Avalyn Thompson Selected to Represent Team USA at 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal
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by USA Triathlon
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — USA TRI Junior Team athlete Avalyn Thompson (Altamonte Springs, Fla.) has qualified to represent Team USA in triathlon at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, set for Nov. 5-6 in Dakar, Senegal.
The fourth Youth Olympic Games will be held from Oct. 31-Nov. 13 and is hosted every four years as an international sports, education and cultural festival for junior athletes. More than 93 countries will send athletes to compete across 153 events in 25 sports, with the triathlon competition taking place on Saly Beach.
Thompson earned her place on Team USA following a standout second-place performance in March in Mexico at the 2026 Americas Triathlon North American Junior Championships La Paz. She will be the sole U.S. triathlete representing the nation in Dakar.
"Qualifying for the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar is a huge milestone for Avalyn and a reflection of her commitment and growth as an athlete," said Tommy Zaferes, USA Triathlon Talent Development Manager. "Beyond the competition, this experience will expose her to international racing and travel, which is incredibly valuable at this stage of her development. Those experiences accelerate not just performance, but confidence and independence, and will play a key role in shaping her future in the sport."
A lifelong endurance athlete, Thompson began competitive swimming and running when she was 5 and completed her first triathlon at age 8. She started racing in the USA Triathlon Junior National Series at age 12 and has steadily progressed through the USA Triathlon development pathway. Now a rising senior at Lake Brantley High School, Thompson balances triathlon training with participation on her school's varsity cross country, track and field, and swim teams.
Thompson is also a member of the SLAP Tri Team in Clermont, Florida, where she trains under coaches Sara McLarty and Jodie Stimpson. She was one of the inaugural recipients of the Gwen Jorgensen Scholarship Fund in 2025, a program established by Olympic gold medalist Gwen Jorgensen and her husband, Patrick Lemieux, and the USA Triathlon Foundation to support emerging youth athletes.
Photo Courtesy of the Thompson Family
Thompson's accomplishments include:
- Three-time USA Triathlon All-American (2023, 2024, 2025)
- Two-time Florida State High School Triathlon Sprint Champion (2025, 2026)
- 2026 SAC Conference Cross Country Player of the Year
- Three-time MVP of her high school cross country team (2023, 2024, 2025)
Following the Youth Olympic Games, Thompson will continue her international racing schedule at the 2026 World Triathlon Age Group Championships in Pontevedra, Spain, where she will compete against many of the world's top amateur athletes.
With aspirations of competing in NCAA Division I triathlon after graduation, Thompson's selection to the Youth Olympic Games represents another significant step in her athletic career and an opportunity to represent Team USA on one of sport's biggest stages.
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).
