Triathlon

Do you prefer sprint or Olympic distance Triathlon?

The thrill of speed: Why I prefer Sprint Triathlon

I prefer Sprint distance Triathlon. I really just, I really like being done in an hour and I just like the shorter race. I think it's more fun. But yeah, I enjoy Sprint, not for nothing more than that. It's faster.

I prefer Sprint distance Triathlon because it's faster and more fun than longer races.

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I prefer Sprint distance Triathlon. I enjoy the shorter race and the fact that I can complete it in about an hour. It's a more fun and faster experience for me.

How did you improve your bike skills for the Tokyo Games?

Overcoming Fear: How Hard Work and Intentional Training Improved My Bike Skills

I have worked. I've been working really hard to improve my bike skills. Since Rio, basically in 2016. In Rio. I had seen the course and everyone was worried about this steep uphill and to me, the uphill was no problem, but the downhills like scared me so much and it took my brain away from focusing on the race as a whole. And I just became all consumed by this fear of descending, this hill. And so after being disappointed with my result and Rio was a turning point for me and it's probably one of the Things that in looking back that ever happened because it was what I worked on since then and being really intentional about working on those skills specific to our racing. So that I would always feel more confident and I am really blessed to have Tommy. My husband be also a training partner. So every day we go out and train and I follow his wheel. He's quite technically good. I would I would really make it an attention to the be as close as possible as I could to him and like use that by doing also. Group rides and just putting myself in a lot of situations to improve so that when it came to the, to the race in Tokyo, when it was what, I felt confident that I'd done. These things before that I've raced in wet weather that I've worked on my skills technically, and that I've improved, so that I felt a lot more confident in Tokyo than I did in Rio.

After being disappointed with my result in Rio, I worked hard to improve my bike skills by intentional practice and following my husband's wheel. This helped me feel more confident when it came to the race in Tokyo, as I had done all the necessary preparation to improve my skills.

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I have been working hard to improve my bike skills since the Rio Games in 2016. In Rio, I had a fear of descending steep hills, which affected my focus during the race. After being disappointed with my result, I made it a priority to work on those specific skills for racing.

Fortunately, my husband Tommy is also a training partner, and I am blessed to have him. We train together every day, and I closely follow his wheel. He is technically skilled, so I make a conscious effort to stay as close to him as possible. I also participate in group rides and put myself in various situations to improve my skills.

By doing these things, I gained confidence for the race in Tokyo. I had experience racing in wet weather, worked on my technical skills, and overall improved. As a result, I felt much more confident in Tokyo compared to my experience in Rio.

How nervous were you before the start of the Tokyo Olympics, how did you manage those nerves?

Triathlete's Surprising Strategy and Supportive Atmosphere at Tokyo Olympics

I feel like before the start of the Tokyo Olympics. I was actually not as nervous as as I have been for other races and my man try going into the race. Was I know how to do this. Like, I know how to race Triathlon and just the mindset of like, this is what I do basically, and it was like, for the warm-up, we were doing a swim warm up, and it was so spots. One through five. It was me the Brits and summer and we were all just practicing starts. And really just like kind of scheming like, okay, like if we, if we get into like this formation like we can all get away and it was amazing because a like it's not something we typically do at any race, but also it was really fun and I think that it made it feel feel fine and it made it feel like I would say a difference from Rio to Tokyo, is that in Rio. I felt like my competitors were competitors. I was intimidated by them and felt like they were bigger than me. Whereas, in Tokyo, I felt like they were my friends and I also think that is being drawn upon like a five years of getting to know people but be how supportive people were when my dad passed away and how they were there for me. And it just created a lot of really close-knit relationships with the triathlon community. So for me like that would made it really fun. And so that for starting on that start line in Tokyo. It was really just like, let's see what I can do. I'm going to try my best and and it made it a little less stressful and a lot less nervous. Fracking.

Going into the Tokyo Olympics, I was less nervous than other races because I had a great warm-up with the other competitors and I felt like they were my friends. This positive mindset made it much easier to approach the race with confidence.

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Before the start of the Tokyo Olympics, I was actually not as nervous as I had been for other races. I felt confident in my abilities and had the mindset of knowing how to race in triathlon. During the warm-up, we were practicing starts with other athletes, and it was a fun and unique experience. It made the whole atmosphere feel more relaxed and enjoyable.

One difference I noticed between Rio and Tokyo was how I viewed my competitors. In Rio, I felt intimidated by them and saw them as bigger than me. However, in Tokyo, I felt like they were my friends. Over the past five years, I had gotten to know many of them, and their support during the difficult time when my dad passed away created close-knit relationships within the triathlon community.

This supportive and friendly environment made the start line in Tokyo feel exciting rather than stressful. I approached the race with the mindset of giving my best and seeing what I could achieve. Overall, the camaraderie and positive relationships within the triathlon community helped manage any nerves I had before the start of the Tokyo Olympics.

What was the USA Olympic team environment like in Tokyo?

US Olympic team's incredible camaraderie in Tokyo

The US Olympic team environment was like really incredible. It was so cool. Because even though like we obviously know each other and have been two races together. I mean summer Rappaport, Taylor nib Morgan Pearson Kevin and I we all have kind of different relationships with one another. Some that are closer where I like see summer a bit more now that she lives in our area. Kevin. I when I got started in Triathlon, he was at the Olympic Training Center, but like for me Morgan and Taylor like I didn't know. Them quite as well. And so leading into the Olympics. We were like really bonded and really had a really good sense of camaraderie leading into the mixed relay. And I think that made a huge difference. Just getting to know each other that week and have meals together. Go to training sessions together and just really, really have like big talk sessions where it's not just passing by as you're really focused on the race and not able to have time together in Tokyo. We actually had quite a bit of time before Before the Race happened.

The US Olympic team environment was really incredible. Even though the members of the team had different levels of familiarity with one another, everyone bonded leading up to the mixed relay race. This camaraderie made a big difference and allowed them to get to know each other better while they were in Tokyo.

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The environment of the US Olympic team in Tokyo was incredible. Despite knowing each other and having raced together before, there were varying levels of familiarity among the team members. Some of us had closer relationships, while others were less acquainted. However, leading up to the Olympics, we bonded and developed a strong sense of camaraderie, especially in preparation for the mixed relay event.

We spent time together, sharing meals and attending training sessions as a team. This allowed us to get to know each other better and have meaningful conversations. Unlike previous races where we were focused solely on the competition, in Tokyo, we had the opportunity to spend quality time together before the race took place. This bonding experience made a significant difference in our team dynamics and overall performance.

Father's Day Triathlon Kickstarted My Passion

The first triathlon I ever did was with my dad on Father's Day. It was right after I graduated from high school and it was just something I did with him. I thought it, I thought it was just I was the daughter out of my other two sisters. That was recruited to do it with him. And I thought it was something he wanted to do only to find out like years later that it was actually all like a ploy to get me involved in Triathlon because he thought it was something that I would be good at. So that was my first try. Athol on and it was one I just did with him annually every every year for a couple years until I got back into it after I graduated from college.

I did my first triathlon with my dad on Father's Day after I graduated high school. He wanted me to get involved in triathlons because he thought I would excel at it. After college, I got back into it and have been doing it annually ever since.

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I got started with triathlon through my dad. The first triathlon I ever did was on Father's Day, right after I graduated from high school. It was something I did with him, thinking I was the chosen daughter out of my sisters to participate. Little did I know, it was actually a ploy by my dad to get me involved in triathlon because he believed it was something I would excel at. So that was my first experience with triathlon, and I continued to do it annually with my dad for a couple of years until I got back into it after graduating from college.

What was the biggest achievement of your career?

Olympic Medals Surpass World Championship for Career Triumph

Well, I would have said, I would have thought that my biggest achievement of my career would be 2019 world champion. However, I have to say, after getting a medal, getting, to Metals. It feels really good to have have those medals at the Olympics and I think I didn't expect for it how good it would feel and even more. So because of the adversity of this year, because of the lead of being anything but smooth and straight forward. So to be able to do that under under those conditions, I mean, it just felt felt so good and to have I mean, I always have had a great Community around me but against like have the so many people who picked me up and were there for me at like the lowest moments at the lowest performances and and then to be able to regroup and actually have like a really solid, not just one race at the Olympics, but two races, especially being part of, I mean that makes team relay debut in the Olympics. It's pretty historic. So so I would say the two Olympic medals.

My biggest achievement of my career is getting two Olympic medals in 2019, despite the adversity. It felt really good to have a great community around me at the lowest moments and then to be able to regroup and have two solid races, including being part of a historic team relay debut in the Olympics.

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The biggest achievement of my career would have been winning the 2019 World Championship. However, I have to say that getting two medals at the Olympics feels even more significant. It was unexpected how good it would feel, especially considering the adversity and challenges faced this year. To achieve this under difficult conditions was incredibly rewarding.

I've always had a great community supporting me, but having so many people lift me up during the lowest moments and performances meant a lot. To be able to regroup and perform well in not just one, but two races at the Olympics was a solid accomplishment. Additionally, being part of the historic debut of the team relay at the Olympics added to the significance of the achievement.

Overall, winning two Olympic medals stands out as the biggest achievement of my career.

Katie Zaferes answers your Triathlon questions. See all the advice Katie Zaferes has and get answers to your own Triathlon questions.

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Olympian🥈🥉, World Triathlon Champion, Super League Triathlon Champion.⁣