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USA Triathlon Weekend Notebook: Podiums Across the Board for Team USA

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by USA Triathlon

Matt McElroy and Summer Rappaport on the Karlovy Vary Podium

2022 World Triathlon Cup Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic

It's been a busy three weeks in the World Triathlon Cup world. There has been three weeks of back-to-back-to-back racing across Europe for our U.S. elite triathletes. First we started in Bergen Norway, then jetted over to Valencia, Spain and then finally this past weekend set course for Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. 

This city has been on the World Triathlon Cup circuit since 2017 and boasts for being a challenging venue due to its cobblestone-lined streets and grueling hills and descents. 

This past weekend was no different, it was the sixth World Cup of the season and only the second Olympic-Distance race of the year and tested athletes on their leg strength ability pushing on the 40-kilometer bike course. 

But apparently, Team USA can handle a hill!

We earned not one, but two podium finishes between both the men's and women's races!

The women went first in the morning. If you were early enough to wake up and catch the 4:00AM EST livestream, then you would have seen Summer Rappaport crush it from start to finish. 

She was second out of the water, only to then make it into the lead bike pack and then have a solid 10K run to take the bronze medal. She finished third with a time of 2:06:29. Summer earned her first podium of the season and the first women's U.S. world up podium of the year. 

Next came the men. Mimicking the success of the women, Matt McElroy showcased another example of his "just have fun" energy and walked away with his second medal in two weeks. He upgraded this time from bronze to silver, finishing second with a time of 1:51:20. A

Apparently he gave it everything he got in that race, considering he puked right before having to do his post-race interview!

Other U.S. finishers saw Erika Ackerlund finish 18th, Annie Kelly 39th and Seth Rider place 15th. 

Super League 2022 Enduro Munich
Munich, Germany

The Super League season is blasting off with already its second event of the series done and dusted. Sunday took the pros over to Germany to race the enduro format, which is a "non-stop burst of nine back-to-back triathlon disciplines without any breaks. Swim-bike-run repeated continuously three times in a row. There are two Short Chutes up for grabs – to be taken on the third and final run. Any athlete who falls more than 90 seconds behind the leader will be eliminated".

Once again Taylor Spivey showed up to slay as the best Rhino she can be!

She was in the top three on each phase and put up the best time in the third and final round to ultimately land third in the overall rankings. Her bronze medal adds to the silver she earned in the series opener in London last weekend.


On the men's side, Chase McQueen improved one position from last weekend to place ninth in the field. He now sits 7th overall in the Series rankings. 


Next up, Super League heads stateside to compete in round 3 of the series in Malibu!

IRONMAN Wisconsin
Madison, Wis.

The 20th Anniversary of IRONMAN Wisconsin took place on Sunday, with athletes ranging from 17-72 on the starting line. Participants began with a 2.4 mile swim in Lake Monona, followed by a 112 mile bicycle ride through the city and finished off with a 26.2 mile run across downtown Madison, finishing at the State Capitol.

In the pro field, the top spots went to international competition. However, the U.S. claimed a spot on the podium with Jessica Smith finishing second in the women's race and Adam Feigh taking the bronze in the men's race. 


 


IRONMAN Michigan 70.3
Frankfurt, Mich.

Across Lake Michigan from Wisconsin, the newest IRONMAN race in Michigan took place in Northern Michigan. 

A familiar USAT face won the overall men's race, Todd Buckingham, who won the draft-legal duathlon at the Multisport Festival this past spring. 


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