It is a move that is as striking as it is understandable: Taylor Knibb will not only continue racing Long and Middle distance this season, but will also make a partial return to the Short Distance circuit. The American star is considering racing four to six WTCS events this year, keeping alive her chances of qualifying for the Olympic triathlon at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
Knibb revealed her plans on The Triathlon Hour Podcast. Her renewed focus on short distance does not mean she is stepping away from longer races. On the contrary, Knibb intends to qualify for both the Ironman 70.3 World Championship and the Ironman World Championship in Kona this year.
Last season in Hawaii, Knibb led the race for much of the day before disaster struck with just three kilometers to go. Overcome by the heat, she became severely disoriented, crashed, and was forced to withdraw – relinquishing what looked to be a near-certain victory.
“I was completely focused on Kona last year,” Knibb explained. “I’m not going to do that again, because it didn’t bring out the best in me. I think that when people hear what I want to do this season, I’ll receive quite a lot of criticism.”
In addition to combining Long Distance and Short Distance racing, Knibb will once again compete in time trials (cycling) this year. It is a discipline in which she already proved her class, having qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games two years ago – where she competed not only as a cyclist, but also as a triathlete.
