T100 need to throw money at the Norwegians, Long, Lionel, Ditlev and Laidlow.
We’re not going to get much participation from any SC athletes with the Olympics coming up, and to be brutally honest, I can’t get excited with what they’ve got left, apart from Geens.
I think we might get quite a bit of interest in 2026 and 2027. In 2028 after the Games only, probably. Although Derron for example (and other Sutto athletes in the past) have always incorporated middle distance races in their Olympic preparations. PTO/T100/WT need to plan this very smartly in 2028.
Also, if the calendar is well made, you will get interest from short coursers. Don’t make them on the same weekend as happened this year a couple of times, but in close proximity with a T50 on a weekend and a T100 the next weekend in a location not too far away. Minimise athlete travel and you’re onto a winner.
Blummenfelt and Iden were offered T100 contracts for 2024 (KB on ranking and Iden as a hotshot) but said no - Olympics as priority. KB was offered again in 2025 but refused (same as Sanders and several others eg Hoegenhaug.
I expect both plus Stornes now of course to stick to the IM Pro Series but would not be surprised if there’s a bit of toe dipping - NB prize purse of £275k - more than 70.3WC. With the race in Jeddah and the Final well after Kona I could see them race those (a single good result in Jeddah would get them top 20 and an invite to the Final).
Here’s a race schedule for one of the Norges:
| Date | Type | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07-Mar | IM | IRONMAN New Zealand | Taupō, NZL |
| 28-Mar | 70.3 | IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside | Ca, USA |
| 18-Apr | IM | IRONMAN Texas | Texas, USA |
| 06-Jun | T100M | T100 San Francisco | USA |
| 21-Jun | 70.3 | IRONMAN 70.3 Elsinore | Elsinore, DEN |
| 12-Sep | 70.3 | IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship | Nice, FRA |
| 10-Oct | IM | IRONMAN World Championship | Kona, Hawaii |
| 28-Nov | T100M | T100 Jeddah | KSA |
| 11-Dec | T100WM | T100 GF | Qatar |
So i missed why these guys also turned down contracts but aren’t ‘banned’ athletes? Is it because they never signed the first T100 contract then dropped out?
I think next year we will see lots of them doing T100’s,2027 not so much although we don’t know if the actual Olympic qualification process will change.
If T100 is really working with the WTS then you would think they would do what they did with Super Tri and work the schedules out to benefit everyone.
100% should be one of their priorities. They should work with everyone on this if they can, but unfortunately Ironman has historically not been willing to engage much in this instance. Not surprising as their priority is growing and dominating the space, NOT growing the sport overall.
I think the prize money for each race is enough money to have thrown at them, same as everybody else..
Eh, they should choose themselves if they want to race the best at middle distance or not. Long, Sanders, and Ditlev won’t be on the podium, but would provide interesting depth to the races.
From my recollection, the athletes that were banned were those that had a contract in 2024 and then turned one down in 2025. As the norwegians never accepted the 2024 contract in the first place, they were not banned for not accepting the 2025 contract. I guess the logic of it was T100 wanted some kind of continuity so “expected” the 2024 contracted athletes to renew if the contract was offered in 2025.
Gotcha, thanks.
A look back and forward from Jonathan Turner at tri247
comparing the IRONMAN Pro Series and the T100 Triathlon World Tour
(Also posted in the IM Pro Series 2026 thread)
After the first two T100 races: women on Gold Coast, men in Singapore, the start list will comprise
2026 Rankings Update
More headaches for PTO as the T1 Lievin was postponed (no new date yet).
They really just can’t get their shit together. Not even surprising they have to move yet another date.
Insights from the PTO Ranking formula changes:
I am glad that the contender ranking- which was one of their most silly decisions so far- is dead . A ranking made to exclude like a handful pros ,by a pro athlete organisation, is just the most silly idea possible. Alienating the athletes you really wanted to do your races ( ie the ones you offered a contract) …
I am not so sure to take off the 5 percent bonus for best gold tier or bellow is a good idea ( but its understandable )
And 4 races is good at the same time it almost asks for a 1 third score from the previous 12 month ala world Tri to balance out inevitable long term injury breaks.
Sorry for being so late replying to this, but you literally rubbished and proved my point in the same reply.
PTO offers two reasons for the 5% removal:
“simplifying . . . and avoiding inflated scores that do not reflect the true strength of field (SOF) at each race.”
Both of which I think are weak beer.
As for 1+3, this ranking is not leading to anything (unlike the World Tri rankings which get an athlete on a start line) so really a rolling annual ranking, in the true sense. If an athlete has a “long term injury (or whatever) break” they’ll drop down the order. Which reflects real world. I wonder whether the PTO will freeze a pregnant athlete’s score (on announcement, for 18 months (say)) and maintain them up there in the rankings? Would be good, and cost free.
Knibb interview (long! ffwd the Qs) gives insights to T100 2025 campaign and how 2026 might go: spoiler T100 peripheral.
“Focus is not me!”
T100 Gold Coast is a ‘maybe’.
I noticed that T100 posted the Race Ranger data from the T100 Qatar final - mostly not much drafting but many minutes of illegal time for Salthouse, Pohle and Derron and a couple of minutes for Koolhaas on the men’s side.