The Triathlete Hour: Kirsten Kasper Lives the Dream
And everything about the final big Olympic qualifying race in Leeds this weekend.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
New podcast episodes, with interviews and news, drop on Wednesdays. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss anything: iTunes | Stitcher | Soundcloud | Spotify | iHeartRadio
You can also listen to past episodes with Holly Lawrence, Tim O’Donnell, Ben Hoffman, Flora Duffy, and Sarah True.
This week, we’re talking to Olympic hopeful Kirsten Kasper. Kirsten took up triathlon after swimming in high school (and winning a state championship) and running at Georgetown. She was recruited as part of the college recruitment program, took 4th in the U23 World Championships in her first elite race, and was 4th overall in the World Triathlon standings in 2017 and 2018.
Then she got injured. Then, she crashed at the Tokyo Olympic qualifying test event—but finished the race before going to get 15 stitches in her hip.
Since then, she’s been building back up and was 3rd at a World Cup two weeks ago.
She tells us what it’s like trying to make one of the most competitive teams in triathlon (the U.S. women’s squad), how she and her fiance manage both competing for different countries, and the tricks to juggling a constant travel schedule. Plus, she gives us an inside look at the World Triathlon Championship Series race in Leeds this weekend.
What’s on the line at Leeds? Olympic spots!
Laura Siddall helps us break down the race, how the British men are fighting it out, what to expect from Lucy Charles-Barclay’s debut, and the drama with the last American women’s spot and three women vying for it.
Want more info?
- Lucy Charles-Barclay’s Surprise WTCS Debut And U.S. Drama In Leeds
- Sleepless Nights at USA Triathlon
Photo: Ben Lumley/World Triathlon