Kanute is the 2015 USA Triathlon Elite National champion. He teamed with Gwen Jorgensen, Kirsten Casper, and Joe Maloy to win the 2016 ITU Triathlon Mixed Relay World Championships for the United States. Kanute qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics through his placement in a May 2016 qualifying race. He finished 29th at the Olympics in a combined time of 1:48:59.