USA Triathlon

Last updated
USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon logo.svg
IOC nationUSA
National flag Flag of the United States.svg
Sport Triathlon
Official website usatriathlon.org
Year of formation1982
Affiliations
International federation International Triathlon Union (World Triathlon)
National Olympic Committee United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee

USA Triathlon (USAT) is the national governing body for the multisport disciplines of triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and winter triathlon in the United States. USA Triathlon is a member federation of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the World Triathlon. Victoria Brumfield is the chief executive officer and Joel Rosinbum is the chair. Its headquarters are in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Contents

USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 races every year with nearly 400,000 members. [1] It is composed of athletes of all ages, coaches, officials, parents and fans working to strengthen multisport.

USA Triathlon coordinates and sanctions grassroots and elite multisport events across the country and works to create interest and participation in those programs. [2]

On the elite level, USA Triathlon is responsible for the selection and training of teams to represent the United States in international competition, including the world championships, Pan American Games, Olympic and Paralympic Games. [3] It conducts national camps and clinics and provides coaching education programs.

On the developmental level, USA Triathlon fosters grassroots expansion of the sport, which is facilitated by the sanctioning of age-group events and triathlon clubs. National Championship events are held for athletes of all ages, including youth and junior athletes. USA Triathlon's marquee event each year is its Age Group National Championships, held annually since 1982. Each year, the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships draws over 5,000 registered participants. [4]

USA Triathlon's mission is to grow and inspire the triathlon community. USA Triathlon's vision is to provide the resources required for all in the triathlon community to reach their full potential. [5]

Membership

USA Triathlon is a member-based organization founded in 1982. [6] USA Triathlon has seen steady membership growth since 1995, impacted greatly by the addition of triathlon to the Olympic Games in 2000.

Among USA Triathlon's constituent groups are certified coaches, certified race directors, certified officials, and certified clubs.

Initiatives

USA Triathlon is continually creating opportunities to make triathlon accessible to new audiences. In 2012, USA Triathlon created its Splash & Dash Youth Aquathlon Series [7] to encourage children ages 7–15 to participate in multisport. The swim-run events are set distances based on age, and focus on fun and participation rather than competition. Most events are not timed.

In January 2014, USA Triathlon celebrated the overwhelming support from Division I, II and III representatives at the NCAA Convention, who voted to add triathlon an Emerging Sport for Women. [8] [9]

In 2021, USA Triathlon was honored by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee with the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Choice Award, the fourth time the organization has been honored by the USOPC for its diversity and inclusion efforts since 2017.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triathlon</span> Swimming, cycling, and distance running race

A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the time transitioning between the disciplines included. The word is of Greek origin, from τρεῖς or treis (three) and ἆθλος or athlos (competition).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duathlon</span> Running and cycling athletic event

Duathlon is an athletic event that consists of a running leg, followed by a cycling leg and then another running leg in a format similar to triathlons. The International Triathlon Union governs the sport internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Triathlon</span> International triathlon governing body

World Triathlon, previously known as the International Triathlon Union (ITU), is the international governing body for the multi-sport disciplines of triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and other nonstandard variations. It is recognised as the international federation for the sport of triathlon and its derivatives by the International Olympic Committee, and it organises Olympic triathlon events on behalf of the IOC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquathlon</span> Continuous, two-stage race involving swimming followed by running

An aquathlon is a multisport race consisting of continuous run and swim elements. Competitors complete a swim immediately followed by a run over various distances. Athletes compete for fastest overall course completion, including the time transitioning between the disciplines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samantha Warriner</span> New Zealand triathlete

Samantha Warriner is a retired triathlete who represented New Zealand in triathlons ranging from sprint distance up to the Ironman. She was born in Alton, Hampshire, England. She turned professional at the end of 2005 after competing internationally for 3 years while teaching full-time at Whangarei Girls High School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Reinertsen</span>

Sarah Reinertsen is an American Paralympic triathlete and former track athlete. She was born with proximal femoral focal deficiency, a bone-growth disorder; her affected leg was amputated above the knee at age seven.

The Columbia Multisport Club is a triathlon club based in Columbia, Missouri. CMC was founded in 2002 by a small group of triathletes and fitness enthusiasts. The group has grown to become one of the largest fitness clubs in Mid-Missouri. With over 200 members, CMC has a diverse membership of recreational athletes and families new to triathlon. The club also has an active youth development program, CMC Kidz, which promotes active, healthy lifestyles for children. Activities such as the Columbia Youth Triathlon, training sessions, and kids aquathlon gets kids engaged in physical fitness. CMC also gives back to the community through their race: The Jay Dix Challenge to Cure Run & Walk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alistair Brownlee</span> English triathlete (born 1988)

Alistair Edward Brownlee MBE is an English triathlete. He is the only athlete to hold two Olympic titles in the individual triathlon event, winning gold medals in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. He is also a four-time World Champion in triathlon being Triathlon World Champion twice and World Team Champion twice, a four-time European Champion, and the 2014 Commonwealth champion. Brownlee is the only athlete, male or female, to have completed a grand slam of Olympic, World, continental and Commonwealth championships. Brownlee is also a one-time world champion in aquathlon. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest male Triathletes ever.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melissa Stockwell</span> American triathlete, swimmer and former U.S. Army officer

Melissa Stockwell is an American two-time Paralympic triathlete, swimmer and former U.S. Army officer. Competing in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in three swimming events, she returned to race in the 2016 Paralympic Games and won a bronze medal in the inaugural triathlon event on September 11, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CU Triathlon Team</span>

The CU Triathlon Team is a sports team at the University of Colorado Boulder that competes in the sport of triathlon. The club was created in 1993 and has won 18 USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships. As a team, they compete at the USA Triathlon's Collegiate National Championship as well as other selected competitions throughout the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Bennett (triathlete)</span> American triathlete (born 1975)

Laura Marie Bennett is an American professional triathlete. She placed fourth in the women's triathlon at the 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2012, she finished 17th at the London Olympic Games. She earned a silver medal at the World Triathlon Championships in 2003 and bronze medals in 2004, 2005, and 2007. She has also raced at the Half-Ironman distance, placing 5th at the 2009 Ironman 70.3 World Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Triathlon Federation</span>

The British Triathlon Federation is the national governing body for triathlon, duathlon and associated multisport in Great Britain. It administers triathlon in England, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It represents Britain at the world body, the International Triathlon Union (ITU) and the regional body the European Triathlon Union (ETU). The BTF also selects athletes to represent the national team, at races such as the world triathlon series and the Olympic games.

Miriam Sheppard is a New Zealand former para athlete and para swimmer. She was the 2009 ITU Paratriathlon World Champion in TRI3 classification. In addition, she represented New Zealand at the 2004 Summer Paralympic Games. in Athens, Greece, in swimming, as well as at the 2005 CPISRA World Games – in both swimming and track & field. Jenkins is affected by mild cerebral palsy in her left side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenna Shoemaker</span> American actress

Jenna Shoemaker is an actor, writer, former professional US triathlete and former member of the USA National Team. In 2009, she legally changed her name to Jenna Parker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah True</span> American triathlete

Sarah True is an American athlete who competes in triathlon. She represented the United States in triathlon in 2012, finishing in fourth place, and at the 2016 Summer Olympics. True is the winner of the 2007 ITU Aquathlon World Championships and finished in second place in the 2014 ITU World Triathlon Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Mosier</span> American triathlete (born 1980)

Chris Mosier is an American advocate for transgender rights and competitive triathlete, duathlete, and racewalker. He started his athletic career before transitioning, started his transition in 2010, and in 2015 earned a spot on the Team USA sprint duathlon men's team for the 2016 World Championship in the men's 35-39 age group division, making him the first known out trans athlete to join a U.S. national team different from his sex at birth.

The World Triathlon Championship Series is World Triathlon's annual series of triathlon events used to crown an annual world champion since 2008. There are multiple rounds of competitions culminating in a Grand Final race. Athletes compete head-to-head for points in these races that will determine the overall World Triathlon champion. The elite championship races are held, with one exception, over two distances, the standard or 'Olympic' distance and the sprint distance. The ITU world champion between 1989 and 2008 had been decided in a single annual championship race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashley Schappert</span> American athlete, entrepreneur and film producer

Ashley Carusone Schappert is an athlete, entrepreneur, film producer and author. As an American competition swimmer she specialized in Individual Medley and butterfly events. She held 2 YMCA National SCY records in the 400IM and 200 butterfly and 4 YMCA National LCM records in the 200IM, 400IM, and 800 freestyle. Ashley competed in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic trials for the University of Florida. Ashley won the International Triathlon Union World Championships for her age group in 2001, 2 time Pan American Champion and 13 time USAT All-American.

Tom "Tug" Warren is an American triathlete, an Ironman champion, an inductee of both the Ironman Hall of Fame and the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame, and a former sports bar owner from San Diego, California.

Taylor Knibb is an American triathlete and the 2022 and 2023 Women's Ironman 70.3 World Champion. She competed in the women's event at the 2020 Summer Olympics, held in Tokyo in 2021, finishing sixteenth. Later that same Olympics, she won a silver medal in the mixed relay event. Knibb is the youngest woman ever to qualify for the US Olympic triathlon team. Knibb qualified for two sports at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Triathlon and the cycling Time Trial.

References

  1. "About USA Triathlon". Team USA. Archived from the original on December 20, 2015. Retrieved 2017-07-31.
  2. "Events". Team USA. Archived from the original on March 29, 2014. Retrieved 2017-07-31.
  3. "National Team Program". Team USA. Archived from the original on December 21, 2015. Retrieved 2017-07-31.
  4. "USA Triathlon Age Group Nationals Titles, World Championship Spots on the Line This Weekend - usatriathlon.org". www.usatriathlon.org. Archived from the original on 2014-08-07.
  5. "About USAT - usatriathlon.org". Archived from the original on 2011-10-06.
  6. "History - usatriathlon.org". Archived from the original on 2011-10-08.
  7. "Youth Splash & Dash Aquathlon Series - usatriathlon.org". Archived from the original on 2012-04-07.
  8. "NCAA Division I Legislative Council Approves Triathlon as Emerging Sport - usatriathlon.org". www.usatriathlon.org. Archived from the original on 2014-01-21.
  9. "NCAA Division II and Division III Schools Vote for Triathlon as Emerging Sport - usatriathlon.org". www.usatriathlon.org. Archived from the original on 2014-01-21.

Further reading