COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Thirteen U.S. elite triathletes head to ITU World Triathlon Yokohama this week, aiming to claim the final spots remaining on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team.
The Yokohama stop for the ITU World Triathlon Series features an Olympic-distance 1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike and 10-kilometer run. The elite women will race at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, May 13 (10 a.m. local time on Saturday, May 14), and the elite men will follow at midnight ET on Saturday, May 14 (1 p.m. local time). The races will be broadcast live online at TriathlonLive.tv In the United States, the races will also air on NBC Sports Group, with the elite women scheduled to air on NBC Sports Network from 5-7 p.m. ET on May 14, and the elite men on Universal HD from 5-7 p.m. on May 15. Visit NBCSports.com for a complete schedule of Olympic sports broadcasts and channel information.
Seven U.S. women are on the start list for WTS Yokohama, including Gwen Jorgensen (St. Paul, Minn.), who is already qualified for Rio 2016 and is the defending two-time ITU World Champion. Kirsten Kasper (North Andover, Mass.) and Renée Tomlin (Ocean City, N.J.) have logged top-five finishes at WTS events this season and will wear No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Katie Zaferes (Hampstead, Md.) leads the U.S. women in the USA Triathlon Objective Rankings System, which may play a role in determining U.S. Olympic qualifiers, and finished on the podium in six WTS races last season.
Also on the start list for the U.S. women is Summer Cook (Thornton, Colo.), who won her first ITU World Cup last month, as well as Erin Jones (Hood River, Ore.) and Lindsey Jerdonek (Cleveland, Ohio).
For the complete elite women's start list, visit WTS.Triathlon.org.
Six U.S. men are vying for what will likely be three spots on the U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team for Rio. Greg Billington (Spokane, Wash.) finished 10th at WTS Gold Coast last month and Joe Maloy (Wildwood Crest, N.J.) finished sixth in Gold Coast. The pair lead the U.S. men in the USA Triathlon Objective Rankings System. Also racing will be Eric Lagerstrom (Portland, Ore.), Ben Kanute (Geneva, Ill.), Kevin McDowell (Geneva, Ill.) and Jarrod Shoemaker (Clermont, Fla.).
For the complete elite men's start list, visit WTS.Triathlon.org.
USA Triathlon has created a guide to break down the basics of qualification for WTS Yokohama. In order to automatically qualify for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team, an athlete must finish on the podium in Yokohama. The athlete must be the top U.S. finisher on the podium who has not already qualified, and only one spot is available to a podium finisher. If two Americans finish on the podium, only the top finisher automatically qualifies. The remaining spots on the U.S. team will be filled using USA Triathlon's Objective Rankings System.
For the complete U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team qualification guide, including current standings in the Objective Rankings System, visit usatriathlon.org.
Yokohama will also host some of the best paratriathletes from around the world in an ITU World Paratriathlon Event early on May 14. The U.S. will be represented by Geoffrey Kennedy (PT1, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico), Mary Kate Callahan (PT1, La Grange, Ill.), Brian Norberg (PT2, Chicago, Ill.), Allysa Seely (PT2, Glendale, Ariz.), Joel Rosinbum (PT4, Austin, Texas), Jose Ramos (PT4, Arlington, Va.), Ruth-Ann Reeves (PT4, Hattiesburg, Miss.), Brandon Adame (PT5, Houston, Texas), Amy Dixon (PT5, Greenwich, Conn.) and Elizabeth Baker (PT5, Signal Mountain, Tenn.). Kennedy, Norberg, Seely, Reeves and Baker have all provisionally qualified for the first-ever U.S. Paralympic Triathlon Team, and paratriathlon will make its Paralympic Games debut this September in Rio. Click here for complete start lists for ITU World Paratriathlon Yokohama.
Triathlon fans can feel like part of the action with TRIFECTA, the official triathlon fantasy game of the ITU World Triathlon Series. Registration for TRIFECTA is open now at Trifecta.USATriathlon.org and podium picks must be submitted prior to the start of the first race. More details on the game are available at USATriathlon.org.
For more information on how to get involved in the sport of triathlon in the U.S., visit USA Triathlon's Gold Map site at USATriathlon.org. The Gold Map was launched in conjunction with the U.S. Olympic Committee and NBC to inspire participation in Olympic summer sports by leveraging the excitement that will be generated in the lead-up to and during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games this August.
| 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 4,300 races and connects with nearly 500,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work with athletes, coaches and race directors on the grassroots level, USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of the ITU and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).
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