The start of the 2024 World Triathlon Championships Series is less than a month out and an important question has to be asked. How will the world champion be decided?
Since 2009, short course triathlon has used the WTCS to determine the world champion as opposed to the single day world championships that was used hitherto. The athletes will race over the course of a season and, if the past couple of years are anything to go by, the victor may not become apparent until the final day.
The key to winning the Series, then, lies in its structure and how the races are scored. It is therefore possible to “game” the system in a way and become world champion even as other individuals win more races.
Scoring
In 2024, there will be five regular season WTCS races and an athlete may score points at their four best events. With one fewer regular season race than the 2023 season, athletes will have to be careful to attend enough events this year.
In addition, an athlete can also score points at their Continental Championship. Only Olympic distance Continental Championship races apply in this respect. In the event that two Continental Championships occur during the WTCS season, the first event will count.
Another point to consider is whether the Paris Olympic Games will count as a score towards an athlete’s WTCS total. This was the case in 2021 with the Tokyo Olympics, while the Paris Olympic Test Event counted towards the 2023 Series. However, including the Games in the Series would be somewhat unfair to those that do not qualify, particularly in countries with greater depth.
At the end of the season, each athlete will have a final opportunity to record a fifth and final score at the WTCS Final. This year the Final will take place in Malaga.
So, if an athlete can score at a maximum of five races by the time the season ends, what are the races worth?
Here is how the points break down:
- 1250 for the World Triathlon Championship Finals;
- 1000 for Olympic distance World Triathlon Championship Series races;
- 750 for Sprint distance World Triathlon Championship Series races;
- 400 for the Continental Championships.
The points listed above will be earned by the winner and thereafter decrease by 7.5% for each position. Moreover, to earn points, athletes must finish within the cut-off time which will be determined by adding 8% to the winner’s time. The 8% cut-off applies to both men’s and women’s events.
The difference between the Olympic and Sprint distance points totals is a continuation from the 2023 season. Previously, athletes earned 1000 points for a win, regardless of the distance. However, the difference in Olympic and Sprint distance points may only reinforce the relative unfairness of including the Olympic Games.
Elsewhere, at the Continental Championships, the Quality of Field Factor and Top 5 Bonus will be applied which can increase the value of the race. Ostensibly, the Continental Championships look a little undervalued. However, a win at the European Championships has often yielded over 500 points, which is in the region of a bronze medal at a Sprint WTCS event. For those looking to break into the top-10 of the Series overall, then, the Continental Championships should not be overlooked.
You can read the full World Triathlon scoring document here.
Factors to consider
Season layout
Let’s start with the layout of the year. As has often been the case, the season starts in Abu Dhabi in March. Whereas the 2023 campaign ended in September in Pontevedra, the 2024 Series will run a month longer.
In 2021, the Final took place in November (in Abu Dhabi) however the season started in May in Yokohama. With the 2024 season clocking in at over seven months, then, it will be one of the longest of recent years and will demand considerable durability.
How often to race
Typically, if only four races count for scoring, there may be diminished value in racing more often. The reward of points may be balanced out by the risk of injury through extra travel and racing.
However, in the case of the 2024 WTCS it may be a different story. With only five regular season WTCS races to choose from, an athlete may be incentivised to attend every stop. Not only will that give them the chance to hit their four race quota, but it will also provide a buffer should one race go wrong.
Of course, if the Olympic Games counts towards the Series, this equation could change for some athletes.
Tactical choices
Nowadays, WTCS fields are too deep to have a “weak” start list. Nevertheless, there are occasionally races that are not quite as strong as others.
For example, WTCS Sunderland last year was the weakest start list in the Series, relatively speaking, as measured by the top-10 athletes on the start line. It therefore offered a chance to accrue a bumper points total for some athletes.
Moreover, over the course of the season sometimes there is a possibility to avoid direct rivals at races. As a result, there could be value in being selective over which races to enter.
Factoring in how few races there, though, it is unlikely that anyone will avoid a major rival and there is a good chance that there is no Sunderland equivalent in 2024.
The Olympic question
Putting to the side the question over the potential inclusion of the Olympics in the Series, some athletes will have another choice. Do they prioritise the Games or the Series? For some, peaking in the summer in pursuit of an Olympic medal, whether individually or in the relay, will be their priority. Yet for others, the Series may actually represent a better priority for their career.
Is a top-10 overall in the WTCS worth more than a top-10 at the Olympics? Is Olympic bronze worth more than a world title (an answer Jonathan Brownlee could enlighten people on after achieving both in 2012)?
Olympic gold certainly has its lustre, but by definition each race can only have one winner. Some athletes may therefore fancy their chances of fighting for WTCS gold this time round.
The perfect season?
With only five regular season races and four counting to an athlete’s score, people will have to race at virtually every stop to cover any possible off day.
Performances in Yokohama and Cagliari will be a premium given that they are 250 points more valuable than the other in-season stops. Perhaps more than any other race, those two events will shape the standings ahead of the Final in Malaga.
To have a shot at winning the world title, an athlete will realistically have to take on the May double in Japan and Sardinia. Notably, all of men’s 2023 overall podium did the same May double last season. Entering the Final, five men could have become world champion last year and a similar story can be expected in 2024. As more candidates compete for the title, points become all the more important.
As such, skipping the most valuable races therefore probably won’t pay off and anyone that wants to become world champion will likely need a solid pair of results in May.
