COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Seventeen U.S. elite triathletes, including two Olympians and five Paralympians, are set to compete at ITU World Triathlon and ITU World Paratriathlon Series races in Yokohama, Japan, this weekend.
The third stop of the 2017 World Triathlon Series features an Olympic-distance 1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike and 10-kilometer run course. The elite women will race at 9:06 p.m. ET on Friday, May 12 (10:06 a.m. local time on Saturday, May 13), and the elite men will follow at 12:06 a.m. on Saturday, May 13 (1:06 p.m. local time). The races will be broadcast live online at triathlonlive.tv.
Five U.S. women are on the start list for WTS Yokohama, including 2016 Olympian Katie Zaferes (Hampstead, Md.). Zaferes has had a strong start to the 2017 season, winning the New Plymouth ITU Triathlon World Cup on April 2 and placing in the top-10 at the first two WTS stops of the season in Abu Dhabi (7th) and Gold Coast (4th).
Kirsten Kasper (North Andover, Mass.) will look to continue her momentum after placing third at the Chengdu ITU Triathlon World Cup last weekend. Summer Cook (Thornton, Colo.) aims to return to the WTS podium for the first time since her win in Edmonton, Alberta, last year. Also on the start list for the U.S. women are Renée Tomlin (Ocean City, N.J.) and Taylor Spivey (Redondo Beach, Calif.).
In the men’s elite race, 2016 Olympian Greg Billington (Spokane, Wash.) leads the U.S. contingent. Billington recorded a career-best WTS finish in March in Abu Dhabi, placing seventh. Joining Billington in the men’s field are Matt McElroy (Huntington Beach, Calif.), who earned his third World Cup podium in New Plymouth in April, and Eric Lagerstrom (Portland, Ore.), who took bronze at the Montreal ITU Triathlon Word Cup last year.
For the complete elite men’s and women’s start lists, visit wts.triathlon.org.
Five 2016 Paralympians headline the U.S. contingent for the World Paratriathlon Series races, which feature a 750m swim, 20k bike and 5k run. The first of the paratriathlon waves will go off at 5:55 p.m. ET on Friday, May 12 (6:55 a.m. local time on Saturday, May 13).
Rio 2016 Paralympic champion Allysa Seely (Glendale, Ariz.) and silver medalist Hailey Danz (Chicago, Ill.) will compete for top honors in the women’s PT2 class. Seely came away with a gold medal at the first WPS stop of the season in Gold Coast, Australia, in April. Patricia Collins (Alexandria, Va.), also a 2016 Paralympian, will compete in the women’s PTS4 class.
Chris Hammer (Salt Lake City, Utah), who placed fourth at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and took the win at WPS Gold Coast last month, will contest the men’s PTS5 class. Mark Barr (Houston, Texas), who also took fourth in Rio, will aim to return to the podium in the men’s PTS2 class after earning a silver medal in Gold Coast.
Also representing the U.S. will be Jamie Brown (PTS4, Carlsbad, Calif.), Joel Rosinbum (PTS4, Austin, Texas), Howie Sanborn (PTHC, Fayetteville, N.C.) and Amy Dixon (PTVI, Greenwich, Conn.).
For the complete paratriathlon start lists, visit triathlon.org. Additionally, a free finish line livestream will be available for all paratriathlon races at triathlonlive.tv.
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.
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).
