Katie Zaferes

Current Residence: Cary, N.C.

Olympic Experience

• 2-time Olympian; 2-time Olympic medalist (1 silver, 1 bronze)
• Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, silver (Team Relay - Mixed), bronze (Olympic Distance - Women)
• Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro 2016, 18th (Olympic Distance - Women)

Career Highlights

2020 U.S. Olympic Bronze Medalist (Individual), 2020 U.S. Olympic Silver Medalist (Mixed Relay)
2016 U.S. Olympian (18th)
2019 World Champion
23-time ITU World Triathlon Series medalist (6 golds, 10 silvers, 7 bronzes)
5-time ITU Triathlon World Cup medalist (4 golds, 1 silver)
2018-19 Super League Triathlon women's overall champion
2019 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final gold medalist
2018 ITU World Triathlon Series overall silver medalist
2018 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final bronze medalist
2017 ITU World Triathlon Series overall bronze medalist
2016 ITU World Triathlon Series overall 4th-place finisher
2015 ITU World Triathlon Series overall 5th-place finisher
2020 ITU Triathlon Mixed Relay World Championships silver medalist
2018 ITU Triathlon Mixed Relay World Championships bronze medalist
2017 ITU Triathlon Mixed Relay World Championships silver medalist
2017 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final silver medalist
2013 USA Triathlon Elite Rookie of the Year
2013 USA Triathlon Super Sprint Series — Fearless Pro Champion

Personal

Zaferes grew up in Hampstead, Maryland, and was a multi-time state champion in track & field at North Carroll High School. She went on to compete in track & field and cross-country for Syracuse University, specializing in the steeplechase. Over the course of her collegiate career, Zaferes broke multiple school records in the steeplechase. She was first introduced to the sport of triathlon in high school, when her dad convinced her to compete in her first race. She was later identified by USA Triathlon Collegiate Recruitment Program founder Barb Lindquist, who recognized her steeplechase background as a strong foundation for success in triathlon. Zaferes began competing at the elite level in 2013, and won two World Triathlon Cups the same year. She made her Olympic debut at the Olympic Games Rio 2016, where she finished 18th. Zaferes has risen steadily to the top of the international rankings throughout her career, placing fifth in the overall World Triathlon Championship Series in 2015, fourth in 2016, third in 2017, and second in 2018, before capturing her first career World Triathlon Championship title in 2019. Zaferes is married to fellow elite triathlete and World Triathlon photographer Tommy Zaferes. The couple once lived in a 370-square-foot home that was featured on the TV show “Tiny House Nation”. She and Tommy currently live in Cary, North Carolina, when not traveling on the international race circuit. Her father, Bill Hursey, passed away in April 2021. She says, "Now he’s with me in a different way and we’re going to be doing this together, as I ask for his guidance, strength and joy for the road ahead. Because as my dad reminded me before every race, all I needed to do was 'Race hard, but most of all have fun.' So that is what I’m going to do."

Elite Triathlon Career

2022: Did not compete in the 2022 season due to taking time off for Maternity leave after the birth of her first son, Kimble. 

2021: Placed 22nd at the World Triathlon Championship Series opener in Yokohama, Japan, on May 15 • Took 18th at the AJ Bell World Triathlon Championship Series Leeds on June 6 • Was named to the 2020 U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team via the USA Triathlon Games Athlete Selection Committee on June 16 • Won a bronze medal at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 women's triathlon event on July 27, becoming the third U.S. triathlete to win a medal in history at the Olympic Games • Won a silver medal in the debut of Triathlon Mixed Relay at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on July 31, alongside teammates Kevin McDowell, Taylor Knibb and Morgan Pearson, becoming the first U.S. triathlete to earn multiple Olympic medals in a single Games • Finished the 2021 season by coming in fourth at the World Triathlon Championship Finals in Edmonton, Canada on August 21

2020: Earned a top-five finish at the Hamburg World Triathlon Championships in Sept. 5 • Teamed up with Kevin McDowell, Taylor Spivey and Morgan Pearson to earn silver at the ITU Triathlon Mixed Relay World Championships in Hamburg on Sept. 6 • Placed 11th at the Karlovy Vary ITU Triathlon World Cup on Sept. 13 • Took sixth at the Arzachena ITU Triathlon World Cup on Oct. 10

2019: Secured the overall Super League Triathlon Women's Championship title at the final stop of the 2018-19 series in Mallorca, Spain • Grabbed her second career ITU World Triathlon Series medal with a win in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on March 8 • Teamed up with Eli Hemming, Taylor Spivey and Ben Kanute to earn silver at the ITU World Mixed Relay Series stop in Abu Dhabi on March 9 • Won consecutive gold medals at the ITU World Triathlon stops in Bermuda and Yokohama, on April 27 and May 18  • Earned silver at World Triathlon Leeds, on June 9 • Won gold at the World Triathlon Montreal, on June 29 • Finished in 35th at the Hamburg Wasser World Triathlon, on July 6 • Teamed up with Eli Hemming, Taylor Spivey and Matt McElroy to earn 9th at the Hamburg ITU Triathlon Mixed Relay World Championships, on July 7 • Secured the ITU World Triathlon Series overall title by winning the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Aug. 31

2018: Won the ITU World Triathlon Series overall silver medal after a third-place finish at the Grand Final in Gold Coast, Australia, on Sept. 12 • Earned a silver medal at the ITU World Triathlon Series stop in Montreal, Québec, on Aug. 25 • Finished sixth at ITU World Triathlon Edmonton on July 27 • Competed at the ITU Triathlon Mixed Relay World Championships alongside teammates Kirsten Kasper, Ben Kanute and Kevin McDowell, earning bronze • Won a bronze medal at ITU World Triathlon Hamburg on July 14, her fourth consecutive medal in the ITU World Triathlon Series • Collected bronze at ITU World Triathlon Leeds on June 10, moving into the overall ITU World Triathlon Series lead • Helped Team USA to a gold medal at the inaugural ITU World Mixed Relay Series event in Nottingham, England, on June 6 • Claimed silver at ITU World Triathlon Yokohama on May 12 • Earned the bronze medal at ITU World Triathlon Bermuda on April 28

2017: Placed second at the Island House Triathlon, a multi-stage race in the Bahamas from Nov. 17-18 • Won a silver medal at the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on Sept. 14, clinching the overall 2017 ITU World Triathlon Series bronze medal • Finished ninth at ITU World Triathlon Montreal on Aug. 5 • Earned a bronze at ITU World Triathlon Edmonton on July 28 • Was part of the silver-medal-winning team at the Hamburg ITU Triathlon Mixed Relay World Championships on July 16 with teammates Ben Kanute, Kirsten Kasper and Matt McElroy • Took fourth at ITU World Triathlon Hamburg on July 15 • Won a silver medal at ITU World Triathlon Yokohama on May 13 • Placed fourth at ITU World Triathlon Gold Coast on April 8 • Took the win at the first World Cup of the season in New Plymouth, New Zealand, on April 2 • Recorded a seventh-place finish at ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi on March 3

2016: Placed 13th at the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Cozumel, Mexico, on Sept. 11 • Won a bronze medal at ITU World Triathlon Edmonton on Sept. 3 • Was named to the U.S. Olympic Team for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, placing 18th in the women's triathlon on Aug. 18 • Claimed her first career WTS victory on June 16 at ITU World Triathlon Hamburg • Finished 10th at World Triathlon Stockholm on July 2 • Posted back-to-back sixth place efforts, first at ITU World Triathlon Gold Coast on April 9 and then again at ITU World Triathlon Yokohama on May 14 

2015: Finished on the podium in six of eight WTS starts she made • Silver medalist at ITU World Triathlon Stockholm • Sixth at the Rio de Janeiro ITU Olympic World Qualification Event • Second at WTS London as part of the second U.S. podium sweep of the season • Picked up the silver medal at WTS Cape Town on April 11 to move to No. 1 in the Columbia Threadneedle ITU World Triathlon Series Rankings • Third at WTS Gold Coast to help the U.S. secure its first WTS podium sweep and only the second in the history of the series • Finished second at WTS Auckland • Started her season with a second-place finish at ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi on March 6 with one of the top-five fastest run splits

2014: Started the season with a win at the New Plymouth ITU World Cup and was second at Mooloolaba ITU World Cup • Finished ninth in the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Edmonton • Posted her best finish in the ITU World Triathlon Series to date in the sprint-distance ITU World Triathlon Stockholm • Won the Kelowna PATCO Sprint Triathlon Premium Pan American Cup after a nearly three month break due to injury • Was the third American and 13th overall at ITU World Triathlon London

2013: Logged a number of top ten finishes including wins at the Tiszaujvaros ITU World Cup and Palamos ITU World Cup • Her season was highlighted by being named USA Triathlon's Elite Rookie of the Year award • Topped the podium at the season finale of the 2013 USA Triathlon Super Sprint Series, held in San Diego as the Fearless Pro Super Sprint Triathlon • Also grabbed wins at the Rev3 Maine and San Diego Super Sprint and top ten finishes at the ITU Pan American Cups in Sarasota and Clermont

World Championships Experience

• Most recent: 2024 – 9th (Team Relay - Mixed), 50th (Individual Ranking - Women)
• Years of participation: Individual Ranking - Women 2021, 2023, 2024; Team Relay - Mixed 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2024; Olympic Distance - Women 2021, 2023; Super Sprint Distance - Women 2023
• Medals: 3 (2 silver, 1 bronze)
• Silver – 2020 (Team Relay - Mixed); 2017 (Team Relay - Mixed)
• Bronze – 2018 (Team Relay - Mixed)