Katie Zaferes' wait is over. The Hampstead native and North Carroll alumna is going to the Olympics.

The U.S. Olympic team announced Tuesday morning that Zaferes will be the third and final female American triathlete on this year's squad. She qualified after a world triathlon event in Yokohama, Japan, on May 14, the penultimate day to secure a spot on the team.

Gwen Jorgensen and Sarah True became the first two team members via the World Olympic Qualifying Event last August in Rio de Janeiro. They finished first and fourth at the event, respectively, with Zaferes sixth at 2 hours, 26 seconds.

Then, Zaferes, who is 10th in the World Triathlon Series rankings with 1,084 points, locked down the final spot by finishing sixth in Yokohama with a time of 1:57:35, second only to Jorgensen among Americans.

“It means so much to me to be named to the 2016 Rio Olympic Team,” Zaferes said in a news release.

“In a country where the women's field is so competitive, I am honored to get the opportunity to represent the USA. I can't wait to join Gwen and Sarah in Rio — I have had high hopes of joining them after finishing on the podium with them twice last year.”

Zaferes, 26, graduated from North Carroll and then attended Syracuse, where she was part of the track and field team.

Toward the end of her college career in 2012, she began training for triathlons and set her sights on the Rio Olympics. She has 18 career starts in World Triathlon Series events, finishing on the podium in six of them.

The Olympic triathlon event for the women is Aug. 20.

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