YOKOHAMA, Japan – Cornell women's cross country, track & field, and swimming & diving alumna Taylor Knibb '20 has punched her ticket to Tokyo, winning the World Triathlon Championship Series race in Yokohama, Japan on Friday night to secure her spot on the U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team.

With her victory, Knibb not only earned the second-and-final automatic qualifying spot for the U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team, but she becomes the youngest woman triathlete to ever represent Team USA at the Olympic Games at just 23 years old.

The stakes were high as Knibb headed into Friday's race, as she needed to not only be the first U.S. woman to finish the race, but podium as well, to automatically qualify for Tokyo. She didn't leave anything up for debate, finding herself atop the podium and Tokyo bound at the conclusion of the competition.

Friday's race covered an Olympic-distance course featuring a 1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike, and 10-kilometer run around Yamashita Park and the Port of Yokohama. Knibb got herself in a position to succeed early on in the race, being among the first women out of the water following the swimming leg. It was in the cycling portion, however, that Knibb established herself.

The Netherlands' Maya Kingma forced an aggressive pace, but Knibb followed, and the pair was able to break away from the pack. What started as a slim 15-second lead turned into an incredible gap of 2:05 over the rest of the competitors as Knibb and Kingma headed into the running portion. From here, Knibb made it a one-man-show, leaving Kingma in the dust and holding an impressive 1:14 lead on the field as she approached the final lap of the 10-kilometer run. No one was catching Knibb, who went on to finish first and lead a U.S. squad that went 1-2-4. Summer Rappaport, who previously earned the first automatic qualifying spot for the Tokyo Olympic Games, placed second and Taylor Spivey finished fourth.

During the Olympic Games, the sport of triathlon will be contested July 26, 27, and 31 at Odaiba Marine Park in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The triathlon mixed relay will make its Olympic debut in Tokyo, giving Team USA athletes an additional chance to earn a medal. Team USA won its first triathlon gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

Selections to the U.S. Olympic Team are subject to U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee approval. The full 2020 U.S. Olympic Team roster is expected to be announced July 4, 2021.