More than 6,000 athletes raced at USA Triathlon Nationals in Milwaukee.
From Milwaukee to Paris: August USA Triathlon Recap
by USA Triathlon
August was a big month for triathlon! We had lots going on, including USA Triathlon Nationals and the PTO U.S. Open in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the USA Triathlon Foundation Hall of Fame Gala, the 2023 World Triathlon Olympic Games Test Event Paris, and the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in Finland. Check out the August recap!
USA Triathlon Nationals & PTO U.S. Open in Milwaukee
August began in Milwaukee, with more than 6,000 athletes racing at USA Triathlon Nationals, from age group athletes chasing national titles to youth & junior athletes racing draft-legal and developmental races. This year, Nationals combined the age group Sprint & Olympic-distance national championships and Zone3 Youth & Junior Nationals to create the largest, most fun triathlon in the U.S.!
Ellison Wolfe, 17, took the women’s Olympic-Distance national title, being the youngest in her field ever to do so while Benjamin Stone doubled up on titles winning the Olympic-Distance and Sprint Distance national titles.
PTO U.S. Open
U.S. Elite triathlete Taylor Knibb started her stellar month by winning the PTO U.S. Open in Milwaukee, while triathlon legend Jan Frodeno won the men’s title.
USA Triathlon Foundation Gala
The weekend in Milwaukee also included the USA Triathlon Foundation Gala and Hall of Fame Induction, which raised $180k to support the USA Triathlon Foundation’s mission of swim, bike and run for all.
The night celebrated the 12th class of the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame — the 12 finishers of the original Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon — as well as the 2022 USA Triathlon Athletes of the Year and Multisport Award winners, presented by Wahoo Fitness.
Paris Test Event
The Test Event was the first opportunity for U.S. athletes to qualify for Paris 2024 and to check out the course. The scenic race took place in the heart of Paris, where athletes swam in the Seine, biked seven laps on the historic Champs-Elysees, and ran across the extravagant Pont Alexandre III bridge.
Two U.S. elite triathletes qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the 2023 World Triathlon Olympic Games Test Event. Knibb and Morgan Pearson solidified their spots on Team USA for Paris 2024 after placing 5th and 6th, respectively in Paris.
Paratriathletes shine in Paris
Paratriathletes Grace Norman, Kelly Elmlinger and Chris Hammer secured golds in their classifications at the 2023 World Triathlon Para Cup Paris. Kendall Gretsch and Hailey Danz each won silver in their classifications, while Mohamed Lahna and Project Podium athlete Owen Cravens, guided by elite triathlete Ben Hoffman, collected bronze medals, rounding out seven U.S. paratriathlete medals total.
IRONMAN 70.3 Worlds
After securing her spot for Paris 2024, Knibb showed no intention of slowing down, racing the following weekend at the 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships title in scenic Lahti, Finland, winning her second straight title.
In addition to Knibb winning, Marc Dubrick led the U.S. men finishing eighth overall.
2023 Ultra Distance National Championship at Michigan Titanium
The Michigan Titanium hosted the 2023 USA Triathlon Ultra-Distance National Championships on Aug. 13, as athletes raced a 1.2 mile loop swim in Versluis Lake, a 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run.
“Being named the Ultra National Champion feels pretty awesome. I came into the race hoping to win, trying to win. I knew that it was going to be challenging, it’s a challenging course. I am not the best swimmer in the world, but felt strong on the bike and knew it would come down to the run at the end,” Reinert said of his performance.
"It is pretty fantastic. I love this race [Michigan Titanium] and this course and to end up in first, not expecting that at all, it was quite a surprise and really thrilling. I love that I get to represent my local race as the National Champion, I do this race every year,” Agrillo said. “My swim was surprisingly slow, bike felt good and the run was a struggle and the run is usually where I finish strong. However, I am getting over COVID from two months ago and that really fouled me up a little bit, so to be able to accomplish this win is really special.”
This was the third time that Michigan Titanium, Michigan’s only Ultra-Distance race, hosted the USA Triathlon Ultra-Distance National Championship. It also hosted the event in 2022 and in 2019.
Women’s Series Rolls On
There were three USA Triathlon Women’s Series in Wisconsin, North Carolina and Pennsylvania this month. Women’s Series events bring women of all ages together to offer an energetic and empowering environment in multisport!
Congratulations to all of the women who participated in the August Women’s Series Events!
Racing for State Titles
August was a big month for USA Triathlon State Championships, as Minnesota, Mississippi, Delaware, New Hampshire and New York held their State Championship events.
Congratulations to all participants who raced in their state championships!
Looking ahead
August 29th marked one year out from the 2024 Paralympic Games! As we continue the #RoadToParis2024, we continue to #IgniteTheSpark within the multisport community. If you have any stories about how you Ignite The Spark in your community, submit them here.