With a full slate of national and world championships in the books — plus the Olympic and Paralympic Games — U.S. athletes had plenty of time in the spotlight in 2016. Here are some of the top quotes from the year.
"It's pretty crazy to show up on the day — after four years — and be able to accomplish what I wanted to accomplish. It's a huge testament to both my husband, Patrick Lemieux, and my coach, Jamie Turner. They have invested way more in me than anyone will ever know, unless they've seen us work together. This is as much their medal as it is mine."
— Gwen Jorgensen, U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist
“Who would have guessed when I got that first little plastic trophy at a race not too far from Pittsburgh that I would have gotten so hooked on this sport, which really led me down a path in my life for the next 30 years.”
— Roger Brockenbrough during his induction speech at the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame celebration
“You know that feeling when you've missed lunch and you're waiting for dinner and everything is getting on your nerves? Well sometimes when I'm training really hard I feel like that for whole weeks at a time."
— Eric Lagerstrom when asked at a New Zealand school visit if he ever has nervous breakdowns
“I was blown away upon hearing the assignment and with that emotion was humility and honor, knowing that I will represent the USA, USA Triathlon and all technical officials in our federation and those across the globe. Over the course of my officiating experience I’ve had the honor to not only be assigned many international events, but gained personally and professionally through my interactions with others from all over the world.”
— Reg Whatley after being named a Technical Official for Rio 2016
“Honestly, I knew that there were a lot of fast guys with fresh legs. Yesterday the guys were really close to me and I knew that I had to have an awesome race if I wanted to come in first again. It hasn’t hit me yet. Ask me in a couple of hours, and I’ll know how special it really is.”
— Mike Meehan of Penn State on his CCNC titles
“I’m pretty shocked actually. This is the first race I’ve actually ever won besides [duathlons] or little sprint ones. I didn’t even know what to expect. I saw it was pretty close to my house, so I thought I’d sign up.”
— Jake Baugher of Carolina Varsity Tri Club after winning the first USA Triathlon High School National Championships
"USAT Clydesdale and Athena National Championships means the world to me in terms of what it does for uplifting the respect for Athena and Clydesdale athletes. Every year the divisions get more challenging, and it speaks volumes that the top Athena and Clydesdale athletes placed high among the overall results as well."
— Leslie Battle after winning the Athena title in the Olympic-distance race at the USA Triathlon Clydesdale & Athena National Champonships
“I’ve raced all over the world — Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Denmark, Sweden — you can’t imagine a country I haven’t raced in. I like it because I can get around and it’s a part of my life. So how do I like being home? I love it. Just get up in the morning and drive over here.”
— Lew Hollander on competing in the USA Triathlon Duathlon National Championships in Bend, Oregon. Hollander lives in nearby Redmond.
“The key word is team. I crossed the line but we shook hands in between legs, and I couldn’t have done it without these guys. We compete all the time individually, and it’s nice to group up. There’s a lot behind the scenes that goes on with camaraderie and this is kind of a visual example of it, which is really cool.”
— Joe Maloy on the American team’s Mixed Team Relay victory in Hamburg
"I'm very excited about the swim because I haven't done an open water swim since I was 4."
– Azalea Snell, 10, at the USA Triathlon Youth & Junior National Championships
"I don’t know where to start. It feels amazing. This day we’ve been waiting for, for so long. It’s the culmination of the best for years of my life, and I think I had one of the best races of my life. I’m so stoked to be here."
— Hailey Danisewicz (Chicago, Ill.), PT2 silver medalist, On earning silver
"The 15th anniversary of September 11, every year it’s a meaningful day for me. I mean, I lost my leg over in Iraq. To be here representing the USA, with the USA uniform on, on the world’s biggest athletic stage — when it got really tough out there, I thought of those who made the ultimate sacrifice and didn’t make it back and they pushed me to the finish, wanting to give my thanks to them."
— Melissa Stockwell (Chicago, Ill.), Paralympic Games PT2 bronze medalist, on racing on the anniversary of Sept. 11
“From lifeguarding, that was what we used to do — run, swim, run — so that was kind of a fun experience. This has been the highest quality field in aquathlon in a very long time, with Alistair Brownlee racing and Richard Varga, so finishing on the podium behind those two guys is pretty amazing.”
— Tommy Zaferes, ITU Aquathlon World Championships bronze medalist
"Last fall I got married and wanted to take a break from running, but I had already been fitted for my wedding dress and knew I had to do something. One of my friends is a tri coach and started writing some workouts for me, and I thought it would be fun."
— Alissa Doehla on winning the overall women’s title at the USA Triathlon Olympic-Distance National Championships
“It is my first World Cup, so it is all a bit of a surprise. I didn’t know that [I was in solidly in podium position] until the finish — I wasn’t looking behind me. Ashleigh’s a tremendous athlete, and they’re all tremendous athletes, so I know they were coming for me.”
— Taylor Knibb on winning bronze in her ITU World Cup debut in Montreal
“You can’t ever quit. You have to keep fighting and keep persevering,” Maloy said. “That’s what triathlon is about and in a broader sense that’s what the Olympic Games are about. I was really proud of the way I ran. I didn’t give up; I didn’t quit. I kept fighting and that was the best I had. I wanted to make my family and my country proud.”
— Joe Maloy on finishing 23rd at the Olympic Games
“This sort of race, normally I would sprint the whole thing. This year I was like, I’m just going to finish and go as slow as I need to, because I just wanted the experience. It was awesome, and I’m so glad we were able to do it together.”
— Julie Kramer on racing the ITU Age Group World Championships in Cozumel with her sister seven weeks after giving birth