A torn tendon, a stress fracture in her leg and a pandemic — that’s what Taylor Knibb faced in 2020. Even with the setbacks, the District native is headed to Tokyo as a first-time Olympian later this month.
Knibb qualified for the U.S. triathlon team after winning the 2021 World Triathlon Championship Series race in Yokohama, Japan, on May 15, her first race in 18 months.
“It was the first time that I was on the start line in a while where I was like ‘I’m really excited to be here,’” Knibb said of the race in Yokohama. “That’s dangerous in the best way.”
In her lone attempt to qualify for the Olympic team in 2021, Knibb logged the third-fastest time (1:54:27) for a woman at Yokohama since its inception in 2009, beating fellow U.S. Olympian Summer Rappaport by 30 seconds.
In order to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team, Knibb had to be the first American woman on the podium at the event that wasn’t already qualified for the games. If she wasn’t on the podium, her Olympic hopes would be in the hands of a committee.
The way Knibb saw it, it was either qualify at Yokohama or wait until the 2024 Olympics.
“I’m almost 100% certain that the committee would not have picked me discretionarily, so that was my only way onto the team,” Knibb said. “I was very, very excited, but I was more excited to put together a race that I was happy with and everything that came with it — the win, the qualification — was very overwhelming.”
The 23-year-old became the youngest woman to make the U.S. Olympic triathlon team, a sport that’s been a part of the summer games since 2000.
Knibb was a decorated runner in high school at Sidwell Friends, including being named the District’s Cross Country Gatorade Runner of the Year in 2014 and 2015 and winning the Independent School League Championship her senior year.
“I think that she’s like the epitome of hard work,” said Gaby Grebski, Knibb’s high school cross country coach. “She was doing everything she needed to do to be successful, not just in training, but like all the little stuff.”
After graduating from high school, Knibb went to Cornell and continued running cross country before joining the swim and track and field teams as well.
She said being a part of the teams allowed her to train with others instead of training alone while at school.
“I don’t know how that would have ended because I think it would have ended — triathlon would not be a part of my life right now,” Knibb said about if she wasn’t on a team at Cornell.
Knibb added that being a part of the teams at the collegiate level allowed her to learn from other athletes on what worked and what didn’t in running and swimming.
Knibb was first recruited to Cornell to run cross country and then-head coach Artie Smith said her work ethic was “off the charts.”
Smith said Knibb would arrive at cross country practice after having trained for hours on the bike and in the pool and she didn’t complain when it was time to run.
“That level of determination and drive stems from a willingness to work and a real commitment to not cutting corners,” Smith said.
Patrick Gallagher, Cornell’s swim coach, called Knibb “the ultimate athlete.”
“Everybody at this level has got a work ethic and hers was just even different amongst this group,” Gallagher said. “Whatever bumps in the road she hit, there was never a complaint. It was full steam ahead in the fast lane.”
In the first meet Knibb swam at Cornell, she clocked the 10th-fastest time in the 1,000-meter freestyle in the program’s history, something he said exceeded expectations for her at the time.
The Olympic qualification wasn’t a surprise to Knibb’s coaches, most of whom were watching the livestream of the race at Yokohama.
“Ever since I’ve known her this has been a goal, to be an Olympian,” Smith said. “It just felt like ‘yep, this makes sense’ because I’ve seen the kind of work and the consistency and the determination that she’s put into doing this.”
Gallagher said he stayed up past his bedtime to watch the race, texting in the swim group messages to update Knibb’s teammates on her performance.
“I was not surprised at all, but super happy and pleased for her,” said Mike Henderson, the head cross country coach during Knibb’s senior season. “She’s such a great competitor that I was not surprised that she did it. But it was still just incredibly impressive to see her doing it this early in her career.”
With the Olympic triathlon in less than a month, Knibb is focused on her training before heading to Tokyo on July 20 for the event on July 27.
“My main goal is to give myself the best opportunity to have the best race possible and executing a good swim, bike and run,” Knibb said. “Whatever outcome that results I’ll be fine with as long as I do what I need to do.”
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