American professional triathlete Morgan Cadwell Pearson was born on September 22, 1993, and she competed in the mixed relay at the 2020 Summer Olympics, where she took home a silver medal. In the next Olympics in Paris in 2024, he will represent the United States.
Morgan Pearson Qualifies for 2024 U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team at World Triathlon Olympic Games Test Event Paris
Morgan Pearson was able to go from being on the waitlist for the Paris Test Event to becoming the first member named to the men’s U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team for the 2024 Paris Olympics. He accomplished this by finishing in 6th place at the event. Pearson had previously competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and this will be his second time representing the United States in the Olympic triathlon competition.
Pearson joins fellow American triathlete Taylor Knibb as the first two U.S. elite triathletes to have qualified for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team. This is a significant achievement for Pearson, who has worked hard to earn his spot on the team after initially being on the waitlist for the qualifying event in Paris.
“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. This past day has been a whirlwind. I wasn’t on the start list until 14 hours before the race.”
Pearson said
Personal Life of Pearson, His Brothers, and Parents
Morgan Pearson was born on September 22, 1993, in Washington, DC, and was raised in New Jersey. He was a very successful athlete in college, earning seven All-American honors in cross-country and track.
Pearson is the son of Mike and Christine Pearson, and he has three brothers – Andrew, Parker, and Trevor. His grandfather played lacrosse at Syracuse University. Pearson has dual citizenship with the United States and Canada. In high school, he was a swimmer and also enjoyed surfing and playing basketball.
At Delbarton and Morristown High School, Pearson earned four letters. He was the New Jersey state champion in the 3,200-meter event as a senior and also earned All-American honors in the outdoor two-mile run. Pearson’s biggest high school accomplishment was winning the 3,000-meter run at the Penn Relays. He also placed fourth in the Northeast Region at Nike Cross Nationals as a junior and was second in the FootLocker regional competition as a senior.
Pearson earned his college degree in economics and mathematics, graduating with a GPA higher than 3.40.
Meet An athletic Couple, Morgan and Molly
Morgan Pearson is currently in a relationship with Molly Grabill. Molly is also an athlete, as she is a marathon runner who represents the United States in international marathon competitions.
Based on their social media posts, it appears that Morgan and Molly help each other improve as athletes. The couple seems to have a strong, supportive partnership, with both of them being dedicated to their respective sports at an elite level.
Their shared experiences as high-performing athletes likely help them understand and relate to each other’s challenges and successes.
Starting of Morgan’s Career
In 2017, Morgan Pearson decided to give triathlon a try. That year, he won the national championship title in his age group at the USA Triathlon national championships. Afterward, he turned professional and started competing at the highest level.
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Despite his relative inexperience compared to some of his competitors, Pearson had a very productive first season as a pro triathlete. He was able to secure multiple podium finishes and even win a few races. Pearson’s season ended on a high note, as he won a gold medal as part of the American mixed relay team at the national championships.
Morgan Pearson representing his nation
After finishing in the top 10 at another World Cup event in Chengdu, Pearson traveled to Japan to make his debut in the World Triathlon Series. In his first professional Olympic distance race, he placed a very respectable 14th in Yokohama.
Just a month later, in June 2018, Pearson didn’t have to wait long for his first podium finish at the elite level. He competed in a European Cup sprint race in the Belgian town of Wuustwezel and won a confident silver medal.
The following year, Pearson went south of the border to Mexico, where he raced in a World Cup event in Huatulco and earned another silver medal.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Pearson was part of the American mixed relay team that won the silver medal, finishing second behind Great Britain. In the last run leg, Pearson inspired the team to victory over the French squad.
In 2021, Pearson became the first American man to win multiple medals in the World Triathlon Championship Series, taking a comfortable silver medal in Leeds.
Then in 2022, Pearson returned to the podium at the Abu Dhabi Grand Final, where he had the fastest run split and claimed the silver medal, overtaking Belgium’s Jelle Geens.
Road to Paris
Earlier this season, Pearson had to deal with injuries and illnesses, which caused him to be left off the original start list for the Paris test event. However, on the Thursday before the race, some other athletes dropped out due to illness, and Pearson was able to get a spot in the event.
In the Olympic qualifying race, Pearson quickly moved to the front of the pack during the running portion. He was leading at the end of the first lap of the 10km run. But in the second lap, Great Britain’s Alex Yee regained control and went on to win the race comfortably. Portugal’s Vasco Vilaca took the silver medal, edging out France’s Dorian Coninx.
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Despite not winning, Pearson’s 6th place finish was enough to secure his spot on the U.S. Olympic team for the 2024 Paris Olympics. He crossed the finish line to cheers and high-fives from the crowd.
Pearson has now stood on the podium at major events in Yokohama, Leeds, and Abu Dhabi, becoming the first American man to win multiple medals in the World Triathlon Championship Series.
After qualifying for the Paris Olympics at last year’s test event, Pearson is now turning his attention to the upcoming World Triathlon Championship Series races, starting with the event in Yokohama on May 11.
