Yesterday we investigated what the women’s 2023 WTCS would have looked like had the 2022 scoring structure been used. Today it is the turn of the men.
Unlike 2022, races of different distances were worth different points. A win over the Olympic distance was still worth 1000 points. However, wins over the Sprint and Super Sprint eliminator formats respectively gave 750 and 875 points. Meanwhile, the WTCS Final offered 1250 points to the winner, just as it did in 2022.
With the change in scoring, the emphasis in the Series shifted. Sprint distance events became less important in particular.
The interesting detail, though, will lie in whether the changes in scoring affected the outcome of the Series.
Below, you can see how the top-20 would have looked had the 2022 scoring been used. We have also included the finishing position based on the 2023 scoring (and you can see the final 2023 standings here).
- Dorian Coninx – 4421 points (1st)
- Hayden Wilde – 4400 points (2nd)
- Leo Bergere – 4234 points (3rd)
- Vasco Vilaca – 4050 points (4th)
- Alex Yee – 3986 points (5th)
- Matthew Hauser – 3647 points (7th)
- Pierre Le Corre – 3593 points (6th)
- Tim Hellwig – 3243 points (8th)
- Kristian Blummenfelt – 2971 points (9th)
- Miguel Hidalgo – 2726 points (10th)
- Csongor Lehmann – 2705 points (11th)
- Tyler Mislawchuk – 2358 points (12th)
- Lasse Lührs – 2138 points (13th)
- Manoel Messias – 2152 points (20th)
- Jelle Geens – 2095 points (14th)
- Kenji Nener – 2069 points (15th)
- Roberto Sanchez Mantecon -1979 points (18th)
- Marten Van Riel – 1918 points (16th)
- Henri Schoeman – 1847 points (19th)
- Jonas Schomburg – 1807 points (17th)
The most obvious takeaway is that, with the 2022 scoring, Dorian Coninx would have still won the world title. Four of his five scores, including the WTCS Final triumph, came over the Olympic distance. With the 2022 scoring, he therefore only improved by 183 points.
Indeed, the entire men’s top-5 remains unchanged.
However, the notable change comes from the differences between the leading men. Hayden Wilde would have been only 21 points away from the championship instead of 177. While an improvement of one place at the 2023 WTCS Final would not have saved Wilde’s world title push, in 2022 terms it would have.
Matthew Hauser is the only change in the top-6 as he moves up a place. His win at WTCS Montreal would have been worth more under the 2022 structure which explains his rise.
In another switch in the top-10, Miguel Hidalgo would have leapfrogged Csongor Lehmann.
The biggest riser under the 2022 system, though, would have been Hidalgo’s compatriot, Manoel Messias. Messias would have jumped from 20th to 14th after winning two Sprint distance medals in 2023.
In addition, Messias only finished one Olympic distance WTCS race in 2023. As a result, he had a lot of scope to add to his points total.
Interestingly, Coninx’s winning total of 4421 points would have placed him 4th in 2022. Leo Bergere won last year’s Series with a total of 4742 points.
Overall, the change in scoring did not produce a significant change to the Series. Like the women’s competition, the shifts caused were rather slight.
One thing to consider is the timing of World Triathlon’s announcement of the 2023 points. Many athletes had already planned their seasons and so may not have been able to fully embrace the new scoring system. Moreover, some athletes (including medallists) did not know the changes in scoring had taken place ahead of the first race.
With that in mind, perhaps there will be a greater tactical emphasis on the points structure in 2024.
When it comes to the scoring, then, the structure of the points system has some importance (as the likes of Manoel Messias and Leonie Periault can attest) but it did not shape who won the crown this season.
