USA Triathlon Announces 2026 U.S. Triathlon National Team
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by USA Triathlon
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — USA Triathlon today announced the 23 members of the 2026 U.S. Triathlon National Team, the group of U.S. elite triathletes and elite paratriathletes who will represent the U.S. on the international racing stage during the 2026 season.
U.S. Triathlon National team athletes will compete in 2026 across the World Triathlon Championship Series events, World Triathlon World Cup events, World Triathlon Para Series races, and Para World Cups. The team of elite paratriathletes and elite triathletes will look to build off the success of a strong 2025 campaign from USA Triathlon. Athletes qualify for the National Team through top international performances at the highest levels of World Triathlon competition.
For many U.S. athletes, the season kicks off next month at the 2026 World Triathlon Para Series Devonport on March 13 and the World Triathlon Championship Series Abu Dhabi on March 28-29
To view the 2026 schedule and results throughout the season, visit USA Triathlon’s Elite Hub. Fans can watch many races live and on-demand with a subscription to TriathlonLive.
Boulder, Colo.
Jorgensen won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, becoming the first U.S. triathlete to win an Olympic gold medal. After starting a family and pursuing a professional running career following the Rio 2016 Games, Jorgensen returned to the sport of triathlon in 2023. During her first season back racing elite triathlon, Jorgensen won four World Triathlon Cup races, including three in a row in Valencia, Karlovy Vary and Tongyeong.
North Andover, Mass.
A Paris 2024 Olympian, Kasper is a veteran on the U.S. Elite Triathlon National Team and World Triathlon racing stage. She was a member of the 2016 Mixed Relay World Championships gold medal team, the Mixed Relay World Championships silver medal team in 2017 and the Mixed Relay World Championships bronze medal team in 2018. A former runner for Georgetown University, Kasper was introduced to triathlon through USA Triathlon’s Collegiate Recruitment Program, which identifies and recruits top-level NCAA runners and swimmers to elite triathlon.
Boulder, Colo.
Knibb is a two-time Olympic medalist, helping the U.S. win the silver medal in the Mixed Relay at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games. She also competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics in the cycling individual time trial as the only U.S. Olympian to compete in two different sports. In addition to racing on the draft-legal World Triathlon Championship Series circuit, Knibb also races non-drafting IRONMAN and T100 events. Knibb started racing triathlon as a Junior, winning the 2016 and 2017 Junior World Championships and the 2018 Under-23 World Championships.
Madison, Wis.
An All-American runner at NCAA Division I University of Michigan, Sereno began her triathlon career through USA Triathlon's Collegiate Recruitment Program. In 2023, she represented the U.S. at the Pan American Games, helping the U.S. Mixed Relay team to a silver medal. Outside of triathlon, Sereno works as a system engineer for NASA.
Redondo Beach, Calif.
Spivey earned an Olympic silver medal as a member of the U.S. Mixed Relay team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. One of the world’s most consistent triathletes, Spivey placed either third or fourth in the World Triathlon Championship Series every year from 2019 to 2023 and placed fourth in 2025. Spivey grew up competing in open water swim competitions as an ocean lifeguard and was a member of the USA Lifesaving International team from 2009-2014. She swam at NCAA Division I California Polytechnic State University and joined the school's club triathlon team to begin her triathlon career.
Colorado Springs, Colo., PTS2 classification
A three-time Paralympian, Danz won gold at the Paralympic Games Paris 2024, the third Paralympic medal in her career. She won back-to-back silver medals at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. A four-time World Champion, Danz has earned 23 wins in 50 World Triathlon starts. A childhood cancer survivor, Danz was introduced to triathlon through Dare2Tri, a nonprofit and paratriathlon club based out of Chicago.
San Antonio, Texas, PTS4
A member of the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 U.S. Paralympic Triathlon Teams, Elmlinger won the World Championship in 2023 and 2021 in her PTS4 classification. A U.S. Army veteran, Elmlinger served three back-to-back deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. After her deployments, she earned her degree in nursing from the University of North Carolina and became an avid runner. In 2013, she was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, a rare form of soft tissue cancer, leading to the amputation of her leg. An ambassador for the Wounded Warrior Project, Elmlinger started her triathlon journey in 2018. She is the mother of one daughter.
Downers Grove, Ill, PTWC
Gretsch is a two-sport star and one of only five U.S. Paralympians to win gold medals in both the summer and winter Paralympic Games. She will compete in biathlon and cross-country skiing at the upcoming 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympic Games. Gretsch won the first women’s triathlon wheelchair race in Paralympic history at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. She followed that performance six months later by winning two medals (one gold) in biathlon and cross-country skiing at the Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. At the Paris 2024 Paralympics, she won silver, giving her seven Paralympic medals.
Bloomington, Ind., PTS5
One of paratriathlon’s biggest stars, Norman is a three-time Paralympian who had a dominant 2025 season, capped by her sixth World Championship title. She won gold at the Paris 2024 Paralympics — the fourth Paralympic medal in her career. Norman earned Paralympic silver in the PTS5 classification at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and gold at Rio 2016. She also competed in track and field in Rio, winning bronze in the women’s 400-meters.
Philadelphia, Pa., PTWC
A rising force in U.S. paratriathlon, Perry made her Paralympic debut at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, finishing fifth in the women’s PTWC event. She capped her 2025 season by taking silver in the women’s PTWC race at the World Championships in Wollongong, Australia and helping the U.S. defend its World Championship gold medal in the para mixed relay. She is a member of USA Triathlon’s Para Resident Team, based at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A former collegiate runner at Ursinus College, Perry has established herself among the world’s best in the women’s PTWC classification.
Glendale, Ariz., PTS2
Seely returns for another season of racing as one of the sport’s most decorated stars. She is a two-time Paralympic gold medalist, winning at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. She earned a third Paralympic medal, bronze, at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. She is a five-time World Champion, and a graduate of Arizona State University, where she competed for ASU at the USA Triathlon Collegiate Club National Championships, becoming the first paratriathlete to race in the event.
Columbus, Ind.
A former member of USA Triathlon’s Project Podium development group, McQueen has steadily risen through the ranks with standout performances across different triathlon formats. In 2024, he won the supertri E World Triathlon Championships in London and has also earned strong finishes in World Triathlon events.
New Vernon, N.J.
Pearson is a two-time Olympic silver medalist in the Mixed Relay at the Paris 2024 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. One of triathlon’s fastest runners, Pearson is the first U.S. male triathlete to win multiple World Triathlon Championship Series medals, including gold at 2024 WTCS Yokohama. A seven-time All-American runner at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Pearson got his start in elite triathlon through the USA Triathlon Collegiate Recruitment Program.
Virginia Beach, Va.
Reed enters his second season as a member of the U.S. Elite Triathlon National Team after having breakout performances in 2024 and 2025. In 2025, he earned his first podium finish at the WTCS level at WTCS Weihai. He placed sixth at the 2024 World Triathlon U23 World Championships, the best result by a U.S. man at U23 World Championships since Tokyo 2020 Olympian Kevin McDowell's fourth-place finish in 2015.
Germantown, Tenn.
A Paris 2024 Olympian, Rider was a member of the U.S. Mixed Relay team that won silver. A lifelong triathlete, Rider started racing triathlon at 6-years-old and came up through USA Triathlon’s Youth and Junior elite triathlon circuit. He represented the U.S. at the Youth Olympic Games and in 2015 he won the USA Triathlon Junior Elite National Championships.
Atlanta, Georgia
Smith is a longtime triathlete who came up through USA Triathlon’s junior development teams. He earned two Youth Elite National Champion titles and a Junior Elite National Champion title. Racing consistently on the 2025 WTCS circuit, Smith notched a top-10 performance at WTCS Weihai and has been a key contributor to U.S. squads at major global events.
Sugar Land, Texas
Vannerson had a breakthrough run in 2025 highlighted by his first World Triathlon Cup victory in Chengdu. He also notched multiple top-10 finishes on the international circuit and led the U.S. at the 2025 World Triathlon U23 World Championships, placing eighth. As a Junior, Vannerson earned silver at the 2024 World Triathlon Junior World Championships and claimed multiple continental titles. Vannerson trains in Tempe, Arizona, as a member of USA Triathlon’s elite development squad, Project Podium.
Davis, Calif, PTS2
A four-time Paralympian in triathlon and swimming, Barr earned his first Paralympic medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, a bronze in the PTS2 race. A swimmer throughout his life, Barr lost his leg to bone cancer while in his teens. He’d go on to represent the U.S. at the Athens 2004 Paralympics, where he collected two fourth-place finishes. He also competed at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games and swam for NCAA Division I California Polytechnic State University. He was introduced to triathlon through the Challenged Athletes Foundation, racing at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, where he placed fourth.
Charlotte, N.C., PTS4
A Paralympic medalist and a former NCAA Division I lacrosse player at the University of North Carolina, Clough’s first introduction to triathlon came through USA Triathlon's Virtual Combine, which recruits para athletes who show an interest in and potential talent for paratriathlon. He first competed in triathlon in 2022 and quickly advanced in the sport, winning a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in the PTS4 classification. Outside of sport, Clough owns and operates a coffee shop in Charlotte, North Carolina, The Giddy Goat Coffee Roasters.
Algonquin, Ill., PTVI
A Paris 2024 Paralympian, Cravens placed fourth in the PTVI race as a 21-year-old, just 18 seconds off the podium. Cravens grew up playing soccer until he was diagnosed with Stargardt Disease, a juvenile form of macular degeneration. He was introduced to triathlon through the Challenged Athletes Foundation. He trains in Boulder, Colorado, and is guided by Tokyo 2020 Olympic medalist Kevin McDowell.
Geneva, Ill., PTVI Guide
An elite triathlete and Olympic medalist, McDowell now guides paratriathlete Owen Cravens. McDowell won Olympic silver at the Tokyo 2020 Games as a member of the U.S. Mixed Relay team and he placed sixth in the men’s race, the best-ever finish for a U.S. man at the Olympic Games. McDowell grew up participating in USA Triathlon’s youth and junior elite triathlon circuit as part of the Chicago-based Multisport Madness Triathlon Team. He represented Team USA at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games and at the 2011 Junior World Championships. That year, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and took six months off to complete chemotherapy. A year later, he returned to elite competition.
Gilbert, Ariz., PTS5
A four-time Paralympian, Hammer won gold in the PTS5 race at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, claiming his first Paralympic medal after placing fourth at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Before transitioning to triathlon, Hammer competed in track and field at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Hammer most recently completed his first IRONMAN race and has competed in several IRONAMAN 70.3 races, competing as the only paratriathlete in the elite field.
Hayward, Calif, PTS2
Lahna won silver in the PTS2 classification at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, the first Paralympic medal for Lahna while competing for the U.S. He also won bronze at the Rio 2016 Paralympics while representing his native Morocco. Born and raised in Morocco with Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency, leaving him without a femur in his right leg, Lahna was limited in his mobility as a young child. At the age of 20, he was fitted with a real prosthetic, and within five years, he rode his first bike. Lahna credits the Challenged Athletes Foundation for supporting his elite triathlon career.
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).
