Chase McQueen

The 2024 supertri E World Triathlon Champion, Chase McQueen has become a supertri fan favourite after a string of standout performances. 

In 2022, drafted by Michelle Dillon’s Team Sharks, the 25-year-old wasn’t out of the top 10 in the first four rounds of the series, and finished ranked eighth overall. Returning for the Arena Games in February, McQueen won the opening round Montreal ahead of eventual overall champion Henri Schoeman and big name local favourite Lionel Sanders, and while the final in London didn’t go to plan, he was still able to progress comfortably from his heat and then entertain a sellout crowd with a few lengths of butterfly.

The personable McQueen grew up in the US Midwest in a small town in Indiana, playing a variety of sports, but focussing competitively on swimming in high school. A talented swimmer with a long, gliding stroke he’s since adapted for the open water, McQueen became worn down by 10,000-yard weeks in the pool and jumped at the chance to take part in triathlon becoming hooked on swim, bike and run from his first draft-legal junior race. He would go on to compete in the junior World Championship in 2015 in Chicago and again in Rotterdam in 2017, where he finished 12th.

Opportunities to pair triathlon with his studies were initially limited as he moved into higher education, so the decision was taken to run track and field and cross-country at the University of Arizona, while competing in triathlon outside of the college. McQueen’s breakthrough came when he was selected for the inaugural USAT Podium Project. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, it was the equivalent to a scholarship in other endurance sports and meant living and training with other aspiring young professional triathletes such as 2016 junior world champion Austin Hindman.

If there were eyes on McQueen as a graduate from the programme, the attention increased further when he was involved in a high profile incident on his Word Triathlon Championship Series debut in Leeds in 2021, that led to double-Olympic gold medallist Alistair Brownlee being disqualified for roughhouse tactics in the swim. 

Putting it behind him, McQueen was brought in to help US hope Morgan Pearson prepare for Tokyo 2020, and although the individual race didn’t go to plan, Pearson did anchor the US to Olympic silver in the mixed team relay. McQueen is not averse to relay action himself, taking over from Pearson to anchor USA to victory in the mixed team relay in Montreal just a fortnight later.

McQueen trains in Boulder, Colorado in a training group that includes Olympic champion Flora Duffy, and talented US stars Kirsten Kasper and Kevin McDowell. 

Outside of triathlon, McQueen loves the great outdoors, including fishing, camping and cross-country skiing. One final point to clear up. Despite circulating rumours, Chase is keen to point out that he’s not the grandson of Hollywood icon Steve McQueen.

In 2024 McQueen got his breakthrough as he became the supertri E World Triathlon Champion in London as he produced a scintillating performance in a format that he is quickly making his own.