Why is it garbage? Only cycling is allowed to do this?

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?

Imagine if they spent this much effort PROMOTING the sport, getting events broadcast live and really building a fan base instead of copying and doing something kitschy

Lance will.

Err...

I don't know very much about it, just the bit that explained when they asked if they could use my picture.

I think the idea is that triathlon - and Ironman - deserves to have it's own sort of "championship signature." Right now, athletes - myself included - use the rainbow stripes, but really, that's just taken from cycling. Neither running nor swimming uses them. But like the rainbow stripes, or the maillot jaune, or the maglia rosa, or (I would add the vuelta, but they just changed from golden to red)... I think it's a nice tradition.

So rather than "borrowing" from another sport, they are going to make their own.

That's all I know. Actually, what I know is just that there are going to be "champions jerseys" as part of a new honoring of the person who wins in Kona (not sure about Vegas). The rest is my own extrapolation from that conversation with WTC.

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"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via." - Seneca | rappstar.com | FB - Rappstar Racing | IG - @jordanrapp

I guess a question for later will be does the person who wins get to wear it to all of their events? Or are they supposed to wear it the next year at Kona. I ask because this will likely be Crowie's last attempt at Kona so if he wins and the person is supposed to wear it the next year at Kona then that will be a bit of a fail.

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?

Right now, athletes - myself included - use the rainbow stripes, but really, that's just taken from cycling.

Curious as to your decision making on this. You certainly earned the right to be recognized in some way, so was it "Crowie and others did the rainbow thing, I will too?"

What if Crowie and others decided triathlons version of the rainbow stripes, was a hot pink band, would you have done that? What if no one had ever tried to call out a WC in tri, would you have tried to do something to recognize/honor yourself?

Not a criticism at all, just curious as to this "tradition", in quotes because as you said, it's really cycling tradition.

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Portside Athletics Blog

If cycling already uses a champions jersey, like for example what they do at the TdF, how is using a jersey to signify a past champion not borrowing???

Me thinks they are trying too hard

I think it is a good idea. I would not care what they choose to wear to show they have won an Ironman. I would like to see people have something that younger people/kids could see an say " I want one of those someday"

x2

Can we stop criticizing every WTC move just because they are the overlords of the sport? They don't screw EVERYTHING up guys.

Sounds like a nice little thing. Let former race winners and champs have special recognition. Who gives a rip if they pilfered a good idea from cycling.

Wasn't there a leaders Red Jersey for the Coke Grand Prix series in the 1980's?

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"one eye doubles my eyesight, so things don't look half bad" John Hiatt

So every sport that awards trophies and rings are essentially borrowing from the first sports to have done this. I can't believe they try so hard! Seriously people need to not over analyze everything. It may be cool and fun or it may suck. Can we just not let it happen and then react.

Basically, I just did what other athletes I know do/did - Michellie, Crowie, Javier, Conrad, and a bunch of others. (Some do nothing - Faris, Macca, Normann, Reid; at least, nothing that I recognize.) But certainly, the "tradition" seemed to be that if you were going to do something, do rainbow stripes. If the de facto tradition was a hot pink band, I would have done that. If the de facto tradition was to do nothing, I would have done that.

Certainly it's not a universal tradition, but enough athletes that I respect have done something that I thought it at least wasn't out of line or odd. And I was/am proud of what I achieved, so given that there was a precedence for doing something - even if it was just borrowed from cycling - I wanted to do that.

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"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via." - Seneca | rappstar.com | FB - Rappstar Racing | IG - @jordanrapp

Many trophies, etc are either unique or very stylized to the sport.

But to have a jersey that signifies a past champion and not say that it is borrowed when many series of one component of the race do the exact same thing.

I would be calling the same crap if the US Pro Championship for golf handed out a "Blue" jacket and instead of the Green Jacket from the Masters.

x1
.........and have you seen that butt ugly tartan jacket they give to the winner of the PGA Heritage classic each year ?


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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>X
If you run long enough....something is bound to happen

Most cyclists find the use of rainbow stripes in triathlon quite amusing.

But then again, the UCI is slapping it on just about anyone who wants it as well these days.

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CAMPAGNOLO GRAN FONDO NEW YORK

Can't say that I have.

I watch very little golf, if at all. It is one thing to spoil a long walk carrying a heavy bag and swinging clubs, but like baseball, to me golf just gets in the way of drinking and decent conversation

will there be literally a jersey ?

I mean,, I can understand in cycling that jerseys are standardised, so then a shirt is a shirt, but triathletes wear all sort of shapes and types of shirt and suits and have personal material choices,

what about a fluro yellow race number ? both bib bike and helmet, with golden ironman logo with black outline stickers for helmet and bike number ..and any promo stuff ...

that way it wont get in the way of sponsors stuff either, just add

Wasn't Mark Allen one of the first if not the first to "borrow" the rainbow stripes? I think the bike jersey he wore at he 89 Ironman had the stripes, he had just won the World Champs in France earlier that summer.

I think it should be a tatoo of the Ironman logo. Err, ......

Call me skeptical, but I'm guessing that this "honor" will contain the obligation to wear this jersey (complete with IM sponsors' logos) at all WTC events for the next year. This is not dissimilar to what the TdF does (you wear a yellow jersey from the TdF's clothing supplier, and with their sponsors...there's a square in the front center for your sponsors), but it only lasts during the race.
Me thinks WTC is looking to add value to their sponsors/brand at the expense of the athlete's own sponsorship. The question is if the prestige of the jersey will make the athlete increasingly attractive to sponsors to offset this loss.


World Championship jerseys are quite different in that the winner designs the jersey and it is done with their clothing sponsor and team sponsors (i.e. no hijacking space on the rider's kit).

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Come on guys......just another marketing move for WTC. Do you know what kind of sponsorship moolah they can get for a company to sponsor or have their decals splattered on that champions jersey?

Some day everyone around here will get it. WTC makes no moves unless it is to somehow increase the bottom line. That's what PE firms do. They are not in the hospitality business for a reason.

A triathlete wearing rainbow stripes or a Yellow jersey makes no sense to me. Why not buy a Green Sports jacket, put on some Olympic rings, or get a World Triathlon Belt Buckle about the size of a dinner plate? Rainbow stripes and their protocol are a UCI designation just as Olympic rings, Green Sportcoats,Yellow jerseys and huge belts are associated with the Olympics, the Masters Golf, Le Tour, and pro boxing/wrasselin. I have wanted rainbow stripes almost as long as I thought I could play in the NFL, or hit a 100 mph fastball, but unless some guys in my age groups get a whole lot slower I probably won't ever get to wear them. Oh well.

If the Triathlon federation wants to do some award or clothing as a world championship, I have no problems with that at all. Just don't steal one from some other sport. The Unoffical Single Speed Cyclocross World Champion has to get the tattoo or brand burned on or they can't get the title, or be invited back. Now that is a sport.

We need something unique and triathlon-specific. How 'bout world champion compression socks.

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Ok, give UCI a call and tell them to stop allowing aero bars because those were "stolen" from triathlon.

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?

I don't know much about yellow jerseys or green jackets. I just know the dude with "1" marked on his arms and bike is the dude (among others) to watch at Kona.

I also thought that a jersey was a weird choice. Triathletes don't exactly wear jerseys (and calling a tri-top a jersey is a stretch) and if/when they do, they are using it for only leg of the race. Stripes is a lot more flexible as they can be applied to many pieces of clothing or equipment. I wouldn't blatantly steal the cycling stripes palette thought, I'd come up with something unique yet easily recognizable.

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Velosurance - bicycle insurance

Should be a jersey actually made of iron, like a medieval breastplate. If I saw someone wearing that I would know they were a true Ironman

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They should make them wear the famous Cowman horns! Didn't his shirt say "I am Ironman"?

I see what they are doing here. And I think the phrase "they are trying too hard" is the exact opposite. A jersey seems like the easy way out.

That being said, I like the idea of what they are trying to do here. Yellow jersey. Green jacket. Lombardi trophy. Stanley Cup. With each of those there is a coveted item that the athletes are focused on. It's just another way of saying "World Champion" and more importantly, it's a symbol. The whole jersey deal is a bit lame....though, the options are definitely limited. I can't honestly think of something else that would be better. A Superbowl type ring would be cool. But we athletes aren't exactly the kind to wear big, gaudy jewelry.

Maybe they make one of the wooden Kona bowls into something a bit more exciting?

I have no issue with a distinctive jersey or shirt, but the idea of using another sports tradition a la the rainbow stripes is idiotic. Kona is associated with the tri WC so how hard is it to come up with a design incorporating some sort of hawaiin theme?

If they do come up with something then they should make it a WC only and not sell them to any triathlete, although i doubt WTC could resist

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Styrrell

For the win !!! ... people would be like... you win a jersey ?? pffft whatever !

This would trump winning a pink or yellow sweater any day ...

\
I thought I saw Tim DeBoom actually use rainbow stripes before Crowie ever won his first Hawaii. Seem to recall he had Zipp wheels & rainbows on his bike. Not sure about his kit though. Could be wrong but really thought I had seen him wearing them.

SQW has had gold and silver stripes on his kit...

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___________________________________________
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Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

Also I'd think after time the jersey would "dry rot" sitting in a drawer or wherever it would land up. A Stanley Cup isn't rotting...nor a ring...however that would mean WTC spending more on something than a jersey & that is counter-productive to them. Not ripping on them this moment...it's the truth. They are a business.

If this were ITU WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (long or short), does anyone think each AG winner should be wearing the rainbow stripes (or something to that effect?) Maybe the ITU logo circles with a rainbow splash around in a circle. After all, they would be world AG champ. Maybe that would be too dorky too. Just tossing ideas around here.

Well, the giant rainbow stripes on the shirt aren't exactly "nothing" ;) https://www.facebook.com/...232942287&type=3

I saw Macca wearing a rainbow collar for 5150 Zurich in 2011, too. On his pre race kit, that is, and I can't find a picture; maybe it was some variation of the Specialized kit. Or do you mean "nothing on their race kit"?

I seem to remember Reid with stripes too... all I could find was this pic... I dont know if the stripes are implied here or something diff completely

WTC is a for-profit business, yes? I am not sure of the point of your observation. Of course it has to do with money. Corporate altruism doesn't exist, and rightfully so. Like any company, they are simply implementing an initiative to drive brand awareness and improve their product. I won't ever wear the jersey, but it seems like a cool idea.

I recognize the community's fear of WTC "selling out", bastardizing the IM brand, and potentially taking the sport down with it, but that's not going to happen. As the IM brand grows, so will competition. Competition has historically drive improvements in quality, variety, options, r&d, and a better user experience. We should be rooting for the WTC instead of knocking them for every move.

I'd hate for the ITU to just adopt the rainbow jersey, because i associate it with cycling. Come up with your own tradition. I'm not entirely sure they could anyways it may be copywrited. But if they do use a variation thats OK. What I find odd is riders just making their own. The rainbow jersey is given to cycling WCs. The green jacket is given to the Masters winner, the Stanley Cup is given to the NHL winner.

Seriously if people saw a guy in the airport wearing a Green jacket, that looked like one from the Masters and went up and talked to the guy, only to find out he had it made for himself when he won the biggest tournament in Frisbee golf, what would you think?

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Styrrell

I hope if they do it the jersey reflects the traditions and history of the Hawaiian people. When I was in grade school we used to make cloth out of palm tree bark. Probably not great for racing but something along those lines.

Nice! You deserve it Jordan!

Looks like his own variation. The official UCI Rainbow Stripes are in this order: Blue-Red-Black-Yellow-Green

I first noticed Simon Lessing wearing them for Kona (2004), I believe he was the 70.3 champ at the time. I thought it was weird to see him wearing it, and thought he must be South African (same colours in their flag). -- but he's English.



Ironically, WTC protects the Ironman brand and MDot logo so vigorously, yet their "champs" don't mind violating UCI's trademark

From: UCI Trademark PDF

The UCI is the owner of the trademark ‘rainbow stripes’ (n° IR 1032330) and has been using the strips of colours blue, red, black, yellow and green as its rainbow colour chart, emblem and corporate identity for many years. It has gained an indisputable reputation for this chart, which is recognised worldwide as representing the Federation. The ‘rainbow stripes’ are also the symbol of the World Champion in all cycling disciplines. The UCI therefore wishes to closely monitor all and any use of the ‘rainbow stripes’ in order to avoid any deceptive exploitation. This type of protection should strengthen the reputation of the mark and increase its value for the authorised users.

(But I think Pat has bigger fish to fry right now).

Never really thought about it before, you'd think the Rainbow Jersey would use the same order as in rainbows. ;-).

I doubt the UCI would bother going after an individual, but I suspect they would if it was WTC or ITU

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Styrrell

Why does Macca have a "world champion" jersey on? He's not the reigning Kona champ. The tradition is the current champ wears a rainbow jersey, former champs get sleeve/collar stripes.

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Macca won the 2012 ITU Long Course World Champs (4k/120k/30k) in July in Spain

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Ah, thanks.

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

So, where are the pictures of Jacobs and Cave wearing the magical jersey?

awards ceremony is in a few hours. I'm sure it will be there.

They should do it TdF style and put it on right after crossing the finish line.

I really like this idea !

except they don't do that at the TDF, they wait until the awards ceremony for each day. It's quick after the stage finishes, but it's not right after the guy crosses the finish line. Might be what it looks like on TV, but not the case.

Got it. So did they put the jersey on him at the awards ceremony? I can't find anything about it anywhere. So much for the hype.

If anyone does have a picture of the magical jersey, please post it here. I saw somone posted a picture on Twitter, but is was of low quality and one could not see the jersey and all of its awesomeness.

And IIRC the UCI stepped in and told him to stop wearing the stripes.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

That's not stopping MACCA from still wearing them currently.

And from a staunch follower of Road Racing, he's not wearing the correctly. You only should wear them across the chest whilst you're the reigning champ, and thereafter small bands on the cuffs, and as accents (like Rappstar does).

He is the current ITU long course world champ. Stripes across the chest is appropriate.

So what happened with this Jersey? Was it at the awards ceremony?

"After veteran in the sport Bob Babbitt gave some of his own observations (Natascha Badmann’s 5:06 bike split and Kenny Glah’s 29th IRONMAN), the age group awards got well under way. From the fresh-faced 18-24 year-olds to the 80-plus age group that drew especially enthusiastic applause, every group champion was “crowned” with their new Champions’ Jerseys." Originally from: http://beta.ironman.com/...t.aspx#ixzz29UlQcQAv

Still no picture of the mythical Champions’ Jerseys. Anyone who has pictures of the Champions’ Jerseys, please post here.

I think this is a great marketing idea! Should have been done in 1980.

I'm thinking if you are copying some other federations copywrited jersey and are astute enough to change in just enough to not get a seize and desist order, appropriate isn't the proper word.

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Styrrell

I think they are trying to branch out more marketing but it does seem like a yellow jersey idea.

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Alan Kipping-Ruane, USAT Level 1, USAT Youth and Junior
Triathlon & Endurance Coach
TriGuy Multisport Coaching, LLC
http://www.TriGuyCoaching.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/TriGuyCoaching

IIRC, age group winners got a red polo shirt in 2004 with a discreet embroidery mentioning the AG and year on the chest. This was definitely meant as some kind of "winner jersey".

I think Joe Bonness got one maybe you can track him or Sue down for confirmation.

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First with the head, then with the heart. -- HG

Pete Jacobs was seen waitng at the expo 'Champion Merchandise' tent the following day. He purchased a mug but the jersey at $200 was a little too much.

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I will wear this jersey :-)
It is designed by Alika Hoomana, a great guy from Kailua who did the race as well this year!
Sam
samgyde.com

Thank you for posting! Awesome.

Really lame. Instead of trying to copy cycling, they should use an approach unique to triathlon: Have a giant champion" tattoo.

To late, some one has already thought of that. The Single Speed World Champions get a tattoo

I think it looks nice. I have been one of the biggest critics of the rainbow for tri, but no issue with a jersey, just not another sports jersey.

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Styrrell

I think thjis is a great idea--even though I'll never get one!

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Randy Christofferson(http://www.rcmioga.blogspot.com

Insert Doubt. Erase Hope. Crush Dreams.

Congrats. How about a badge to go on your tri top or suit? Any idea what that will look like?