Slightly confused as to who exactly is a Pro triathlete. What does that distinction signify exactly? vs. someone who is listed as an age group amateur but has a number of sponsors?
you can get an official usat pro card i think
and it gets confusing because a lot of the people that manage to get one are slower than lots of top age groupers =)
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Slightly confused as to who exactly is a Pro triathlete. What does that distinction signify exactly? vs. someone who is listed as an age group amateur but has a number of sponsors?
Pro means nothing more than being able to race in the professional wave. The majority aren’t making money to live off of from the sport.
Slightly confused as to who exactly is a Pro triathlete. What does that distinction signify exactly? vs. someone who is listed as an age group amateur but has a number of sponsors?
AFAIK, a pro carries as pro card from their respective federation. Everyone else is an age-grouper. While “elite” waves exist at some races, they bear no distinction other than having a qualifying time. I’m sure someone will correct me on something 
The terms for the two distinctions as recognized by ITU and USAT are ‘Elite’ and ‘Age Grouper’. Synonymous are the labels ‘Professional’ and ‘Amateur’, which are commonly applied by anyone and everyone when talking about the sport and its athletes. The largest distinction is that Elite athletes compete for prize money, whereas at best Age Groupers can compete for awards and non-cash prizes. In order to compete as an Elite athlete you must hold an Elite racing license from whatever your national triathlon federation is (USAT in the US). As you mentioned, Age Groupers can and do get sponsors, so that is not a part of the distinction.
Pro - Anybody with a USAT Professional Licence.
Amateur - Anybody without a USAT Professional Licence.
Elite Amateur - Somebody that lives a fantasy.
Pro - Anybody with a USAT Professional Licence.
Amateur - Anybody without a USAT Professional Licence.
Elite Amateur - The majority of my *pro *squad.
fixed that for you
Pro - Anybody with a USAT Professional Licence.
Amateur - Anybody without a USAT Professional Licence.
Elite Amateur - The majority of my *pro *squad.
fixed that for you
Did I hit a nerve? I apologize.
Lmao
Biggest distinction is elites get to race in clean water and clean course. If not a looped course.
Having an elite wave is safer IMO, which is why they separate pros in the first place (among other reasons I’m sure). Sometimes it just makes more sense to start up there if you know you’ll be finishing there too.
Yea, I have friends who race elite in big races because they get to go off in an early wave and thus avoid yelling “on the left” to 100s of team in training newbies on hybrids. I personally don’t understand MOP elite racers who could be on the podiums for their age group, but I guess after a certain point some people stop caring about AG medals.
x2. Elite Amateur is a contridiction in terms, let alone thrown about way to easily.