U.S. Women In Podium Contention Heading Into World Triathlon Championship Finals

 

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – A trio of U.S. women are in contention for the overall World Triathlon Championship podium as they get set to compete at the World Triathlon Championship Finals in Edmonton, Alberta on Saturday, Aug. 21.

 

Taylor Spivey (Redondo Beach, Calif.), Taylor Knibb (Washington, D.C.) and Katie Zaferes (Cary, N.C.) join three other U.S. elite athletes, as well as six U.S. U23 athletes competing in the U23 World Triathlon Championship.

 

This Saturday’s race is the final stop on the 2021 World Triathlon Championship Series calendar with the overall leaders at the conclusion of the series crowned world champions. The world championship podium will be comprised of the top-three athletes per gender in the overall series standings.

 

Spivey, Knibb and Zaferes all head to Edmonton in contention for the overall World Triathlon Championship podium as the United States holds three of the top-six spots on the Maurice Lacroix World Triathlon Championship Rankings. Spivey is ranked second, followed by Knibb in fourth and Zaferes in sixth. Each of the women have won at least one medal in the 2021 World Triathlon Championship Series as Spivey earned a bronze medal this past weekend in Montreal, Knibb collected a silver in Montreal and a gold in Yokohama, and Zaferes took home the bronze at the Tokyo Games.

 

Kristen Kasper (North Andover, Mass.), Summer Rappaport (Thornton, Colo.) and Seth Rider (Germantown, Tenn.) round out the U.S. elite contingent in Edmonton. Rappaport has also earned a medal in the 2021 World Triathlon Championship Series with a silver in Yokohama.

 

Spivey, Rider, Kasper and Chase McQueen (Columbus, Ind.) also teamed up in Montreal to win gold in the mixed relay and become the second quartet in 16 days to earn a medal in the format following the Olympic silver medal performance by Zaferes, Kevin McDowell (Geneva, Ill.), Knibb and Morgan Pearson (Boulder, Colo.) in Tokyo.

 

For the elite World Triathlon Championship Series race, athletes will cover a 1,500-meter swim in Hawrelak Park, followed by an eight-lap, 40-kilometer ride and four-lap, 10-kilometer run around the lake. The U23 race will include a 1,500-meter swim in Hawrelak Park, six 6.67-kilometer laps on the bike and a four-lap, 10-kilometer run around the lake. 

 

In the U23 World Triathlon Championship, McQueen is joined by Austin Hindman (Wildwood, Mo.), Madisen Lavin (Vermillion, S.D.), Darr Smith (Atlanta, Ga.), Kyleigh Spearing (Frankfort, Ill.) and Grace Walther (Fort Wayne, Ind.). Parker Spencer, a USA Triathlon Level IIL certified Coach and head coach of Project Podium, is serving as the U.S. coach.

 

On the men’s side, McQueen most recently finished 25th at the 2021 World Triathlon Championship Series Montreal in addition to his gold medal in the mixed relay, while Hindmen and Smith most recently placed fourth and 10th, respectively at the 2021 Americas Triathlon Cup Long Beach. On the women’s side Walther, Lavin and Spearing most recently placed seventh, 10th and 13th, respectively at the 2021 Americas Triathlon Cup Long Beach.  

 

Click here for complete start lists. 

Tune In
All races will be broadcast live at FloTrack.org and TriathlonLIVE.tv, with subscriptions available for purchase. The U23 Women open the action at 10 a.m. followed by the Elite Women at 12:50 p.m., Elite Men at 3:50 p.m. and the U23 Men at 6:30 p.m. All times ET.

World Triathlon Championship Series to Date
U.S. athletes have won seven of the 24 total medals awarded so far in the 2021 World Triathlon Championship Series, including Knibb’s silver and Spivey’s bronze this past weekend in Montreal. Spivey is the highest-ranked U.S. women currently at No. 2, while Knibb, Zaferes and Rappaport are in 4th, 6th, and 11th respectively. Morgan Pearson is the top U.S. man in seventh, while Kevin McDowell holds the No. 10 spot. Pearson and McDowell are not racing in Edmonton. Click here for the complete standings. 

The shortened 2021 series had its first stop in Yokohama, Japan, on May 15, before heading to Leeds, England, on June 6. The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 also counted as a stop in the series, followed by Montreal Aug. 13-15 and ending with the Championship Finals in Edmonton. The Championship Finals are weighted more heavily than regular-season races, with athletes earning proportionally more points toward the series total at that race. The world championship podium will be named in Edmonton, comprised of the top-three athletes per gender in the overall series standings.

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 and paratriathlon in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,000 events and connects with more than 400,000 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).