Category: Comment

What’s in a Name? It’s All About the “World” Now

Benjamin Eastman

The world governing body of swimming, FINA, has made the decision to formally change its name to World Aquatics. To some this may sound familiar. In October 2020, World Triathlon officially changed its name from the International Triathlon Union (ITU) to its current moniker. Likewise, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) became World Athletics in 2019. On one level, the name of the global governing body is not a particularly important shift. The change is largely administrative and, on paper at least, does not do a great deal. On…

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Tri Going Green: The Sustainability of Wetsuits

Benjamin Eastman

Climate change is becoming a fact of life. Following a year in which much of Europe saw record temperatures in the summer, Pakistan suffer from devastating floods, and wildfires of near-unprecedented scale break out on almost every continent, many people find themselves at a juncture in which they ask how they can change their consumption habits. For triathletes and enthusiasts of the sport, it is no secret that a lot of kit is required to train and compete at a high level. Of the equipment required, wetsuits are a good…

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How Can Travel Be Optimised In World Triathlon Racing?

Benjamin Eastman

World Triathlon has a number of sustainability pledges and is currently part of two international initiatives. These are the Support for Climate Action Framework (UNCCC/IOC) and Clean Seas (UNEP/IOC). Under the Support for Climate Action Framework, signatories are requested to commit to achieving the specific climate goals of halving emissions by 2030 and aiming to achieve net-zero by 2040. These are referred to as the “Action Targets” of the Framework. Further along in the Framework, World Triathlon has committed to the following “Action Objectives”: You can read more about the…

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Should Discretionary Selections Be Allowed in the WTCS?

Benjamin Eastman

As highlighted in our article on the WTCS selection policies of some of the elite triathlon nations, discretionary selection clauses are rife in the sport. The use of such discretionary picks in the spot, however, creates as many problems as it solves. Discretionary selections have two traditional benefits. They help to re-introduce athletes that have suffered injury and hardship into the sport and they open a route into the elite end of the sport for prodigious talents with little by way of performance profile. To a degree, there is a…

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Who Sponsors the World Triathlon Championship Series?

Benjamin Eastman

The phrase “money makes the world go round” was attributed to the author Paul van der Merwe and the world of elite triathlon is no exception. For the sport to function, particularly on a global level, it is highly dependent on external sponsorship. By itself World Triathlon does not have the funding or means to foot the bill for the WTCS. As a result, it has entered into a series of sponsorship arrangements for its flagship product. The question is: who actually sponsors the Series and who is putting money…

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What is the ASICS World Triathlon Team?

Benjamin Eastman

Following the conclusion of World Cup racing for 2022 at Viña del Mar, we thought it would be a good idea to shine a light on a little-known aspect about the race. Viña del Mar was the third of three World Cup races in 2022 designated for the ASICS World Triathlon Team. The Team was created with a view to providing a developmental pathway for athletes in parts of the world without the infrastructure or an established route into elite triathlon. Indeed, it is one of World Triathlon’s leading initiatives in growing…

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Fact or Cap: The Loophole in Athlete Marketing

Benjamin Eastman

Have you ever noticed over the years that World Triathlon Championship Series medallists step up onto the podium within minutes of finishing their race? There is certainly no time to change into any other attire and so the athletes step up in their race suit. Some have barely caught their breath. That itself is similar to road cycling, where it is customary in the Tour de France, for example, for athletes to take to the podium in the same kit as that in which they have just raced. Other sports,…

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How Important Were the 2021 Races in the 2022 WTCS?

Benjamin Eastman

The 2022 World Triathlon Championship Series was unique insofar that for the first time ever the Series took place over two years rather than one. Following the uncertainty and postponements amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2021, the planned races in Hamburg and Abu Dhabi were rescheduled for September and November, after the Final in Edmonton and the conclusion of the 2021 season. Such scheduling left the races in a strange place. They could not count for 2021 if the Final had already passed and to not assign them to…

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Half of the WTCS Counted Towards the World Title

Benjamin Eastman

As the dust settles on the 2022 World Triathlon Championship Series, it is worth reflecting on how the season has unfolded and brought us the current standings. This season delivered some great racing and fans were in the fortunate position that in both the men’s and women’s rankings the world title would be decided at the Final itself. The 2022 season, though, has had one problem that has dogged it throughout. Only 50% of the races counted towards the final Series standings. As a result, from the perspective of the…

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5 Stories You Might Have Missed at WTCS Abu Dhabi

Benjamin Eastman

The Return of Henri Schoeman After a challenging twelve months, including a nasty elbow injury, Schoeman made his first WTCS start since Yokohama in May 2021. Indeed, Schoeman had not started individually since the Tokyo Olympics where he unfortunately did not finish. His one race start in that period came as part of the mixed team relay for South Africa at the Commonwealth Games in July. On his day, Schoeman is one of the best athletes in the field. The 2018 Commonwealth Games champion has WTCS wins in Abu Dhabi…

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New World Triathlon Maternity Policy to Kick In

Benjamin Eastman

One of the most significant personal issues that confront elite female athletes is the balance between pursuing a career in professional sport with aspirations to start a family. For some athletes, it is not on their radar during their professional career however for others it is a major life decision that they do not wish to postpone. In recent years, we have seen athletes like 2019 world champion Katie Zaferes take a pregnancy break after the Tokyo Olympics and 2012 Olympic champion Nicola Spirig take maternity breaks in her athletic…

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What Happened to Flora Duffy’s Phantom Swim Penalty?

Benjamin Eastman

Flora Duffy put in a majestic performance to win her fourth world title at WTCS Abu Dhabi. Her winning margin was so big that any penalty she could have received would not have mattered; however there was an instance in the race in which she was shown with a mysterious swim penalty that vanished shortly after. Midway through the bike, a 15 second swim penalty for swim behaviour appeared alongside Flora Duffy in the live timing. Maya Kingma also received the same penalty and it was noticeable that two of…

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How the WTCS Finals in 2024 and 2025 will be selected

Benjamin Eastman

In the days after the Final of the 2022 World Triathlon Championship Series, the locations of the Finals of the 2024 and 2025 seasons should be announced by World Triathlon. For those wondering (or those that have never wondered) how the Finals are chosen, this article will shed some light on the process. World Triathlon produces a bid document for both its WTCS and World Cup races and produces a separate document for the selection of the Finals. In the document, World Triathlon states that: “The World Triathlon Championships Finals…

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Morlec the Favourite in a Tightly Bunched U23 Field

Benjamin Eastman

The World U23 Championships are perhaps the premier opportunity for young athletes to broadcast their talents and set themselves up for a successful career in elite triathlon. Winning or even medalling at U23 Worlds is a strong marker of potential and the men starting in Abu Dhabi will be presented with a great chance to make a step forward. Paul Georgenthum is a name that automatically jumps out from the page by dint of his 2nd place finish at WTCS Hamburg in 2021 with one of the best run splits…

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Too Close to Call at the Women’s U23 World Champs

Benjamin Eastman

This year’s women’s U23 World Championships will see a very strong field take to the start line and may be of the most accomplished U23 fields of recent years. Kate Waugh is the standout athlete. She easily could have started the Senior women’s race in Abu Dhabi and pushed to consolidate a top-20 position in the WTCS Series. Her recent results certainly read like someone that could place in the top-10 in a women’s WTCS field; she came 12th at WTCS Cagliari, 3rd at the Bergen World Cup, 5th at…

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