Elite

U.S. Elite Triathlete John Reed Leads U.S. at U23 World Championships

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by USA Triathlon

U.S. Elite triathlete John Reed runs at world championships, wearing a blue tri suit

U.S. Elite triathlete John Reed

TORREMOLINOS, ANDALUCÍA, Spain — U.S. Elite triathlete John Reed (Virginia Beach, Va.) placed sixth at the World Triathlon U23 World Championships on Thursday, Oct. 17 at the 2024 World Triathlon Championship Finals Torremolinos-Andalucia, leading the U.S. men's and women's teams.

Reed came to Spain as the world's No. 2 ranked U23 men's athlete and his sixth-place finish is the best result by a U.S. man at U23 World Championships since Tokyo 2020 Olympian Kevin McDowell's fourth-place finish in 2015. Reed is coached by Ryan Bolton, who leads an international elite group.

Reed exited the water from the 1.5-kilometer swim 18 seconds behind the leaders and found himself in the chase pack on the 40k bike with 2022 U23 World Championships silver medalist Gergely Kiss of Hungary and Sebastian Wernersen of Norway. The chase pack with Reed and crew finally caught the lead group at the start of the eighth and final bike lap.

Reed then clocked the fifth-fastest 10k to finish sixth in a time of 1 hour, 46 minutes, 33 seconds in the Olympic-distance race.

David Cantero Del Campo of Spain won the U23 world title in a time of 1:45:12, with Greece's Panagiotis Bitados finishing second in 1:45:46 and Kiss placing third in 1:46:11.

The sixth-place finish is another strong result for Reed, who won his first World Cup race in September in Karlovy Vary. His performances in 2024 elevated him to the U.S. Elite Triathlon National Team, solidifying him as a bright star for the future.

Reed's fellow U.S. U23 teammates, Sullivan Middaugh (Avon, Colo.), Ryan Luczak (Reston, Va.), and Nicholas Holmes (Glendale, Wis.) placed 28th, 45th and 48th, respectively.

All U.S. athletes who raced in the U23 and Junior World Championships are members of the Mallow Junior/U23 National Team Program.

In the women's U23 race, it was Arizona State University triathlete Naomi Ruff (West Chicago, Ill.) who led the way for the U.S. A strong swim-biker, Ruff used her water and bike skills to place 11th in her U23 World Championships debut.

Her Arizona State teammate Faith Dasso (New Braunfels, Texas) placed 39th, while Arizona State graduate Liberty Ricca (Tempe, Ariz.) finished 41st. Dasso and Ruff are coached at ASU by Cliff English.

Hungary's Karolina Helga Horváth captured the U23 world title in a time of 1:57:13, with Slovakia's Zuzana Michalickova taking second and Maria Tomé of Portugal finishing third.

RESULTS

U23 World Championships | 2024 World Triathlon Championship Finals Torremolinos-Andalucia

Complete Results

Men

Top 3

1. David Cantero Del Campo (ESP), 1:45:12

2. Panagiotis Bitados (GRE), 1:45:46

3. Gergely Kiss (HUN), 1:46:11

U.S. Finishers

6. John Reed (Virginia Beach, Va.), 1:46:33

28. Sullivan Middaugh (Avon, Colo.), 1:51:10

45. Ryan Luczak (Reston, Va.), 1:54:51

48. Nicholas Holmes (Glendale, Wis.), 1:55:53

Women

Top 3

1. Karolina Helga Horváth (HUN), 1:57:13

2. Zuzana Michalickova (SVK), 1:57:17

3. Maria Tomé (POR), 1:57:19

U.S. Finishers

11. Naomi Ruff (West Chicago, Ill.), 1:59:06

39. Faith Dasso (New Braunfels, Texas), 2:08:32

41. Liberty Ricca (Tempe, Ariz.), 2:09:43

About USA Triathlon

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 World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

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