Age Group Team USA Earns 34 Medals at 2026 World Triathlon Age Group Championships in Pontevedra, Spain
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by Kennedy Terry
PONTEVEDRA, Spain – Age Group Team USA athletes earned 34 medals across four events, including eight gold medals, at the 2026 World Triathlon Age Group Championships, Sept. 23-27 in Pontevedra, Spain.
Made up of athletes who qualify at USA Triathlon National Championships, Age Group Team USA competes in the annual World Triathlon World Championships, which attracts the best age group athletes from across the globe. This year, the team had over 500 participants in Pontevedra.
The annual five-day event celebrated different multisport formats and featured four Age Group World Championships including the Standard Distance Triathlon, Standard Aquabike, Sprint Distance Triathlon, and Mixed Relay. The event is hosted in conjunction with the World Triathlon Championship Finals, which encompassed Elite, Elite Para, U23 racing, and Junior, along with Mixed Relays.
Events started on Wednesday, Sept. 23 with the Parade of Nations and Opening Ceremony. Athletes from over 60 countries took to the streets of Pontevedra showing their national pride.
Age Group Team USA had a strong start to the competition on Thursday, Sept. 24, earning one gold medal and 14 total medals in the Sprint Distance Championship which consists of a 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike, and 5-kilometer run.
19-year-old Aiden Monistere (Baton Rouge, La.) placed first in the Open 16-19 category in a time of 1:01:31, edging out the second place finisher by 20 seconds.
Additionally, the team won five silver medals and two bronze medals.
Racing continued Saturday, Sept. 26 with the Standard Triathlon Championship which consists of a 1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike and a 10k run.
U.S. athletes earned nine medals, including four gold medals. The four athletes to earn world championship titles:
- Amanda Quinlan, F35-39 (Nashua, N.H.)
- Peter Staple, Open 75-79 (Los Altos, Calif.)
- Roger Freeman, Open 80-84 (San Diego, Calif.)
- Peggy McDowell-Cramer, F85-89 (Santa Monica, Calif.)
Additionally, the team earned one silver medal and four bronze medals.
Competition on Sept. 26 also included the Age Group Standard Aquabike Championship, which consists of a 1.5-kilometer swim and 40-kilometer bike. The U.S. had nine medals in total, with three gold medals:
The athlete who won gold medals:
- Stephanie Oechsner, F35-39 (Saint Peters, Mo.)
- Blair Saunders, Open 60-64 (Newarkm Del.)
- Heather Grahame, F70-74 (Helena, Mont.)
Additionally, the U.S. earned three silver medals and three gold medals.
Team USA Age Group athletes competed in the Triathlon Mixed Relay Championship on Sept. 27, which featured teams of four athletes each completing a 250-meter swim, 6-kilometer bike, and 1.5-kilometer run. Two U.S. teams earned silver medals.
A crew hailing from Colorado including Lindsey Jerdonek (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Kirk Framke (Denver, Colo.), Steph Popelar (Elizabeth, Colo.), and Peter Valentyik (Boulder, Colo.) placed second in the 200-239 age group, edged out by only four seconds.
Susan Griffin-Kaklikian (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Terry Loftus (Laguna Niguel, Calif.), Donna Smyers (Adamant, Vt.), and Jeffrey Schumann (Salisbury, Vt.) also earned a silver medal in the 280-319 age group.
Interested in racing for Age Group Team USA? Learn more about ways to qualify here.
Pontevedra, Spain | Sept. 23-27
1,500m swim, 40k bike, 10k run
Open 18-19
3. Joshua Blanchard
F35-39
1. Amanda Quinlan
3. Clarissa Smith
F45-49
2. Tiffany Kari Cizmas
F60-64
3. Jocelyn Saunders
Open 75-79
1. Peter Staple
3. John Towart
Open 80-84
1. Roger Freeman
F85-89
1. Peggy McDowell-Cramer
1.5k swim, 40k bike
F18-19
3. Ariana Burge
F35-39
1. Stephanie Oechsner
F55-59
2. Lauren Jensen McGinnis
Open 60-64
1. Blair Saunders
F65-69
3. Denise Brown
Open 65-69
2. Dean Pope
F70-74
1. Heather Grahame
2. Joan Lauber
Open 70-74
3. Jeffrey Schumann
750m swim, 20k bike, 5k run
F16-19
3. Avalyn Thompson
Open 16-19
1. Aiden Monistere
F20-24
2. Alexis Workman
F30-34
2. Natalie Obando
F35-39
2. Amanda Quinlan
3. Stephanie Oechsner
F40-44
3. Michelle Christine
F45-49
3. Caroline Sanders
F55-59
3. Steph Popelar
F60-64
3. Jocelyn Saunders
F65-69
3. Alicia Caldwell
F70-74
2. Susan Griffin-Kaklikian
3. Joan Lauber
Open 85-89
2. Raymond Eastwood
4x 250m swim, 6k bike, 1.5k run
Mixed 200-239
2. USA (Lindsey Jerdonek, Kirk Framke, Steph Popelar, Peter Valentyik)
Mixed 280-319
2. USA (Susan Griffin-Kaklikian, Terry Loftus, Donna Smyers, Jeffrey Schumann)
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).
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