desert dude wrote:
Why would WTC need to spend the time/moeny/effort to develop pro's. They already have a huge feeder system in place with the club program. You've got entire clubs who's only goal is get as many people into WTC races to earn points for their clubs.
You are, with all due respect missing my point. If the WTC want to break out of being a smalltime professional sports company and join the ranks of the mega sports, the only way they can do this is by sharing the benefit. It is in their best interest to make stars.
I agree they may not see their business future that way. They Providence Equity, may simply see an end point to the growth, market saturation, filling races with age groupers, developing race delivery services that minimize cost and maximize profit and at which point they'll either unload the WTC as a business to another company(unikely) or go for some form of public listing(possible). If thats their future, they don't need successful pro's, the status quo is just fine and clubs here in the USA can go on producing averagely successful ironman athletes.
I would suggest though that while Scott, Tinley, Allen et al all legends in the USA, along with Fuhr, Moss, Newby Fraser same on the womens front, all all North American legends, while they'll never be forgotten, and Ironman distance racing is established in the US,the same isn't rue in many other countries, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Germany, Japan are a few, the same isn't true in most of the rest of the world. ITU racing could be seen as a feeder program for pro Ironman, but for the most part, its athletes who no longer can win at ITU. The ITU racing style, the excitement(especially in the relay format, last w/e Hamburg race was the best triathlon TV I've seen in a long time) will constantly attract more youngsters. Again, if the WTC has a business plan based on the above, thats a non-issue.
If however they want to grow beyond that they've got to develop regional heroes, people who people can aspire to be. The Club system outside the USA is not focused on Ironman, mostly for the sparsity in races. My former club, Tri-Force, yearly takes a good squad to Ironman Austria. However, Austria, not withstanding it's closer to London that Dallas is to New York is problematical in many ways, as is travelling overseas to any race.
So, lets agree, if the WTC wants to be globally as successful as it has been in the USA, it does indeed need to develop regional professionals. The world is no longer ready and willing to accept all concurring Ameican pro's and legends.