Kirsten Kasper Places Sixth, Leads U.S. at 2026 World Triathlon Championship Finals
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by Kennedy Terry
PONTEVEDRA, Spain – USA TRI National Team member Kirsten Kasper placed sixth on Saturday, Sept. 26, at the 2026 World Triathlon Championship Finals in Pontevedra, Spain, to lead the U.S. in the Elite Women’s Championship.
Kasper finished the Olympic-distance race (1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike, 10-kilometer run) in 1 hour, 53 minutes, and 10 seconds. Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) placed first in 1:50:52, and Great Britain’s Georgia Taylor-Brown and Kate Waugh placed second and third in 1:51:57 and 1:52:23, respectively.
Kasper was a consistent presence from the beginning of the race, sitting inside the top 10 after the first lap of the swim. She exited the first transition in seventh and quickly settled into the front bike pack alongside fellow USA TRI National Team member Taylor Spivey.
Kasper and Spivey remained in the front pack through the first two laps of the bike leg before a crash near the back of the group caused Spivey to experience a mechanical issue. Spivey dropped into the chase pack, entering the second transition in 20th before running her way back to an 11th-place finish.
Kasper remained in the front pack and ran with Beth Potter (GBR) and Laura Lindemann (GER) to secure sixth place.
“That’s the type of racing I love,” said Kasper. “It felt amazing to be back up in the front with those girls and getting a breakaway on the bike. I was just holding on and trying to fight all the way to the line....every time I line up, I try to give it my all and perform at my best, so I’m ecstatic with today.”
Notably, Spivey’s finish secured her eighth-place position in the final 2026 World Triathlon Championship Series rankings.
Erika Ackerlund placed 21st, Gwen Jorgensen placed 23rd and Gina Sereno placed 25th.
In the men’s race, it was Seth Rider, Braxton Legg, and Morgan Pearson who placed themselves in a chase pack on the bike leg.
Pearson led the U.S. men placing 17th in a time of 1:41:38, Legg followed behind him placing 18th, and Seth Rider placed 34th. John Reed placed 37th and Reese Vannerson placed 42nd.
Matt Hauser (AUS) took the tape in a time of 1:39:31 in an incredible sprint finish against Vasco Vilaca (POR) with less than a second separating them. Alex Yee (GBR) placed third in a time of 1:39:35 after running a sub-29 10-kilometer run.
Kasper was founded through the USA Triathlon Collegiate Recruitment Program (CRP), an elite development pathway program designed to identify collegiate runners and swimmers, and fast-track their transition into elite, Olympic-level draft-legal triathlon. The elite development pathway is funded through the help of the USA Triathlon Foundation and generous donors. If you’d like to support USA TRI elite triathletes and paratriathletes on the road to the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games, visit the USA Triathlon Foundation page.
Pontevedra, Spain | Sept. 26-27, 2026
Elite Women
1. Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA), 1:50:52
2. Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR), 1:51:57
3. Kate Waugh (GBR), 1:52:23
U.S. Finishers
6. Kirsten Kasper (North Andover, Mass.), 1:53:10
11. Taylor Spivey (Redondo Beach, Calif.), 1:54:12
21. Erika Ackerlund (Helena, Mont.), 1:55:04
23. Gwen Jorgensen (Boulder, Colo.), 1:55:15
25. Gina Sereno (Madison, Wis.), 1:55:43
Elite Men
1. Matt Hauser (AUS), 1:39:31
2. Vasco Vilaca (POR), 1:39:31
3. Alex Yee (GBR), 1:39:35
U.S. Finishers
17. Morgan Pearson (New Vernon, N.J.), 1:41:38
18. Braxton Legg (Tampa, Fla.),1:41:43
34. Seth Rider (Germantown, Tenn.), 1:43:26
37. John Reed (Virginia Beach, Va.), 1:44:21
42. Reese Vannerson (Sugarland, Texas), 1:45:14
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).
The USA Triathlon Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and the charitable arm of USA Triathlon. With its mission to transform lives through sport by providing opportunities to swim, bike and run, the Foundation serves to generate a greater impact on the multisport community through charitable giveback and grants that advance the Foundation’s three pillars: (1) Encourage youth participation; (2) Inspire Pathways to Access and Inclusion; and (3) Ignite Olympic/Paralympic dreams. Since the Foundation was established in 2014, it has impacted the lives of thousands by providing grants to organizations and individuals in pursuit of its mission and pillars to create a healthier United States through triathlon. To learn more about the Foundation and get involved, please visit usatriathlonfoundation.org.
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