The other day, we presented the Olympic selection policy for the British team. Today, we are looking at one of their biggest rivals in the Mixed Team Relay: the USA. Read on to find out how the American team for Paris will be picked.
After winning a relay silver in Tokyo and the women’s individual gold in Rio and bronze in Tokyo, the American team has grown accustomed to Olympic success. Moreover, before Tokyo, there was some controversy over an in-form Taylor Spivey being omitted from the team. How the USA construct their team for Paris, then, will be highly intriguing.
How will the athletes be picked?
Team USA will have three automatic selection events in which athletes can make the team.
The first will be the Paris Test Event in August 2023. In Paris, the first two athletes (per gender) that finish in the top-3 will automatically be selected. If only one athlete finishes in the top-3, the next best athlete that finishes in the top-8 will also be picked. Should no athlete podium in Paris in 2023, the best finisher in the top-8 will be automatically selected. If no Americans finish in the top-8, then no one is automatically picked.
The second selection event will be the WTCS Final in Pontevedra in September 2023. If slots remain, the first athlete (per gender) that finishes in the top-3 in Pontevedra will be selected assuming they have not already qualified.
The third and final selection event will be determined once the WTCS calendar for 2024 is available. It will be an Olympic distance event, determined by the selectors before 1st March 2024. If there are any slots available, the first athlete that has not already qualified for Paris that finishes in the top-3 will be added to the team. If a second athlete finishes in the top-3 in this third selection event, and no one qualified in Paris or Pontevedra, they will also be automatically picked.
If any slots remain open, the USA selection panel may use their discretion to fill the slot. Under this point, the priority is to contribute to Mixed Team Relay success and assist with winning individual medals. There are some performance guidelines for the discretionary pick, such as a WTCS top-8 finish or how an athlete has fared in Super Sprint races to help the relay. Among the considerations will also be factors like recency of performance, course profile, team composition, team strategy and more.
Who does the policy favour?
The obvious candidate to benefit from this policy is Taylor Knibb. Having medalled at two of her past three WTCS appearances, Knibb can enter 2023 with confidence that she can medal in Paris or Pontevedra.
A knock-on effect of this is that if Knibb performs as expected, Taylor Spivey could lock up her Olympic slot this year. If Knibb podiums in Paris, Spivey would only need to be the next best American in the top-8. With a string of top-8 finishes to her name in the 2022 season and prior history as a WTCS medallist, Spivey can absolutely achieve this. After heartbreak of missing Tokyo, it would surely be gratifying for her to lock up an Olympic slot this year.
On the men’s side, this policy favours Morgan Pearson. After medalling at the WTCS Final in Abu Dhabi, he can be quietly confident of doing the same either in Paris or Pontevedra. With two additional WTCS medals to his name from 2021, he has the best shot of any American man of medalling at the first two selection events.
Way too early team predictions
On the women’s side, we think Knibb and Spivey will secure their slots in Paris this year. Knibb has been a serial podium contender and could well challenge for the overall WTCS crown. Meanwhile, Spivey, as mentioned, has been a fixture in the WTCS top-8 and is a reliable performer.
The American women will have three slots, though, and that is where predicting becomes tricky. Currently, Summer Rappaport may be the best bet to win the individual medal at a selection race that would earn her slot. However, she blew a little hot and cold in 2022.
Kirsten Kasper is also a reliable pick that could benefit from the discretionary selection.
An argument could made for taking Gwen Jorgensen for the relay given that is her stated aim. At this point in time Jorgensen is well behind Knibb and Spivey and also will have to earn enough qualification points to meet World Triathlon’s criteria before the Americans can consider here. It is a similar story for Katie Zaferes.
The third slot will therefore likely be decided at the last minute. At this point, we can see it going to Kirsten Kasper, but anything could happen in the next 15 months.
The men’s team feels a little simpler to forecast. The Americans will have two male slots and they will probably be earned by Morgan Pearson and Matthew McElroy. Both are WTCS medallists and have been strong relay performers in the past. Pearson has the best chance of securing his slot automatically and, of the remaining men, McElroy feels like he has the hot hand, particularly after his run of World Cup medals in 2022.
You can read the fully signed policy below.
