Morgan Pearson is headed back to the Olympics.
The former Colorado distance standout-turned-elite triathlete qualified for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team at the World Triathlon Olympic Games Test Event Paris earlier this week. The event marked the first of three Olympic Games Paris 2024 auto-qualification opportunities for U.S. triathletes.
Pearson placed sixth to lead the U.S. men and earn an automatic qualification spot to the Paris 2024 Games. A Tokyo 2020 Olympian who won a silver medal as a member of the U.S. Mixed Relay team in Tokyo, Pearson has qualified for his second Olympic Games. He joins Taylor Knibb, who qualified on Thursday, as the first two U.S. elite triathletes to qualify for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team.
“I don’t think itap sunk in yet. This past day has been a whirlwind. I wasn’t on the start list until 14 hours before the race,” Pearson said in a release from USA Triathlon. “I wasn’t even thinking about qualification that much until those last two laps (on the run). This means a lot to me, but maybe it means more to my family because they can come to this one.”
Per USA Triathlon Olympic selection criteria, two U.S. athletes would have qualified in Friday’s race in Paris if both athletes finished on the podium (top three). If one U.S. athlete finished on the podium and another was in the top eight, then both would qualify. If no one reached the podium, only the single highest-ranking athlete in the top eight would earn a spot.
Thus, Pearson’s sixth-place finish qualified him for the U.S. Olympic Triathlon team.
Pearson wasn’t even on the start list for the event in which he qualified until the 11th hour.
After dealing with injuries and illness this season, Pearson was left off the original start list in Paris due to his lower World Triathlon ranking. On Thursday afternoon, however, he was named to the start list after Australia’s Mathew Hauser and Canada’s Charles Paquet dropped out due to illness.
Pearson made the most of his opportunity. He finished the 1500-meter swim among the second group out of the water, joined by fellow U.S. Elite Triathlon National Team member Seth Rider. The duo rode their way to the lead bike pack, and by the end of the second lap of the 40-kilometer bike, a group of more than 40 riders formed the front group. The massive pack emerged together out of transition and Pearson quickly moved to the front on the run, taking the lead by the end of the first lap of the 10k.
Great Britain’s Alex Yee took back control in the second lap and ran un-challenged the rest of the way, cruising to victory in 1 hour, 41 minutes, 2 seconds. Portugal’s Vasco Vilaca sprinted to silver, out-kicking Dorian Coninx of France.
Pearson, with his top-eight place secured and ticket punched to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, ran to cheers and high-fives on the blue carpet for a sixth-place finish in 1:41:23.
