USA TRI Athletes Race Aug. 29 at World Triathlon Championship Series Weihai
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by USA Triathlon
USA TRI National Team member John Reed.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — USA TRI elite athletes head to Weihai, China, on Aug. 29 for the World Triathlon Championship Series Weihai, the seventh stop of the 2026 World Triathlon Championship Series. The penultimate race of the WTCS season, Weihai carries added weight as one of the final opportunities for athletes to bank points before the series' remaining stop in Karlovy Vary and the Championship Finals in Pontevedra, Spain, Sept. 23-27.
USA TRI Elite triathlete John Reed (Virginia Beach, Va.) headlines the American men's team, returning to the site of his breakthrough 2025 season. Reed earned bronze at last year's WTCS Weihai, his first career WTCS medal. Reed is joined by Blake Bullard (Southlake, Texas), Darr Smith (Atlanta, Ga.), Zach Leachman (Mars, Pa.) and Chase McQueen (Columbus, Ind.) to round out a five-man U.S. squad.
USA TRI women racing include Rio 2016 Olympic gold medalist Gwen Jorgensen (Boulder, Colo.), Paris 2024 Olympian Kirsten Kasper (North Andover, Mass.) and Gina Sereno (Madison, Wis.).
Weihai will host an Olympic-distance race for the third consecutive year, with athletes completing a 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-kilometer bike and 10-kilometer run along the city's coastline. The event is also part of the LA28 Olympic qualification cycle.
On the international side, reigning Olympic champion Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) arrives as the only French entrant in the women's field, needing just one more strong result to reclaim the overall series lead ahead of the Pontevedra Final. She'll face the past two Weihai winners, Lisa Tertsch (GER) and Beth Potter (GBR). In the men's race, reigning world champion Matt Hauser (AUS) enters as the top seed with his two closest rivals in the standings absent, though a shaky history in Weihai — he skipped the race last year and finished 19th in 2024 — leaves the door open.
Visit the event website here for more information and full start lists. For all U.S. elite triathlon news and coverage, follow @usatrielite on social media.
How To Watch
Fans can watch the races in Weihai live and on demand on TriathlonLive.tv.
Men's Race: 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, Friday, Aug. 28 (9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, local time in Weihai)
Women's Race: Midnight ET/9 p.m. PT, Friday, Aug. 28 (Noon Saturday, Aug. 29, local time in Weihai)
2026 World Triathlon Championship Series Schedule
WTCS Samarkand | April 26 | Results
WTCS Yokohama | May 16 | Results
WTCS Alghero | May 30 | Results
WTCS Quiberon | June 20-21 | Results
WTCS Hamburg | July 11 | Results
WTCS London | July 25 | Results
WTCS Weihai | Aug. 29
WTCS Karlovy Vary | Sept. 13
Championship Finals Pontevedra | Sept. 23-27
WTCS Abu Dhabi | Postponed to Nov. 13-14
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).
