Not relying on press release, but that’s what it says in (relevant extract pasted) from the World Triathlon published doc (dated 1st April and linked up thread (my post 4th April)). Totally agree your last ‘simple’ sentence.
1.1. In 2025 a new T100 Contender Rankings system will be introduced with the intention of promoting a pathway into the T100 Triathlon World Tour for all Athletes;
1.2. The T100 Contender Rankings will provide:
up to 3 guaranteed race spots per T100 Event,
5 contracts for 2026 T100 Triathlon World Tour
Ranking Bonuses according to the T100 Prize Money Information.
System:
2.1. Any eligible PTO Member Athlete who is ranked in the PTO World Rankings will be included by default in the T100 Contender Rankings; [all athletes except]
2.2. Athletes who have previously held a T100 Contract in 2024 and declined a new contract for 2025 are ineligible for the T100 Contender Rankings; [refusees]
2.3. [exemption to $2.2 for injury affected refusal or maternity leave athletes]
Clearly therefore includes all contracted athletes (“all” in 2.1) and 2.2 does not exempt.
The way this is written the top 15 +15 will sweep up 2/3rds of the Contender “Ranking Bonuses” augmenting their T100 contract payout of minimum $80k btw, leaving an average of <$3 per athlete for the rest of the top 40 + 40.
But this is not about the money; it’s not about getting a wild card; there seems to be no path for refusees to get a contract offer for 2026.
Those 2026 contract offers will go to the top 10 in the T100 Standings after the GF, and then 5 to the next 5 on the Contender Rankings (not the same) leaving (assumed) 5 ‘hot shot’ contracts: PTO discretion. One might assume the IMWC, 70.3WC and the WTCS World Champions will be candidates for those.
The PTO was created on the backs of the following of long course athletes like Tim, Rinny, Sebi, Kessler, Cunnama, etc. They then created a series that was favorable for short course athletes and forced the current long course athletes to decide between being competitive in true long course or take a payday and support the PTO. Most of those athletes have chosen wisely for their careers and turned down a T100 contract.
PTO is now pissed they are missing out on some big names. So their solution is to try and relegate those athletes into obscurity and elevate the branding of their short/not quite medium course T100 athletes.
It’s interesting that for an organization that was founded on being for the athletes they have taken their turf war with Ironman and put it square on the backs of the athletes they used to claim to support.
Uh, the PTO was created on the back of its funder, and now funders. The rhetoric about being an “athlete-owned organization” (obvious BS) was abandoned at least 2 years ago.
They didn’t “turn their back” on anyone. True, they never added the 200 km distance to the 100 km series, but that’s better for everybody, given how boring 7-hour races are.
And the reason a few top long course folks didn’t sign is, for the most part, because of the… PTO. The Ironman Pro Series would’ve never come to fruition without the T100.
Also noted that the PTO Rankings end of 2024 year bonuses (pool was $2M) have apparently not been paid (?) to any athlete (of the 50 + 50 who were expecting the payout in the New Year).
Sure they did and you even said it [quote=“kajet, post:807, topic:1278783, full:true”]
The rhetoric about being an “athlete-owned organization” (obvious BS) was abandoned at least 2 years ago.
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They created a new shorter middle distance race more aligned with short course athletes alienating their long course focused athletes. They then cut bonuses for all but the top athletes. They then further cut bonuses and the number of recipients. They have now created a “contender” series that does little more than double down on rewarding their top athletes while doing little to nothing for actually growing the sport or supporting up and comers. I hazard they don’t feel the need to because WTCS will be their feeder going forward as T100 is non-Olympic year sort of world championship.
I’m not saying this isn’t good business sense, because in many ways it’s the only way they are going to maintain any hope of long term relevance. But they don’t get a pass anymore for “being about the athlete or growing the sport”, they are another business trying to be relevant and sell a product, No different than Ironman or Challenge.
I don’t think 7 hours is more boring than 3 and it’s a fact this sport is about the ironman distance . and it was originally about long course now it’s becoming more a short course champ and ironman is the long distance series.
there is nothing bad abouut this but how do we think it would go if somebody tried to challenge the major marathons with a half marathon series …and calls it a long distance series.
the issue is what pto pretend to be and what it is , drifts further and further apart , and thats not wrong either just change the name
you can’t be a world champ series if you exclude atheltes from racing because they did not want to sign a contract, thats like pety federation behaviour .
and most would agree this is not what middle distance tri needs.
again I think they should just drop the pto and stick with t100
as they cant sell to age groupers while called pro tri organisation…
in my mind they should stop most of the contact stuff and pay race price money and then the people will want to be there , but to force. people to be at a race early April is silly in my mind. if. Singapore pays a lot of money to host the race than offer a better price purse to make it interesting and then for London offer less price money as it is more convenient for the euros to go there.
Fine, change the name (the ATP never did), but I’m not getting sucked into another “what is long course” discussion, I just ain’t doing that shit Peter
Whoever is risking their money bankrolling this pro triathlon party, decides. Moritz and his co-investors decide one way, athlete sponsors decide another, etc. That’s the only way the sport will ever be sustainable.
Now, we wouldn’t want a player (PTO) to come in, destroy the competition and go, leaving behind barren land. But that’s exactly what will happen unless they prioritize viewership and business over catering to this or that group of athletes.
but to get viewers you need. Sanders. Blummefeld, Philipp ,Ditlev ,Mathews…
most Americans have no idea who van riel is as they have no idea short course triathlon is actually a sport.
and as you say they wont be bothered to learn the t100 ranking rules.
the ironman pro series rules are simple every seconds counts.
I know you might find this hard to grasp but there is more to life than Americans and Ironman. TBH the more diverse the field the better. A mix of former Olympians the year after the Olympics, former SC high profile athletes and LC athletes who can mix it with the best. That is what makes an exciting race.
People should know who Van Riel is if they follow the sport. If they don’t know who he is they soon will by tuning into the race coverage.
Every second counts on race day and that is what viewers want. Close tactical races. The 3 way sprint finish last year is the best marketing a series like this can get.
yes but the usa market is the biggest single country and you need to bring that with you. and lets face it even Germany the 2nd biggest country is very ironman distance focused.
and the only 3 feds that seem to get age groupers through their fed systems to world triathlon champs are the uk, the usa and Mexico. so I am not sure this road to quatar via feds will work.
This is one of the main reasons Oceanside won this weekend for the men even though T100 did everything they could to make Singapore the race to watch. Oceanside had that great mix of short course stars along with the long course stars. That athlete diversity was a big part of why the race dynamics were interesting and captivating.
That’s exactly the point. There is no way a long course athlete was going to win Singapore which is why the likes of Lionel, Lange, RvB even the Norge trio chose the IM Pro Series over T100.
The IM Pro Series is going to have races that suit athletes like MVR, Geens, and Wilde while also having races that suit the like of Lionel, Lange, Long, Foley.
