COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Four-time U.S. Olympic triathlete Hunter Kemper will be onsite to support participants at next weekend’s USA Triathlon Youth & Junior National Championships, USA Triathlon announced today.
The event is set for Aug. 3-4 at Voice of America Park in West Chester, Ohio, and nearly 1,000 young triathletes ages 7-19 are set to compete. Kemper will serve as an announcer for all races that weekend, including the Youth Elite and Junior Elite National Championships on Saturday, and the Youth Age Group National Championships and Youth and Junior Elite Mixed Relay on Sunday.
In addition, Kemper will present medals to all podium finishers at the Awards Ceremony on both days of racing. He will sign autographs at Voice of America Park on Friday, Aug. 2, from 10-11:30 a.m., and will spend time at the expo meeting athletes throughout the day on Friday.
Kemper got his start in triathlon as a youth athlete, and said he looks forward to witnessing the future of the sport at Nationals.
“I started in triathlon when I was 10 years old, living in central Florida,” Kemper said. “Two friends on my swim team asked me to be a part of this event in Clermont (the Fred Sommer series) back in 1986, and I was super excited to do it. I did it in 17 minutes and won my age division … I saw my name in the paper the next day. I thought it was the coolest thing, and I was pretty much hooked right from the get-go.”
Kemper is the most decorated U.S. male triathlete in history. He is the only American and one of only two male triathletes in history to have represented his country at the first four Olympic triathlon competitions, competing at the Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Games with a best finish of seventh in 2008 (Beijing).
He also represented the U.S. at two Pan American Games, taking home silver in 1999 and gold in 2003. He earned a record seven USA Triathlon Elite National Championship titles and is one of only two American men to be ranked No. 1 in the world, which he accomplished in 2005. He was named the 2005 U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Sportsman of the Year, is a five-time U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Triathlete of the Year and was inducted into the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame in 2018.
Kemper continues to be involved in the multisport community, volunteering and promoting youth triathlons across the country and participating in Olympic-themed community events in his hometown of Colorado Springs.
In addition to supporting youth athletes throughout the weekend, Kemper will be available Friday and will have limited availability Saturday and Sunday for media interviews. To request an interview with Kemper or to apply for a media credential to cover the event, please contact Caryn Maconi, USA Triathlon Communications Manager, at caryn.maconi@usatriathlon.org or 443-534-5954.
For more information about the 2019 USA Triathlon Youth & Junior National Championships, visit usatriathlon.org/jr2019.
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 events and connects with more than 400,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work at the grassroots level with athletes, coaches, and race directors — as well as the USA Triathlon Foundation — 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 & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).
