Triathlon News & Notes: USAT, World Triathlon, Paratriathlon Calendar Announcements and Outspoken Women in Triathlon Awards

The 2021 season may be coming to a close, but there’s still plenty of action to be had. Here’s your roundup of triathlon news from the past week.

USAT unveils national championship calendar for 2022

Mark your calendars: USA Triathlon released its full suite of national championships for 2022, starting off with the Winter Triathlon National Championships (Jan. 22 in Anchorage, Alaska), a run/bike/Nordic ski event. There’s also the new Multisport National Championships Festival, which will feature a gamut of events, including draft-legal and non-drafting races, a super-sprint, aquathlon, aquabike, and mixed relay set for April 28 through May 1 in Irving, Texas. Discounts are available for those who race more than three events; click here for more info and to register.

Rocky Harris to stay at helm of USAT until 2028

In other USAT news, it was announced this week that CEO Rocky Harris’ contract has been extended through 2028. Harris, who has been in the position since 2017, has, among other initiatives, spearheaded the creation of USA Triathlon’s Safe Return to Multisport Initiative in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and has been working towards increasing diversity, equity, inclusion, and access throughout the sport. “I feel fortunate to be able to continue to support and impact a sport that empowers people to pursue their personal goals and helps strengthen communities by encouraging an active and healthy lifestyle,” said Harris in a statement.

2023 World Triathlon champs set for Spain

Pontevedra, Spain will be the sight for the 2023 World Triathlon Championship Finals, World Triathlon announced this week. The multi-day event will crown world champs in the Elite, U23, paratriathlon, plus age-group standard, super-sprint distance triathlons, and age-group standard distance aquabike events. Previously, Pontevedra served as host of the 2019 Multisports World Championships, with Spainiard Javier Gomez Noya claiming the long-distance world title in front of his hometown crowd.

Outspoken honors standout women in triathlon

At its annual Women in Triathlon summit last week, Outspoken, a virtual community focused on narrowing the gender gap and empowering women in triathlon, honored several individuals who have made a significant impact in the sport. Award winners included Coach of the Year Maria Simone, Lifetime Achievement honoree Donna Smyers, and Outspoken Woman of the Year Clarice Lorenzini, who made waves in 2021 as the one of the first Asian-American women to become a pro triathlete. “Women are rarely acknowledged for the monumental contributions they make to sport and to our lives,” read a post on Outspoken’s Instagram. “They are often taken for granted, working in the background without much recognition. This is why we created the Outspoken Women in Triathlon Awards.” Missed the Summit? You can purchase a replay of the multi-day event (more than 15 hours of content), available here.

Three paratriathlon medal events added for Paris 2024

Paratriathlon is getting more inclusive. Starting at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, the sport will feature 11 medal events, up from the eight events competed in Tokyo, with Men’s PTS2, Men’s PTS3 and Women’s PTS4 added to the mix. In addition, the athlete quota has been increased to 120 from 80 for paratriathlon in Paris, with spots for 54 men, 50 women, and 18  more with no gender pre-determined yet.

Trek releases new Speed Concept bike, pros react

Thursday was new bike day for some pro triathletes who ride with Trek. The bike company officially revealed its latest Speed Concept triathlon bike, which is speculated to save riders “around six minutes” over the 180km bike leg at the Ironman World Championship in Kona. Trek-sponsored pros like Ben Kanute, Rudy von Berg, and Skye Moench, Holly Lawrence all shared photos of their new rides.

Former pro’s journey to healing after a car accident detailed

A little more than a year ago, Olesya Prystayko, who once competed on Ukraine’s national triathlon team, was in a horrific car accident that resulted in facial injuries, a cracked vertebrae, a broken elbow, and a badly damaged knee. Last month, the 36-year-old rode more than 100 miles around the island of Oahu—and hiked up Russia’s Mount Elbrus before that. This piece details how she recovered from her extensive injuries, a process that involved several surgeries, and the teamwork involved in piecing her body back together.

Podcast Notes

• Bradley Weiss is on the Triathlete Hour to talk about racing Ironman South Africa and then XTERRA World Champs within a span of two weeks.
• On the newest Fitter & Faster podcast, coach Mike Olzinski joins host Emma-Kate Lidbury to go over the right ways to do winter training.
• Greg Bennett brings on Taylor Knibb to review her show-stopping 2021 campaign, which included several standout performances and a silver medal at the Tokyo games. As Greg puts it, “the future of women’s triathlon is truly here.”
• Hear from 70.3 world champion Lucy Charles-Barclay on the IronWomen podcast, where she opens up about the season, her recent races, and her special relationship with her sister.
• Men’s 70.3 world champ Gustav Iden has a conversation with hosts Sarah True and Matt Lieto on the Zwift PowerUp Tri podcast about his recent wins.
• ProTriNews debates just how well Kristian Blummentfelt will do at Ironman Cozumel, his debut at the distance.