It's called "Triathlon Mockery" for a reason.

Hey I can appreciate that, too - I definitely had to pivot my 70.3 WC appearance to be a 'complete' rather than compete due to equipment issues, so I think this is fair. I agree that worlds experiences should be fun!

But, do you think you can weigh in with this perspective on that *other* thread ("why don't the women go harder")?

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KJ
Swim and Triathlon Coach
AllTerrainEndurance.com
KJ@allterrainendurance.com

Oh, I love that!!!

For what its worth - my mom (b 1958) can barely ride a bike, won't put her face in the water to swim, and only ever played field hockey and participated in colorguard. Triathlon is a worst-case-scenario sport for me to participate in! I only started swimming because my neighbors were on the summer team and I didn't have anyone to play with on school breaks because they were at the pool.

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KJ
Swim and Triathlon Coach
AllTerrainEndurance.com
KJ@allterrainendurance.com

Well guess you mean after Paris. Yes she can (22 Sep so as much time as she had after Lahti this year) but she (like all those others AQ'd) will have to validate with either an IM (Knibb surely won't race one pre August) or two 70.3s (which I guess is more doable). Note it/they has(ve) to be raced "competitively" so no fish supper. I guess she could quickly get an 'easy' IM in after the MTR on 5 Aug, but that be barely a month before Nice. IM Frankfurt on 18 Aug hasn't got a WPRO division but IM has complete discretion.

"Pro Athletes who are eligible to compete in the 2024 Championship Race because of their 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion Exemption will be required to complete a Validation Race" defined as:
“Validation Race” means racing competitively (as determined by IRONMAN in IRONMAN’s sole discretion) and
finishing [either] one (1) Qualifying IRONMAN (excluding the 2023 IRONMAN World Championship) OR two (2)
Qualifying IRONMAN 70.3 (excluding the 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship) events that offers Pro qualifying
slots during the 2024 IRONMAN Qualifying Year. (Period ending August 19, 2024, for IRONMAN events and period
ending June 30, 2024, for IRONMAN 70.3 events)."

https://cdn1.sportngin.com/...ation_Validation.pdf

SO I was wondering about Knibb's qualification process for Nice. She got into Kona with last years 70.3 WC win, and she gets into Nice with this years win? And of course we know she did not have to do an ironman to be eligible for Kona, so perhaps same thing applies for Nice?

And to take it further, she qualified at this years WC 70.3, does not Kona now count as her validation since it is after she qualified??

And what about discretionary spots, do they still have those? She should be at the top of the list in any scenario, being an olympian and all...

They have reintroduced validation with the policy published last week: see my link.
The IMWC)W) is specifically excluded from the 'validation race' requirement: so 'n' it won't do.
Yes there are wild cards (and Siddall got one this year):
Knibb won't, at least IM will tell she won't, unless she wins the individual in Paris!
"Wild Cards
a. Due to extraordinary circumstances, IRONMAN may, in its sole discretion, elect to offer special invitation s
to participate in the 2024 Championship Race.
b. IRONMAN, in its sole discretion, may elect to offer special invitations to 2024 Olympic Champions to
participate in the 2024 Championship Race."

Knibb won't, at least IM will tell she won't, unless she wins the individual in Paris!//

So if she writes to Ironman that a full race after the Olympics just isn't feasible, but she could be ready for Nice later on, you think they are going to tell her no way Jose?? I have my own thoughts on this, and it is much like it was with Lance back in the day before his big blow up. Just his presence at at race made it 10 times more popular, and some minor events now had big coverage and increased interest. Heard rumors that he was offered a pretty sizable start fee for Kona too, but of course he also wanted to do it the legit way first..


Taylor is going to be that for the womens race, and WTC would be quite foolish to do anything that didnt get her on that start line if she wants to. As I pointed out, there are many avenues that they can use to justify her presence without a validation, and to use the wildcard to get her there. Think it would be a pretty good course for her too, a much easier go than Kona to that top step..

Just saw this post by a girl I was in Elementary School with when I was a kid in Connecticut

https://www.facebook.com/...oxBRkTUhByCAVNYx5Al/

"I am thrilled for the US women who had a spectacular showing with 5 of the top 10 places: Taylor Knibb (4th), Chelsea Sodaro with a gutsy comeback on the run (6th), Skye Moench (7th), Sarah True (8th) and Jocelyn McCauley (10th). All well under 9 hrs! 🤯

And since I am now in a position to really appreciate "certain" age group performances, well done to Donna Kay-Ness who broke the 60-64 age group record by 44' with an incredible 10:57 and Missy LeStrange for yet another AG win in the 70-74.

Finally, a tip of the hat to Melanie McQuaid who became the oldest pro to qualify and race at age 50 (a mere 25 years older than Taylor...)"

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I saw a video which said Lucy was doing 50k in the pool per week leading up to Kona. Surely that’s bull. Apparently the commentators had the same comments on race day. Anyone got any details on this.

So it sounds like Taylor can do a couple of easy half IMs in early season during Paris base training and have her validation stamped to go to Nice if she wants. Nice should be a much better course for her bike strengths and her gaps at T2 should be even larger. The question to me is if USAT allows her to do two half IMs in the Feb-Apr window?

I was glad to see Brenton break down her swim. Pretty sure she discussed those 50k weeks with Jack in the lead up podcast but I could be wrong about that.

Thank you. Very helpful. Good interviewer. 6 weeks of 30-40 hour training weeks. She said she did 30-50km weeks in the pool for the build but as a swimmer she could do 80 plus per week
Counting those hours could be a bit wishy washy eg do you count sauna do you count s&c and physio

This seems a sensible route. IM have reintroduced validation for a purpose: they didn't need to and I can't see them resiling. @Monty could make the same argument about Iden and Blummenfelt. IM want to force them to do at least a couple of 70.3s as this will limit their calendar flex before Paris to race PTO tour races. Same for Knibb.
To me, acknowledging the travel cost, an excursion by all these athletes to Taupo in December to tick off 'half validation' would also give them a chance to familiarise themselves with the 2024 IM70.3 WC venue and courses, maybe with a pre-Christmas summer training fortnight in New Zealand. That would ease the negotiations with USAT to just one exeat in March/April (Oceanside? - is also an IM series race).

Yes, women tend to take on fewer risks than men. That explains why they are underrepresented in professions handling sanitation and underwater wielding. In exchange, they live longer. Sounds like a fair deal to me.

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Next races on the schedule: none at the moment

The question to me is if USAT allows her to do two half IMs in the Feb-Apr window?

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So here's where the interesting dynamics comes into play. Right now USAT is in a little bit of freak out mode because well frankly we have no real "locks" at a podium like we have in the past. That's for the individual and the MTR (Tokyo MTR was pretty much medal lock, this year we are closer to 5th ish best team). So what does that mean for the likely 1 athlete who may have the best shot at making an medal in Knibb?

And then you add in the narrative that Knibb and her team were doing "kona prep" workouts from the beginning of the year (her strength training coach came out on the record saying that). So why would they not also do that "secretly" for a Nice prep? Keep in mind she AQ'd not with a podium, but 5th. 5th won't cut it for usat in the olympics. They need medals, medals means more money for them (and the athlete), and so they are going to want athletes who are medal focused for the next year imo. Especially when they've basically give and take'd already with Knibb. It's not USAT"s fault that now she has to race more non ITU specific races to qualify for an program post Paris. So I would think at some point a potential "where are your priorities" will certainly have to be had if she wants to bring in this type of program 3-4 months before the Olympics.

The tough thing about adding more races to the calendar isn't just the race itself, it's the extra days of training disruption that you also have to factor in due to traveling and the extra "fatigue" that adds. Everything "extra" comes at a cost when you are trying to gain every edge and win medals.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Just some girl from elementary school lol

That's pretty cool you went to school with Karen Smyers. She was an amazing triathlete and a fave of my wife's...

With her PTO and IM winnings and her Lidl-Trek contract might Knibb cut herself free of USAT funding and their requirements. I'm sure she is a patriot and all but, with the bike course as it is round central Paris, and her run weaker than the likely contenders, her chances of a medal are mediocre.
Besides PTO stuff (Tour races) which I think she will have to take a sabbatical from in 2024, she has a fighting chance in next year's IM series: wins at Oceanside (6 Apr) and St George 70.3s (4 May) (minimal travel CA and UT from CO and so validating for Nice), 3 months later two great races in Paris, and then success (if not wins) in Nice and Taupo: 2500 + 2500 + 5400 +3000 = 13,400.

Yes I believe they are 1 year contracts with basic auto renews with athletes fulfilling basic requirements (reassess likely after the Olympic quad)...which she and pretty much everyone has met by racing itu circuit. Potentially the only national team member who may be in jeopardy of losing it for '24 would be Tamara Gorman (has not raced this year and only raced 4 events in 2022). There is no requirement to stay on the national team to race ITU (see Kanute prior to Tokyo), that's more for specific funding/health insurance/travel covered.

(I def could see Gorman pulled and GS rolling on to the national team)

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Oceanside + St. George seem like easy trips from Colorado, but I would think St. George is unneccessarily hard. There should be easier courses to validate on and jog around in base training mode and just swim and bike hard and not burn any real racing matches.

Nice + Taupo double seem well made for Taylor. Paris, not so much.

Why are you turning this into some tangential discussion on what careers women choose or don't choose. I don't think that is relevant to the discussion of their society wide access to training in safety which men can be less worried about.

No wonder we get few women participating in this forum with patronizing statements like yours. My classmates were the first infantry soldiers, pilots and naval officers in the country where I served in the Armed Forces (Canada) so I have seen plenty of women go into ultra high risk professional settings that I personally had zero interest in (you could not pay me enough to be an infantry soldier, or spend time on navy ship...I was air force). But if you look around there are women in plenty of risky professions.

She couldn’t run at the time due to her foot injury so replaced her running with swimming.

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Let food be thy medicine...