Elite Membership Qualification

Athletes wishing to race as an elite triathlete, duathlete or off-road triathlete in any USA Triathlon sanctioned event must hold a USA Triathlon elite license in their respective category. Elite membership will be available to qualified, highly competitive, and experienced athletes who meet the qualifications respective to their license category as outlined in the Elite License Qualification Criteria. Only athletes holding an elite license are eligible to compete in the elite wave of any USA Triahtlon sanctioned event that offers a minimum prize purse of $5,000. The terms "elite" and "professional" are used interchangeably but USA Triathlon prefers that these athletes be referred to as "elites" in order to align with World Triathlon and the USOPC.  

Elite Team Qualification

Click on the links below to read the qualification criteria for each type of team.

2021 USA Triathlon National Team Qualification Criteria Updated 12-15-2020

USAT National Team Guiding Principles

USAT Background Check Policy

USAT High Performance Athlete Appeal Process

Elite Development Races

Event Name Date Location
Tritonman February 13, 2021 CANCELED San Diego, CA
Clermont Draft Legal Challenge    March 6-7, 2021 Clermont, FL
Wasatch Triathlon at Maple Lakes June 25-26, 2021 Mapleton, UT
 Americas Triathlon Cup St. George October 31, 2021 St. George, UT
Cohasset Triathlon June 26, 2022 Cohasset, MA
 

Event Qualification

Click on the links below to read the qualification criteria for each type of event.

2021 World Triathlon Elite Event Qualification Criteria

2020 Tokyo Olympic Games

2020 ITU Elite Event Qualification Criteria

2019 Pan American Games Event Qualification Criteria

2019 ANOC World Beach Games 

2019 ITU Elite Event Qualification Criteria

*To be eligible to compete at any Elite World Championship event you must be a current USA Triathlon elite license card holder at the time of qualification. This also holds true when competing in qualifying events that do not have an elite specific wave.

 

World Triathlon Pre Participation Examination (PPE)

Starting in 2018, all athletes competing in World Triathlon competitions in Junior, U23, Elite, and Elite Paratriathlon categories must have completed a pre-competition health screening which includes a questionnaire, a physical examination, and an ECG following the IOC's recommended procedure. Thereafter, all Junior, U23, Elite, and Elite Paratriathlon athletes, competing in World Triathlon competitions must complete the medical questionnaire and undergo a medical examination each year, and in addition, must undergo a resting ECG every two years. 

Please click here for the Medical Questionnaire and click here for the PPE certification. 

The screening takes place in three steps:

  1. Answer the Medical Questionnaire: this questionnaire is strictly confidential and must be given to the doctor before the medical examination.
  2. Physical Examination: by the doctor following the IOC recommendations published in the "Lausanne Recommendations" about the Sudden Cardiovascular Death in Sport Consensus.
    • Cardiac auscultation:
      • Rate/rhythm
      • Murmur: systolic/diastolic
      • Systolic click
    • Blood Pressure
    • Radial and Femoral Pulses
    • Marfan stigmata
  3. A 12 lead rest electrocardiogram (ECG). Doctor to look for anomalies in rhythm, conduction, or repolarization.

Please click here to read further about this PPE.  

Once you have completed your PPE, athletes should:

  1.  Retain the original completed, dated, and signed questionnaire and PPE evaluation for your own records. 
  2.  Submit only the completed PPE certification to elite@usatriathlon.org for USAT to keep on file. 

SafeSport Training Requirement

Beginning January 1, 2018, all athletes who wish to compete in Junior, U23, Elite, and Paratriathlon categories at World Triathlon events are required to complete and pass the USAT Safe Sport tutorial. Directions for completing SafeSport can be found below. This tutorial needs to be completed every year.

New Users:

  1. Go to safesporttrained.org
  2. Click Enrollment Key
  3. Enter the enrollment key:  NGBUSAT-dIFASe 

  Or:

Select the link below.This URL will direct the learner to use the key without having to manually enter it.

User URL: https://safesporttrained.org?KeyName=NGBUSAT-dIFASe

  1. Click on “My Courses” and complete the Core training

Returning Users:

  1. Go to: safesporttrained.org, and login using your previous email.  You might have "forget password" to reset account, previous info will be saved.
  2. Use the enrollment key NGBUSAT-dIFASe
  3. Click on “My Courses” and complete the first Refresher that is available to you – you only need to complete ONE Refresher
  4. Download the certificate of completion, and send it to me

Once you have completed the tutorial, please email the completed .pdf certificate to: elite@usatriathlon.org. Please retain a copy for your own records.

Athlete Ombuds

The Office of the Athlete Ombuds offers independent, confidential advice to elite athletes regarding their rights and responsibilities in the Olympic and Paralympic Movement, and assists athletes with a broad range of questions, disputes, complaints and concerns.

Phone:                719-866-5000

Email:                 ombudsman@usathlete.org

Website:             usathlete.org

Athlete Ombuds Confidentiality and Privacy Policy:

(A) In general.—The Office of the Athlete Ombuds shall maintain as confidential any information communicated or provided to the Office of the Athlete Ombuds in confidence in any matter involving the exercise of the official duties of the Office of the Athlete Ombuds. (B) Exception.—The Office of the Athlete Ombuds may disclose information described in subparagraph (A) as necessary to resolve or mediate a dispute, with the permission of the parties involved.(C) Judicial and administrative proceedings.—(i) In general.—The ombudsman and the staff of the Office of the Athlete Ombuds shall not be compelled to testify or produce evidence in any judicial or administrative proceeding with respect to any matter involving the exercise of the duties of the Office of the Athlete Ombuds.(ii) Work product.—Any memorandum, work product, notes, or case file of the Office of the Athlete Ombuds—(I) shall be confidential; and(II) shall not be—(aa) subject to discovery, subpoena, or any other means of legal compulsion; or (bb) admissible as evidence in a judicial or administrative proceeding. (D) Applicability.—The confidentiality requirements under this paragraph shall not apply to information relating to—(i) applicable federally mandated reporting requirements; (ii) a felony personally witnessed by a member of the Office of the Athlete Ombuds;(iii) a situation, communicated to the Office of the Athlete Ombuds, in which an individual is at imminent risk of serious harm; or (iv) a congressional subpoena.