Olympic athlete Taylor Knibb who stands at 5’7″/170. cm will compete for the United States of America in the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. She previously competed for the United States and took home a gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. At the age of eleven, she began triathlon after receiving inspiration from her mother.
Taylor Knibb Earns Spot for Paris 2024 U.S. Olympic Team
Taylor Knibb, the current 70.3 world champion and an Olympian from 2020, has become the first American athlete to secure an automatic spot for the U.S. Olympic team. She achieved this by finishing fifth at the Paris test event for the upcoming 2024 Olympics.
Knibb’s fifth-place finish at this Paris test event automatically guarantees her a spot at the 2024 Olympics. According to the qualifying standards set by USA Triathlon, the first American athlete to finish within the top eight at the Paris test event secures an automatic qualification.
“It was a strange race, but it checked a box. The hardwork has paid off.”
Knibb said
Taylor Knibb Age, Place of Birth, Siblings, Parents, and Coach
Taylor Knibb, 26, was born on February 14, 1998, in Washington, D.C. Her parents are Robert and Leslie Knibb. She attended Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., for her high school education.
Following the path of many family members, Taylor enrolled at Cornell University. For four years, she participated in NCAA track and cross-country events. In her senior year, she also joined the swim team. Taylor graduated from Cornell in 2020.
Her mother, Leslie Knibb, is also an experienced triathlete. In 2019, Leslie finished fourth in the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final (55-59 female category) in Lausanne, Switzerland, with a time of 2:40:28. Like her daughter Taylor, Leslie studied at Cornell University. Taylor’s maternal grandparents, Joseph and Vera, as well as two cousins, Caroline and Peter Simon, and three uncles, Ernie, Joseph, and Wally Simon, also attended Cornell.
Taylor’s brother, Jack Knibb, is currently a student at Cornell University. He ran track at their high school, Sidwell Friends, in Washington D.C. Jack is set to graduate from Cornell in 2022.
Taylor’s role models include her mother, Leslie Knibb, as well as Tamara Gorman and Gwen Jorgensen. She joined the national triathlon team in 2017 and remains the youngest athlete on the team to this day.
Currently, Taylor trains in Boulder, Colorado, with the Origin Performance Squad, an elite international training group coached by Ian O’Brien.
How and Where Taylor Knibb Started Her Career In Rowing and Her Early Life
Taylor Knibb started participating in triathlons at the age of 11. She was inspired by watching her mother, Leslie Knibb, compete in the Ironman triathlon. Taylor noticed the positive atmosphere of the event, which motivated her. She tried a kids’ triathlon race and became hooked on the sport from that point onwards. She then progressed through the youth elite and junior elite programs of USA Triathlon.
At the age of 15, Knibb began competing in the youth and junior elite circuit. During her high school years, she participated in swimming and cross-country events while continuing to compete in triathlons. In 2014 and 2015, she was named the Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year for Washington D.C., and the D.C. State Athletic Association Runner of the Year.
In 2014, Knibb placed ninth at the ITU Junior World Championships in Edmonton, Canada. She also earned a silver medal at the Monterrey PATCO Youth Olympic Games Qualifier. Additionally, she won the bronze medal at the Dallas PATCO Triathlon Pan American Championships in the junior category and finished third at the USA Triathlon Junior National Championships.
In 2017, Knibb became the youngest woman to earn a spot on the podium at an ITU World Triathlon Series race, winning a silver medal in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
During her junior career, Knibb won the USA Triathlon Junior National Championship in 2015 and 2016, the Junior World Championships in 2016 and 2017, and the U23 World Championships in 2018. She is one of only three women to have held both the Junior and U23 world titles. At the 2017 ITU World Triathlon Series in Edmonton, she finished second, becoming the youngest woman to ever stand on the podium in the series.
Knibb has been the youngest member of the USA Triathlon National Team.
Knibb in Olympics and After Years
In 2021, Taylor Knibb won the gold medal at the World Triathlon Championship Series event in Yokohama on May 15th. This victory qualified her for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team. On July 27th, she made her Olympic debut in Tokyo, where she finished 16th in the women’s individual triathlon event.
Knibb also won a silver medal in the debut of the Triathlon Mixed Relay at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, alongside her U.S. teammates Katie Zaferes, Kevin McDowell, and Morgan Pearson. She became the youngest U.S. triathlete ever to win an Olympic medal.
Also Read: Take a Look Inside Triathlete Morgan Pearson’s Life Including his Relationships and Family
On August 14th, 2021, Knibb placed second overall in the super sprint challenge weekend at the World Triathlon Championship Series event in Montreal. She then claimed victory at the World Triathlon Championship Series Finals in Edmonton on August 21st, securing her second place in the overall world rankings at the end of the 2021 season.
Taylor Preparing for the Upcoming Olympics
At the inaugural Collins Cup in August 2021, Taylor won her race for Team USA, defeating modern-day great Daniela Ryf of Switzerland by a remarkable margin of more than 16 minutes.
In addition to her Olympic silver medal in the mixed relay, Taylor was a key member of the U.S. Mixed Relay team that won the silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, after she had finished 16th in the individual race.
In October 2022, Knibb won the Women’s Ironman 70.3 World Championship held in St. George, Utah, becoming the youngest woman to ever win that race.
One year later, in 2023, Knibb successfully defended her title by winning the Ironman 70.3 World Championship for the second consecutive year.
As the 2020 Olympian, Knibb became the first American to automatically qualify for the U.S. Olympic team with a fifth-place finish at the Paris test event for the 2024 Olympics.
With her qualification for Paris secured, Knibb is scheduled to compete in Lahti, Finland, where she will attempt to defend her Ironman 70.3 World Championship title.
