Paris triathlon: “We’re the happiest silver medal athletes in the history of the Games,” says Taylor Spivey

It was a sprint finish so close that USA’s Taylor Spivey only found out her team had won silver on the way to the podium ceremony.

As the third and final event of the triathlon programme in Paris, the mixed team relay delivered on all fronts, right down to the thickness of a tri-suit to determine the medal positions.

“We were lining up for the podium when they told us we had silver,” Spivey said, after team-mate Taylor Knibb had been adjudged to just pip Great Britain to the line. “So, I think we’re the happiest silver medal athletes in the history of the Games.”

Cause to be chuffed

Spivey had particular cause to be chuffed. She missed out on being selected for the Tokyo Games in 2021 in an agonising selection decision when ranked the number two athlete in the world. 

Having battled to claim a discretionary spot this time around and finished 10th in the individual event, she reflected afterwards that maybe her best chance would have been three years earlier.

But any regret was pushed firmly to one side as she took on the second leg with gusto to keep the USA firmly in contention before tagging on to Morgan Pearson. 

“I’m glad I felt so much better today than I did on the individual race when I just didn’t have the legs.” Spivey said. “I knew if we all executed a solid race we could be in the fight for a medal but to actually do it, there are no words to describe it.”

Support for the Stars and Stripes

With spectators lining the course and in some areas five to six deep, there was no shortage of support for the Stars and Stripes, and particularly for the 33-year-old Californian who now bases herself in Spain. 

“My family is here watching and because I live in Europe I have so many friends here,” she added. ”A lot of my friends flew over from the US, and I have some from Girona where I currently live as well. It was special to have a medal-winning performance in front of them all.”

Having had a torrid time in the individual races where Spivey was the best-placed American, the US started the relay well behind France, Britain and Germany in the list of fancied nations. This was despite them having clinched a silver in Tokyo, where both Pearson and Knibb raced. 

But the tactics played out to perfection as the all-round talents of Seth Rider and Spivey kept the US in the mix throughout, Pearson then gave Knibb a shot and the multi-talented Colorado-based 26-year-old, whose Olympic programme started with the cycling time-trial last Saturday, put on a virtuoso display swim-bike to catch the leaders and almost take the gold.

“In the last Olympic cycle, they’ve put me second quite a few times and I always seem to bring it back,” Spivey added. “I’m gritty and I like chasing down the competition, and I did that today. I knew I had to give 110% and that’s exactly what I did so I could hand off to Morgan. 

“We knew we could rely on Knibb as well. She’s one of the best cyclists in our sport and despite the weather conditions not playing in her favour and crashing a few times [in the road race], we know how strong she is, and that she could execute the bike solo when the race is more split up on the last leg. And, wow, she delivered.”