The start list was published yesterday on the IM website
2024 Athletic Brewing IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside
Sam Long will have to race hard if he wants to win this race
Jelle Geens Belgian Olympic racer would be my number one pick,
There is actually other factors in the race, the IM series where the gap to the winner matters, and the qualification for the WC. Indeed, as Joe Skipper said, the WC winner gets 3000 points and even with a 8 minutes 20 seconds you get as much as from a win in the other 70.3 : 2500 points. Looking at last year, the top 15 in Lahti would have gotten more than those 2500 points. The only problem is you have to be in the top 3 to qualifiy which is not an easy feat for a typical IM athlete (like Skipper) and you have to be qualified before July to go to the WC[/font]
Several racers are already qualified so that may make it a bit easier
Those who are alreadly qualified who are supposed to get in the mix : Currie, Laundry, Quenet, Sharpe, Rodriguez Hernandez, Sanders, Long, Dubrick, Lopez, Trakic so even with a 10th place you may get a WC quali.
So that means that Lange, Skipper, Hanson, Lieferman may get a qualification yet not get that many points and not really figure in the race. Again, a TDF camera crew would be needed to show the races within the race but i doubt we will see it given even PTO was not able to deliver that !
On the other hand, there are more 70.3 races in the series than full so they may qualify elsewhere
Sanders has not really made it very clear that he will be part of the IM Series as he has only talked about Kona. Maybe he is waiting for his performance in Texas. His ability to perform on the 70.3 distance would be his strength and Sam Long (a slower swimmer than he is !) performance in Miami proved wrong those who thought/said that weaker swimmers could not be relevant any more.
Actually, the level in the IM Series may go down as two contenders Chevrot and Horseau are out of the Texas race. Horseau is racing South Africa which amazed me as he raced 4 times last year with wins in Lanza and Embrun and a 6th in Nice. Chevrot has stated a couple day ago on his IG that due to his infant daughter bringing back viruses/illnesses from daycare his training has not gone to plan and he will not race Texas.
For Europeans the fact that Cairns is the other earliear race make it more difficult and a financial bet as otherwise they have to race mid July (Vitoria), mid August (Frankfurt) and mid October (Kona)
Geens, Lange, Sperl (DEU) 14th in Lathi or Angert if he is able to get back to his 22 are my picks for the qualification. It is harder to pick for those early seasons races.
2024 Athletic Brewing IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside
Sam Long will have to race hard if he wants to win this race
Jelle Geens Belgian Olympic racer would be my number one pick,
There is actually other factors in the race, the IM series where the gap to the winner matters, and the qualification for the WC. Indeed, as Joe Skipper said, the WC winner gets 3000 points and even with a 8 minutes 20 seconds you get as much as from a win in the other 70.3 : 2500 points. Looking at last year, the top 15 in Lahti would have gotten more than those 2500 points. The only problem is you have to be in the top 3 to qualifiy which is not an easy feat for a typical IM athlete (like Skipper) and you have to be qualified before July to go to the WC[/font]
Several racers are already qualified so that may make it a bit easier
Those who are alreadly qualified who are supposed to get in the mix : Currie, Laundry, Quenet, Sharpe, Rodriguez Hernandez, Sanders, Long, Dubrick, Lopez, Trakic so even with a 10th place you may get a WC quali.
So that means that Lange, Skipper, Hanson, Lieferman may get a qualification yet not get that many points and not really figure in the race. Again, a TDF camera crew would be needed to show the races within the race but i doubt we will see it given even PTO was not able to deliver that !
On the other hand, there are more 70.3 races in the series than full so they may qualify elsewhere
Sanders has not really made it very clear that he will be part of the IM Series as he has only talked about Kona. Maybe he is waiting for his performance in Texas. His ability to perform on the 70.3 distance would be his strength and Sam Long (a slower swimmer than he is !) performance in Miami proved wrong those who thought/said that weaker swimmers could not be relevant any more.
Actually, the level in the IM Series may go down as two contenders Chevrot and Horseau are out of the Texas race. Horseau is racing South Africa which amazed me as he raced 4 times last year with wins in Lanza and Embrun and a 6th in Nice. Chevrot has stated a couple day ago on his IG that due to his infant daughter bringing back viruses/illnesses from daycare his training has not gone to plan and he will not race Texas.
For Europeans the fact that Cairns is the other earliear race make it more difficult and a financial bet as otherwise they have to race mid July (Vitoria), mid August (Frankfurt) and mid October (Kona)
Geens, Lange, Sperl (DEU) 14th in Lathi or Angert if he is able to get back to his 22 are my picks for the qualification. It is harder to pick for those early seasons races.