ohh ohhh ohh I’ll take this one. Here you go, simple to read quotes.
Sure some people do. Kat Matthews, Kat Matthews, Greg Barnaby, KB… I doubt I’m the only one who cared to remember.
Here’s just 1 post with over 450 replies and 16k views. Seems like someone is taking about it.
Again see linked post above.
A thread talking about races…cool! But in years to come Id wager no one would remember who won the pro series but they will remember who won the WC’s.
Its not that big a deal buddy…. don’t take it so personally….
Just so I’m understanding your point, what is “qualifying early” classified as? Are you saying only races for the rest of that calendar year, or are you counting like a IM TX in early April as “qualifying early”.
I don’t think pro’s really look at it like your looking at it with how much money is available at this point in the triathlon game. I think they sorta setup whatever schedule they see that fits what they want to do and puts them in the best position to both win as much money as possible while also preparing for the best WC performance they can get, if that means they qualify early or more middle of the season (again what actually qualifies as “early” or just normal to you) so be it. I think with as many races as there are these days, the top names basically know if they show up their going to get their spot.
The earlier the better obviously. Anything that gives you the flexibility to schedule your year to maximise earning and performance potential.
I just dont think the top pros need flexibility in today’s LC game. If they did, everyone would have filled up AZ, Cozumel or WA, and that’s not really happening. I think for the most part they already build in flexibility with their race schedule choices and only if something bad happens do they then get forced to not be flexible. But how many are having to rush for final race KQ’s? Not many big names is that happening too.
It did happen to the world’s best- Wilde…his race schedule choices basically meant he wasn’t going to qualify for 70.3 worlds. But I think those are outliers vs the norm.
In fact I thought somene’s schedule who “qualified early” and then sorta didn’t race much anymore- Knibb. I thought with her lack of experience and pacing/nutrition issues at the IM distance was one reason I’d likely have suggested a summer IM to do instead of only T100 events (obviously taking the contract meant she was at min going to have to race 5 T100’s, so I get that). I wonder how she views this year.
Now that the thread has been completely derailed
One of the reasons I have pushed to have folks here on ST tslk a bit more about themselves and their history in the sport is because different history and different experience lead to differing levels of credibility. I’ll give you a few examples, from a guy who is two months short of 40 years in the sport.
Over the years both Monty and Slowman have pulled me up on a few things I have said,Monty a little less politely.
BUT, I know their history in the sport and respect them enough that when they tell me I’m being a dick most likely I’ll agree with them. They have earned thst right in my eyes.
Ajax is the same but for different reasons.The dude contributes so much here, that when he calls me out and questions my posts,I actually look back to see if he is right. He usually is. Respect.
My arch nemesis Talbot has every right to give me shit but I suspect he is learning to read between the lines of my “wild” comments and puts them in some sort of perspective. Again,here is a guy who is very good at what he does and contributes so much to the sport that when he gets Lionel to tell me to go fuck myself (twice) in one of his videos I treat it as a badge of honour. Again,full respect.
When randoms go off at me,the 3rd son,7 years of fighting in boarding school,cranky ginger attitude comes out and nobody wants that.
Apparently you have me on ignore but if it helps Ive been in the sport for 30 years, Kona and Nice. I called you out on temperatures in oz being over 50 degrees and even sent you a personal message apologizing that you never responded to. I like long walks on the beach, Leslie Nielson movies and spicy food.
I also have opinons on tri stuff which may be wrong. Is that o.k now?
Fair point. But I think most pros ‘should’ at least expect the worst and lock in a slot as early as possible. If they are throwing caution to the breeze and Im completely wrong then thats o.k.
I think what Laidlow is doing in Busselton is very very smart.
It should be noted that with only a few IM’s in the early qualification period, that by default not everyone can “qualify early” and follow your season planning. It would actually backfire by then causing them to have 1 more additional IM in their system then if they likely went with a more sensible schedule.
I see an awful lot of people talking past one another and doing my job of expressing Freezing Cold Takes. 
Let’s not go all Noosa Triathlon finish line on one another here.
Monty cracking it and giving som home truths to people? Never
Sorry mate. I think we all need to bare in mind being working triathletes we are often tired, grumpy and write responses without fully appreciating the tone and or how they can be interpreted. Whilst I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong lately obviously I’ve ruffled enough feathers to take pause and think maybe I have.
I’ll take a break and get some sleep.
Three beer penalty applied, can be paid up whenever we’re at a race together.
Get some rest and all good.
Love it. Need to bookmark that.
See the part in bold? You posted on ST. Which makes you part of the problem you are complaining about. If you’re posting on ST or if you are reading, you are part of it. You are being like the patron at the bar that comes in and complains about the place rather than making the place more positive.
We don’t need to love with the other person is posting, and we can disagree on fact, opinions, statements, but calling out the entire place as a joke while contributing to that seems weird at best
In general I agree with you that over time, people remember the champions of races and they don’t quite remember the champions of a series.
I bet most of you don’t know there was a world Ironman Series in the 90’s. I think it rolled up you best three Ironmans out of Australia, NZ, Japan, Europe (Roth), Lazarote, Canada (penticton) and Kona. Or it may have been 4. Perhaps @ThailandUltras remembers, because from my recollection, Tinley won it in the first year and Ray Browning won in in the second year. But I know that Mark Allen and PNF won Kona, although PNF may have won the series too (she was like Kat Matthews, racing every month and winning at one point).
So I dug around on google gemini. The series ended by 1994.
1993 champions were Ken Glah and a Canadian Caroline Hubbard
1992 champions were Scott Tinley and Julieanne White (also a Canadian, Slowman’s ex partner)…I guess PNF did not win
Here you go Dev..Looking back now I am so lucky to have been able to hang out with all those legends back in the day. The parties in Pentcton and Forster were epic.
Great knowledge. I suggest that few remember because it scarcely paid (assumed). With $200k for the IM Pro Series winner, as well as the two WCs and Roth, this Series matters, and it’s here to stay, assured already for 5 years. I suspect people will remember the winners, even seconds, recognising that those are the best athletes across the complete season whether they topped the IMWC podium or not, and they made more money.
And yes, each athlete will/would trade a Series win for a World Championship win ($$). The latter can be the primary goal but completing 4 IMPS races during the year is entirely compatible, unless an athlete is chasing $$ in the T100 tour as well. Noone has managed that combination this year.
The a la carte T100 menu next year will offer athletes the flexibility to choose, with the overall standings being far less influential. A single sex prize purse of $275k per T100 race dwarfs any pickings from IM regular season races. I think the PTO might need to enhance the benefits for racing the final in Qatar next year to ensure the strength of field otherwise all but the top 4 in the T100 standings may well say - sorry ‘off season’.
Totally agree.
Money doesn’t mean as much for prestige as you think it might. Kona didn’t pay at all for years. People still cherished it. Nice had a race for years prior that paid prize money, and yet most people today are shocked when they find out there has been triathlon there for decades.
At the other end of the spectrum you have Greg Bennett winning $500k nearly 20 years ago in the hy vee series which would be the equivalent of about $800k today. Would many remember that series win?
They would remember Macca and Chrissie winning Kona though?
