Funny enough I just saw this article on triathlete magazine about the cat system.
I "credit" desert dude with the idea because I know he's been talking about it for years (I've been on ST since summer of '08) and he's the 1st person in the industry that I ever saw talk about it.
https://www.triathlete.com/culture/a-case-for-cycling-categories-in-triathlon/
More realistic than overhauling the way USAT does age groups or time trialing would be to require any USAT-sanctioned race to offer an elite age group wave—which has happened sporadically at short-course events in the past. This wave would allow top male and female age group athletes to race the way they really want to – against others of the same ability and truly battling it out for the overall amateur title.
Yount is all for it. He agreed that having top age groupers race against each other in one wave can be beneficial for the athletes, the race, and the sport – but it takes a conversation to make this change.
“Race directors, especially local ones, are usually open to suggestions about how they can improve their races,” Yount said. “Don’t be afraid to approach a race director and enter into that problem-solving type of conversation about how to make a race more attractive to top age groupers. You may be surprised at how willing a race director is to accommodate your ask.”
Essentially they think as Tim Yount was quoted in the article, to make an elite AG wave to start (similiar to what many races already do with the open wave we've already discussed...it's just not "required" to enter unless you want too).
Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II
I "credit" desert dude with the idea because I know he's been talking about it for years (I've been on ST since summer of '08) and he's the 1st person in the industry that I ever saw talk about it.
https://www.triathlete.com/culture/a-case-for-cycling-categories-in-triathlon/
More realistic than overhauling the way USAT does age groups or time trialing would be to require any USAT-sanctioned race to offer an elite age group wave—which has happened sporadically at short-course events in the past. This wave would allow top male and female age group athletes to race the way they really want to – against others of the same ability and truly battling it out for the overall amateur title.
Yount is all for it. He agreed that having top age groupers race against each other in one wave can be beneficial for the athletes, the race, and the sport – but it takes a conversation to make this change.
“Race directors, especially local ones, are usually open to suggestions about how they can improve their races,” Yount said. “Don’t be afraid to approach a race director and enter into that problem-solving type of conversation about how to make a race more attractive to top age groupers. You may be surprised at how willing a race director is to accommodate your ask.”
Essentially they think as Tim Yount was quoted in the article, to make an elite AG wave to start (similiar to what many races already do with the open wave we've already discussed...it's just not "required" to enter unless you want too).
Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II
Last edited by:
B_Doughtie: Aug 13, 22 17:57