Former Villanova swimmer and runner Summer Rappaport earned a spot in the 2020 Olympic triathlon in a qualifying race Thursday morning in Tokyo (Wednesday night in the U.S.) that was beset by unusual circumstances.
The race had a shorter distance due to heat, a crash that took out top-ranked Katie Zaferes of the United States, and a disqualification of the top two finishers.
Rappaport, who won a World Cup race in June and finished second to Zaferes in a World Triathlon Series race in May in Yokohama, Japan, crossed the finish line seventh to earn the spot on offer for the highest-placed U.