U.S. Elite Triathletes Kick Off 2026 WTCS Season in Samarkand on April 25
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by USA Triathlon
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The 2026 World Triathlon Championship Series season kicks off Saturday, April 25, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Following the postponement of the first WTCS race in Abu Dhabi, this will be the first time we see the top U.S. elite triathletes race in the 2026 season. In addition, Samarkand will also be hosting a World Triathlon Para Cup.
Nine U.S. athletes will race the WTCS race in Samarkand, with a strong mix of Olympic medalists and emerging national talent. 2016 Rio Olympic gold medalist Gwen Jorgensen returns to WTCS racing after a runner-up finish in March at the 2026 Americas Cup Gulfport, while Taylor Spivey, the 2024 Paris Olympic silver medalist in the mixed relay, begins her 2026 season.
Spivey’s Olympic mixed relay teammate, Seth Rider will also race. He comes to Samarkand following two World Cup races in March.
Also highlighting the lineup is John Reed, who posted a blistering 28:35 10-kilometer run in Gold Coast last month and enters his first triathlon of the year with momentum.
“I want to be up front and a factor in these races from the start, and set a precedent for the Olympic cycle,” said Reed who finished the 2025 Word Triathlon Championship Series as the top-ranked U.S. man, in 17th.
Fellow emerging talent Chase McQueen returns to Uzbekistan where he had a fifth-place finish at the 2024 World Triathlon Cup Samarkand.
The U.S. start list also includes Paris 2024 Olympian Kirsten Kasper, who placed seventh last month at IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside; Erika Ackerlund, Danielle Orie, and Darr Smith.
This event marks the first time Samarkand has hosted a World Triathlon Championship Series event, after hosting two World Triathlon Cups in 2024 and 2025. The event will take place at the new Silk Road Samarkand venue.
Athletes will race an Olympic distance triathlon consisting of a 1500-meter swim in a man-made pond, followed by a 40-kilometer bike, and a 10k run, all within the complex.
U.S. elite paratriathlete McClain Hermes, alongside her guide Julia Day, also opens up her season at the World Triathlon Para Cup. Hermes, who is a two-time Paralympian in swimming, placed first at the World Para Cup Tata and third at the World Para Cup Magog in 2025.
Fans can watch the races live and on-demand on TriathlonLive.tv. Buy your pass here to subscribe to TriathlonLive. Racing kicks off Saturday, April 25 at 1 p.m. local time.
Women’s Race: 4 a.m. ET/ 1 a.m. PT
Men’s Race: 6:45 a.m. ET / 3:45 a.m. PT
WTCS Samarkand and WTCS Yokohama are the last two World Triathlon events before the LA28 Olympic qualification period begins on May 18.
Visit the World Triathlon website here for more information and full start lists.
WTCS Abu Dhabi | March 28-29 (POSTPONED)
WTCS Samarkand | April 26
WTCS Yokohama | May 16
WTCS Alghero | May 30-31
WTCS Quiberon | June 20-21
WTCS Hamburg | July 11
WTCS London | July 25
WTCS Weihai | Aug. 29
WTCS Karlovy Vary | Sept. 13
Championship Finals Pontevedra | Sept. 23-27
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).
