Triathlon

Triathlon

The New York Athletic Club Triathlon team is made up of athletes competing at the highest levels of triathlon. Our team is comprised of Olympians, world championships team members and national champions. Our triathletes are consistently ranked among the top 10 in the world.


At the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, triathletes Katie Zaferes (NYAC), Kevin McDowell, Taylor Knibb (NYAC), and Morgan Pearson (NYAC) secured the silver medal for Team USA in the Mixed Relay with an overall time of 1:23:55.
 

Gwen Jorgensen Image

At the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Gwen Jorgensen won the first US gold medal in the sport of triathlon.

Triathlon i

Triathlon i

Roster

Women

  • Kirsten Kasper
  • Taylor Knibb
  • Summer Rappaport
  • Taylor Spivey
  • Renee Tomlin
  • Sarah Groff True
  • Katie Zaferes

Men

  • Greg Billington
  • Kevin Collington
  • Eli Hemming
  • William Huffman
  • Ben Kanute
  • Vincent Luis
  • Joe Maloy
  • Matt McElroy
  • Morgan Pearson
  • Tommy Zaferes

Program Highlights

2023

  • One Ironman 70.3 World Champion - Taylor Knibb
  • Two 2024 Paris Olympics Qualifiers - Taylor Knibb and Morgan Pearson
  • Seven members on Team USA and one member on Team France at the ITU WTCS World Championships - Kirsten Kasper, Taylor Knibb, Vincent Luis, Matt Mcelroy, Morgan Pearson, Summer Rappaport, Taylor Spivey and Katie Zaferes
  • Five athletes ranked in the top 20 in the world in the final WTCS ITU rankings - Taylor Spivey (#4), Summer Rappaport (#11), Taylor Knibb (#14), Kirsten Kasper (#16) and Katie Zaferes (#17)
  • One 4th place at the Ironman World Championships - Taylor Knibb (6th fastest time ever)

2022

  • One ITU WTCS World Champion - Vincent Luis (Mixed Team Relay)
  • Three ITU WTCS bronze medalists - Taylor Knibb (Individual), Taylor Spivey (MTR) and Summer Rappaport (MTR)
  • One Ironman 70.3 World Champion - Taylor Knibb
  • One Ironman 70.3 silver medalist - Ben Kanute
  • Six members on Team USA and one member on Team France at the ITU WTCS World Championships - Kirsten Kasper, Taylor Knibb, Vincent Luis, Matt Mcelroy, Morgan Pearson, Summer Rappaport and Taylor Spivey
  • Six athletes ranked in the top 20 in the world in the final WTCS ITU rankings - Taylor Knibb (#3), Taylor Spivey (#4), Vincent Luis (#5), Kirsten Kasper (#12), Summer Rappaport (#16) and Matt Mcelroy (#19)

2021

  • Three Olympic silver medals in the Mixed Team Relay (MTR) - Taylor Knibb, Morgan Pearson and Katie Zaferes
  • Two Olympic bronze medals - Katie Zaferes (Individual) and Vincent Luis (MTR)
  • Five Olympians - Katie Zaferes (bronze medal, Individual; silver medal, MTR), Vincent Luis (13th, Individual; bronze medal, MTR), Summer Rappaport (14th, Individual), Taylor Knibb (16th, Individual; silver medal, MTR) and Morgan Pearson (42nd, Individual; silver medal, MTR)
  • Five members on Team USA and one member of Team France at the ITU WTS World Championships - Kirsten Kasper, Taylor Knibb, Summer Rappaport, Taylor Spivey, Katie Zaferes and Vincent Luis
  • Seven athletes ranked in the top 12 in the world in the final WTS ITU rankings - Taylor Knibb (#2), Taylor Spivey (#3), Katie Zaferes (#6), Vincent Luis (#6), Morgan Pearson (#10), Summer Rappaport (#11) and Kirsten Kasper (#12)

2020

  • ITU WTS World Champion - Vincent Luis
  • ITU WTS silver medalists (Mixed Team Relay) - Taylor Spivey, Katie Zaferes and Morgan Pearson
  • Eight members on Team USA at the ITU WTS Championships - Katie Zaferes, Taylor Spivey, Summer Rappaport, Renee Tomlin, Morgan Pearson, Vincent Luis, Matt McElroy, and Eli Hemming

2019

  • ITU WTS World Champions - Katie Zaferes and Vincent Luis
  • First NYAC athlete to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games - Summer Rappaport
  • Four members on the ITU WTS Mixed Relay World Championships Team - Taylor Spivey, Eli Hemming, Katie Zaferes and Matt McElroy
  • Seven members on Team USA at the ITU WTS Championships - Katie Zaferes, Kirsten Kasper, Taylor Spivey, Summer Rappaport, Matt McElroy, Taylor Knibb and Eli Hemming
  • Eight athletes ranked in the top 50 in the world in the final WTS ITU rankings - Katie Zaferes (#1), Vincent Luis (#1), Taylor Spivey (#4), Summer Rappaport (#5), Taylor Knibb (#15), Matt McElroy (#24), Ben Kanute (#36) and Eli Hemming (#50)

2018

  • ITU WTS Silver Medalist - Katie Zaferes
  • Three members on the bronze medal ITU WTS Mixed Relay World Championships Team - Kirsten Kasper, Ben Kanute and Katie Zaferes
  • ITU WTS U23 Gold Medalist - Taylor Knibb
  • USAT Elite Sprint National Champion - Renee Tomlin
  • New York City Triathlon Champion - Ben Kanute
  • Six members on Team USA at the ITU WTS World Championships - Katie Zaferes, Kirsten Kasper, Taylor Spivey, Summer Cook, Matt Mcelroy and Taylor Knibb
  • Six  athletes ranked in the top 50 in the world in the final WTS ITU rankings - Zaferes (#2), Kirsten Kasper (#4), Spivey (#8), Cook (#25), Knibb (#30) and Mcelroy (#35)

2017

  • ITU WTS Bronze Medalist - Katie Zaferes
  • Three members on the silver medal ITU WTS Mixed Relay World Championships Team - Katie Zaferes, Ben Kanute and Matt Mcelory
  • Ironman 70.3 World Championship Silver Medalist - Ben Kanute
  • ITU WTS Junior Gold Medalist - Taylor Knibb
  • Eight members on Team USA at the ITU WTS World Championships - Katie Zaferes, Summer Cook, Renee Tomlin, Lindsey Jerdonek, Ben Kanute, Eric Lagerstrom, Matt Mcelory and Taylor Knibb
  • Eight athletes ranked in the top 50 in the world in the final WTS ITU rankings - Zaferes (#3), Cook (#10), Tomlin (#22), Knibb (#25), Billington (#38), Mcelory (#42), Kanute (#46) and Jerdonek (#50)

2016

  • Olympic gold medal - Gwen Jorgensen
  • All six Olympians on Team USA - Gwen Jorgensen (gold medal), Katie Zaferes (18th), Joe Maloy (23rd), Ben Kanute (29th), Greg Billington (37th) and Sarah True (DNF)
  • Three members on the gold-medal winning ITU WTS Mixed Relay World Championships team - Gwen Jorgensen, Ben Kanute and Joe Maloy
  • ITU WTS Aquathlon World Championships bronze medalist - Tommy Zaferes
  • Nine members on Team USA at the ITU WTS World Championships - Gwen Jorgensen, Sarah True, Katie Zaferes, Joe Maloy, Greg Billington, Ben Kanute, Renee Tomlin, Lindsey Jerdonek and Erin Storie
  • Seven athletes ranked in the top 50 in the world in the final WTS ITU rankings - Gwen Jorgensen (#2), Katie Zaferes (#4), Sarah True (#9), Renee Tomlin (#18), Joe Maloy (#28), Greg Billington (#35) and Lindsey Jerdonek (#37)

2015

  • ITU WTS World Champion - Gwen Jorgensen
  • ITU WTS Bronze Medalist - Sarah True.
  • Six members on Team USA at the ITU WTS World Championships - Gwen Jorgensen, Sarah True, Lindsey Jerdonek, Erin Storie, Ben Kanute and Joe Maloy
  • Seven athletes ranked in the top 50 in the world in the final ITU WTS rankings - Gwen Jorgensen (#1), Sarah True (#3), Katie Zaferes (#5), Renee Tomlin (#22), Lindsey Jerdonek (#26), Ben Kanute (#32) and Greg Billington (#47)

2014

  • ITU WTS World Champion - Gwen Jorgensen
  • ITU WTS Silver Medalist - Sarah True
  • Five members on Team USA at the ITU WTS World Championships - Gwen Jorgensen, Sarah True, Lindsey Jerdonek, Jarrod Shoemaker and Joe Maloy
  • Five athletes ranked in the top 50 in the world in the final ITU WTS rankings - Gwen Jorgensen (#1), Sarah True (#2), Jarrod Shoemaker (#22), Joe Maloy (#24) and Lindsey Jerdonek (#24)

2013

  • Three members on Team USA at the ITU WTS World Championships - Gwen Jorgensen, Sarah True and Jarrod Shoemaker
  • Three athletes ranked in the top 50 in the world in the final ITU WTS rankings - Gwen Jorgensen (#4), Sarah True (#9) and Matt Chrabot (#26)

2012

  • Two Olympians on Team USA - Sarah True (4th) and Gwen Jorgensen (38th)
  • Three members on Team USA at the ITU WTS World Championships - Gwen Jorgensen, Sarah True and Jarrod Shoemaker
  • Four athletes ranked in the top 50 in the world in the final ITU WTS rankings - Sarah True (#7), Gwen Jorgensen (#9), Jarrod Shoemaker (#29) and Matt Chrabot (#36)

2011

  • ITU WTS Bronze Medalist - Sarah True
  • Three members on Team USA at the ITU WTS World Championships - Sarah True, Matt Chrabot and Jarrod Shoemaker
  • Three athletes ranked in the top 50 in the world in the final ITU WTS rankings - Sarah True (#3), Gwen Jorgensen (#11) and Matt Chrabot (#42)

Latest News

March 2015

ITU World Champion Gwen Jorgensen headlines the 13 honorees selected as the 2014 Elite Triathletes of the Year, announced today by USA Triathlon and selected by the National Governing Body's Athlete Advisory Council (AAC).

"2014 was a year full of great performances by U.S. elite athletes. It seems that each year our athletes turn in better and better performances. From rookies to the top-ranked athletes, there were so many strong performances that selecting winners from the list of nominees was a difficult task," said Joel Rosinbum, chair of the USA Triathlon AAC. "In the end we selected a group of athletes whose incredible performances make them stand out as the very best our country has to offer. The AAC would like to congratulate all the 2014 Athletes of the Year and wish them and all athletes continued success in 2015."

Jorgensen (St. Paul, Minn.) is a repeat winner of the Olympic/ITU Athlete of the Year award, making history in 2014 as the only woman in the world to win eight career ITU World Triathlon Series (WTS) events. Jorgensen logged five consecutive wins in WTS events in 2014, including the series Grand Final in Edmonton, Alberta, to clinch the world title — the first for the U.S. in 10 years.

Jarrod Shoemaker (Clermont, Fla.) also claimed back-to-back honors in the Olympic/ITU Athlete of the Year category. Shoemaker finished the 2014 season as the top-ranked American man in the ITU standings with eight top-10 finishes in ITU events. He was seventh in the Grand Final in Edmonton and posted second-place finishes at ITU World Cups in Jiayuguan, China, and Cozumel, Mexico.

Click here to continue reading.

October 2014

Saturday, October 18th

NYAC Men Dominate Tongyeong ITU Triathlon World Cup

NYAC triathletes Ben Kanute and Tommy Zaferes led their teammates with career-best finishes on Saturday, October 18th. Kanute placed second with a time of 1:48:34, with Zaferes close behind with a time of 1:48:40. Joe Maloy came in 7th with a time of 1:49:18, with Greg Billington crossing the finish line in 13th with a time of 1:49:54, Matt Chrabot came in 36th with a time of 1:51:37 with William Huffman close behind with a time of 1:51:39 taking 38th place and Lukas Verbicas took 64th with a time of 1:57:59. To read more, click here.

The Grand Final
By Justin Gaymon

Triathlon Grand Final

During September, five NYAC triathletes crossed the finish line of the 2014 World Triathlon Grand Final in Edmonton, Canada. The Grand Final marked the culmination of the World Triathlon Series, which consists of eight races, spanning seven months across four different continents. The Grand Final's finish line was a welcomed site for athletes Gwen Jorgensen, Sarah Groff, Lindsey Jerdonek, Jarrod Shoemaker and Joe Maloy, who gave it there all across the 1,500 meter swim, 43.2 kilometer bike and 10,000 kilometer run portions of the race.

For Jorgensen, crossing the Grand Final finish line meant becoming a world champion. The 2012 Olympian and 2013's USA triathlete of the year had a stellar year, winning four World Triathlon Series races in a row: London, Yokohama, Chicago and Hamburg. Her fifth win in Edmonton (2:00:05) put her in the record books as the only woman in World Triathlon Series history to win five events in one season.

"I was unsure of how many people were ahead of me when I started the run leg of the triathlon; however, I think this gave me motivation to keep going for my goal, which was to win," said Jorgensen, who only needed to finish within the top 16 to secure her world champion title. "When I finished in first, it was a strange feeling. I more wanted to find my fiancé Patrick and coach Jamie than celebrate the win. I couldn't think of a better way to end this amazing year."

Groff was hunting for the world championship title as well and led throughout most of the cycling portion of the race. She recorded her first World Triathlon Series victory in Stockholm a little over a week before the Grand Final. Groff finished fourth at the Grand Final (2:01:20) and secured enough points to finish second in the World Series rankings.

"This year I just wanted to be consistent across the series and have my best race at the final," said Groff who was a 2012 Olympian. "I really enjoyed the racing aspect of being side by side and battling step for step to see who had the edge."

Jerdonek finished 36th overall at the Grand Final (2:06:51). She's an athlete on the rise, recording five top 10 finishes this year and owning three career Pan American Cup podium finishes.

Jarrod Shoemaker had a slow start during the swimming portion the Grand Final, but fought to work his way up the pack. He took seventh (1:49:50), which is tied for the second best finish ever for a US man at an Olympic, World Championships or Grand Final.

"I could not be happier with the race and the build this season," said Shoemaker. "Having felt great on the swim and bike I knew that I was going to have to leave it on the line on the run. I pushed when I could, felt good and then bad, held on and finished strong for seventh place."

Maloy finished 17th overall (1:50:43) and recorded one of the Grand Final's fastest swim splits. Maloy finished last year's season as the second ranked American and became this year's national champion after winning the USA Triathlon National Championships in Chicago this past June.

You can follow these athletes and their athletic journeys by checking out their blogs below: