Summer Rappaport

A front pack swimmer, with improving cycling ability and a run pedigree to rely on, Summer Rappaport is always in the mix when it comes to short course racing.

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The first US athlete to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics after excelling at the test event in 2019, the 32-year-old has a World Series victory and a fistful of World Cup wins to her name, as well as a wealth of Super League experience dating back to 2018.

Born in Denver, Colorado, Rappaport is a former college runner and swimmer from Villanova University in Pennsylvania where she studied political science. Turning to triathlon for the 2014 University Games, she helped the US to the overall team title and followed it up with a first continental cup podium in Quebec later in the summer.

The following year brought a first World Triathlon victory with a resounding win over the sprint distance in Sarasota, Florida before in 2016 she stepped up a level again with a first World Cup triumph in Chengdu, China.

Although a 14th place in the Yokohama World Series suggested Rappaport – who was still Summer Cook at the time – had the talent to compete with the world’s best, it was still a surprise when she defeated a stellar field and miserable conditions to win the World Series sprint race in Edmonton in September 2016.

Another seven World Cup wins followed, but no further World Series victories, although Rappaport has been back on the podium a number of times including in Cape Town, Yokohama, Edmonton, Hamburg and most recently Montreal.

Rappaport has always raced well in Japan and a fifth place – 13 seconds clear of Taylor Spivey – to finish top American in the Tokyo test event secured an automatic Olympic qualifying spot in 2019. When the long wait for the Games came around she placed a slightly below par 13th and was left out of the silver medal-winning mixed relay quartet as Katie Zafares and Taylor Knibb were selected.

Continuing the short course consistency, Rappaport has claimed three Super League Triathlon podiums in 12 races, and returned as a wildcard in 2022 where she placed seventh for Team Eagles in Toulouse and fourth for Team Cheetahs in Malibu, being narrowly beaten to a place on the podium by eventual series champion Georgia Taylor-Brown.

This year she’ll line up for the all-American RTS Warriors in the Super League series where with Spivey, Zaferes, Erika Ackerlund and Kirsten Kasper for company, then women of the Stars & Stripes are likely to be flying high.