USA Triathlon has made the eagerly-awaited announcement confirming its discretionary picks to complete its team for the Olympic Games triathlon at Paris 2024.
After huge speculation, the organisation made official on Wednesday the names of the three athletes joining Taylor Knibb and Morgan Pearson in the French capital next month.
Pearson and Knibb had both nailed down their spots automatically last August thanks to their terrific performances in the Paris Test Event. But that left the remaining hopefuls battling against each other for seats on the plane to France.
On Wednesday night came the news that Taylor Spivey, Kirsten Kasper and Seth Rider will claim the three remaining spots as Team USA prepares for the biggest test of all in short-course racing.
For Spivey in particular the moment will be especially sweet after the pain of agonisingly missing out on a place at Tokyo in 2021.
The news means though that it is pain this time for Tokyo individual bronze medalist Katie Zaferes and 2016 Olympic champion Gwen Jorgensen.
It would appear the selectors gave most weight to that key race at WTCS Yokohama last month, where Spivey finished fourth and Kasper fifth.
The selectors meanwhile left out their top ranked male for the second consecutive Games, with Matt McElroy failing to win a place. That despite McElroy finishing 13th in Yokohama with Rider 26th.
Wealth of medal potential
“This is an extremely talented and decorated team that brings a wealth of medal potential and experience into the Games,” said Scott Schnitzspahn, USA Triathlon High Performance General Manager.
“We have several athletes capable of earning an Olympic medal both in the individual events in Paris and in the Mixed Relay, and we are excited to see what they can accomplish. The depth of talent among our U.S. athletes is incredible, with more individuals deserving of a nod than spots available.
“I want to acknowledge the difficult decisions the Games Athlete Selection Panel faced to finalize this talented team. The future of Triathlon and our U.S. athletes is bright and we are all looking forward to seeing what unfolds this summer and beyond.”
‘Exceptional athletes’
“These exceptional athletes represent the sport of Triathlon at its best – their strength, resilience and commitment to excellence is unmatched,” said Victoria Brumfield, USA Triathlon CEO.
“These athletes set their sights on Paris and knew exactly what it would take to get there. Throughout the entire selection period, these athletes have demonstrated unparalleled dedication, perseverance, and raw talent earning their place on the world stage through relentless hard work and unwavering drive. We are thrilled to support them as they pursue Olympic glory in Paris.
“Personally, I could not be more proud to congratulate this incredible team who has ignited the spark in all of us to chase our dreams. We will all be cheering you on in Paris.”
Meet Team USA
The USA team for Paris then, looks like this:
Taylor Knibb
A triathlete since childhood, Knibb grew up doing triathlons with her mother, Leslie, who is a longtime triathlete and triathlete coach. Knibb raced in USA Triathlon’s youth and junior elite circuit while running for her school’s cross-country and track teams (Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C.) and swimming with Nation’s Capital Swim Club.
She won the 2016 and 2017 Junior World Championships and the 2018 Under-23 World Championships — one of just three women to capture world titles at both the Junior and U23 levels. Knibb is a 2020 graduate of Cornell University, where she ran NCAA track and cross-country for four years while balancing her elite triathlon career.
She also joined the Cornell swim team her senior year. Knibb has earned 29 World Triathlon podiums, including 14 wins. She lives and trains in Boulder, Colorado, and is coached by Dan Lorang.
Taylor Spivey
Spivey, 33, is one of the most consistent elite triathletes in the world, finishing the World Triathlon Championship Series fourth in 2023 and 2022. She makes her Olympic debut in Paris.
Spivey has earned 14 World Triathlon podiums during her career and has been a key member of the U.S. Mixed Relay team. She was on the U.S. team that won silver at the 2020 Mixed Relay World Championships and the Mixed Relay World Championships bronze medal team in 2022.
Kirsten Kasper
Kasper, 32, will make her Olympic debut in Paris. She was introduced to triathlon in 2014 through USA Triathlon’s Collegiate Recruitment Program, which identifies top NCAA runners and/or swimmers who have the potential to excel as triathletes. Kasper had a standout running career at NCAA Division I Georgetown University where she was a scoring member of the 2011 D1 NCAA Cross Country National Championships team. While at Georgetown, she received her bachelor’s degree in marketing and management, then she earned her master’s degree in sports management.
She saw immediate success when began her triathlon career in 2014 being named USA Triathlon Rookie of the Year. For years, Kasper has been a key member of the U.S. Mixed Relay team. She was a member of the 2016 Mixed Relay World Championships gold medal team, the Mixed Relay World Championships silver medal team in 2017 and the Mixed Relay World Championships bronze medal team in 2018. Kasper is a 17-time World Triathlon podium finisher.
Morgan Pearson
Paris 2024 will be Pearson’s second Olympic Games. He made his Olympic debut in Tokyo, anchoring the U.S. Mixed Relay team that won silver. One of triathlon’s best runners, Pearson, 30, is originally from Spring Lake, New Jersey, where he grew up as a competitive swimmer, ocean lifeguard and promising high school runner. He ran cross-country and track & field at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he was a seven-time All-American. After winning the overall title at the USA Triathlon Age Group Sprint National Championships in 2017, he debuted as an elite triathlete in 2018.
Pearson’s big breakout happened in 2021, when he won bronze at the World Triathlon Championship Series Yokohama, punching his ticket to the Tokyo Olympics. He followed that with a bronze at the World Triathlon Championship Series Leeds, becoming the first U.S. male triathlete to earn multiple World Triathlon Championship Series medals. He’s earned two more medals at the World Triathlon Championship Series level: the 2022 Championship Finals in Abu Dhabi and the 2024 World Triathlon Championship Series Yokohama this May when he earned his first WTCS gold.
Seth Rider
Rider, 27, will make his Olympic debut in Paris. Growing up near Memphis, Tennessee, Rider is a lifelong triathlete who watched his father and brothers compete in triathlon. He started racing triathlon at 6-years-old and came up through USA Triathlon’s Youth and Junior elite triathlon circuit, and hasn’t stopped since. In 2014, Rider represented the U.S. at the Youth Olympic Games and in 2015 he won the USA Triathlon Junior Elite National Championships.
He was named USA Triathlon’s 2018 U23 Athlete of the Year and has been a member of the U.S. Elite Triathlon National Team since 2019. He has been a key member of the U.S. Mixed Relay Team, helping the team win bronze at the 2022 Mixed Relay World Championships. Rider has also raced off-road mountain biking triathlons, placing fourth at the 2021 XTERRA World Championships.
