its opening stretch toward the Championship Finals in Wollongong, Australia.

Among the elite field representing the U.S. are Paris 2024 Olympic Mixed Relay medalists Morgan Pearson, Taylor Spivey, and Seth Rider. The three are joined by fellow veteran and Tokyo 2020 Olympian Summer Rappaport and strong young talent in John Reed, Chase McQueen, Erika Ackerlund, and Darr Smith.

This weekend delivers something unprecedented with the convergence of the sprint-distance WTCS French Riviera on Sunday and the PTO’s T100 French Riviera race on Sunday, with short-course and long-distance athletes alike racing 100 kilometers across Saint-Raphaël and Fréjus.

HOW TO WATCH

Fans can watch all WTCS events live or on-demand on TriathlonLIVE.tv. The platform is available on all browsers at www.triathlonlive.tv and the TriathlonLIVE app for Apple and Android smartphones and tablets. TriathlonLIVE is compatible with Chromecast, Apple TV, and Android TV.

Men’s WTCS: 2:45 p.m local time on Sunday, Aug. 31 (8:45 a.m. ET/5:45 a.m. PT)

Women’s WTCS:  4:30 p.m. local time on Sunday, Aug. 31 (10:30 a.m. ET/7:30 a.m. PT)

For all U.S. elite triathlon news, visit USA Triathlon’s Elite Hub: www.usatriathlon.org/our-community/about-elite

COURSE HIGHLIGHTS

Sprint Distance Format: A 750 m clockwise beach-start swim at Plage du Veillat (Saint-Raphaël), transitioning to a 20k bike composed of four laps around Saint-Raphaël and a final lap finishing at Base Nature in Fréjus, followed by a 5k run divided into three laps.

U.S. Athletes to Watch

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

WTCS Karlovy Vary | Sept. 14

WTCS Weihai | Sept. 26

Championship Finals Wollongong | Oct. 15-19

About USA Triathlon 

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).