Commonwealth Games Triathlon in Serious Jeopardy

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning everyone,

I just bought a new recovery tool (lol I am definitely a triathlete) and it is super effective. It’s a plain old softball and its been great to help me release some tight hip flexors. But my dog Reggie also thinks it’s a toy I bought for him…we’ll see how long it lasts!

In today’s edition:

• 💣 Commonwealth Games catastrophe weighs heavy on triathlon.

• 😴 Why sleep quality, not duration is crucial for staying healthy.

• 🏌️ And do hobbies count as training?

Thanks for being here.

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

Have a triathlete in your life who can't stop swimming, biking, or running? Fire this off to them. Forwarded from a friend? Sign-up for free. 

TOP STORY

Victoria, Australia Drops Out of Hosting 2026 Commonwealth Games

Iconic triathlon competition in serious doubt

What is it: The Australian state of Victoria has abruptly cancelled its hosting duties for the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Citing budget concerns and “ballooning costs” the state premier Daniel Andrews remarked he had made many difficult decisions during his tenure however, “this [was] not one of them.”

• The costs had grown to three times the original quote of 2.6 billion Australian dollars (1.8 billion USD)

Triathlon as outlier: Unlike many sports that are competed at the Commonwealth Games, triathlon is actually extremely competitive.

At the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, four of the six medalists from the previous Olympics were battling it out for more hardware.

• Bermuda’s Flora Duffy and England’s Georgia Taylor-Brown finished first and second respectively, the same as at the 2020 Olympics.

• Alex Yee delighted the English crowd by winning a thrilling battle over Kiwi rival, Hayden Wilde.

• It was also where able-bodied and para triathletes competed together for the first time at a major games.

Tempo’s take: Having competed as an athlete, and had incredible experiences at two Commonwealth Games (Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018) I am clearly biased toward this competition. For athletes, the Games provide a great opportunity to experience the unique pressures and logistics of a major games environment before the big show at the Olympics.

But with countries facing the aftermath of the pandemic, stubborn inflation, and a lack of appetite for the financial costs of hosting major games, it’s not difficult to understand why the premier made the call.

It’s now an existential crisis for the Commonwealth Games. Maybe a smaller footprint with fewer events is the solution? (but deffs keep triathlon)

Do you want to reach almost 7,000 thoughtful and engaged triathletes? Respond to this email and we will get back to you ASAP.

TOGETHER WITH NERD BELTS

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Our ambassador, Steven McKenna - an Ironman champion - wears his during every training run. It ensures he's hydrating constantly, and finishing training feeling fresh and ready to go the following day! Steven recently won Ironman Australia wearing a nerd belt and stayed perfectly hydrated until the end of the marathon.

For only USD $40/AUD $60, you'll be ridiculous, ridiculously hydrated, and well-fueled! So if you're an endurance nerd like Steven, join us 🤓

QUICK NEWS

⚔️ Squad up: Super League Triathlon has released the slate of teams that will battle in this year’s Championship series. The Scorpions, Eagles, and Sharks will be returning, and will be joined by a new American-based team - the Warriors! The series kicks off in London on August 27th. [Super League Triathlon]

😲 Stacked list: The Professional Triathletes Organization has released the start lists for its third series event - the PTO Asian Open - which will be held in Singapore on August 19th. Many of the world’s top-ranked athletes will be competing in the size-restricted field. [Professional Triathletes Organization]

👏 Impressive effort: Stephanie Fauquier is halfway through her 10 triathlons challenge. Her goal is to raise $250,000 for Alzheimer’s research and honor her mother who was diagnosed with the disease in 2021. [CTV News]

🤷 Ironman uncertain: According to Triathlon Today, the future of Ironman Lanzarote is seemingly in doubt. The Ironman website has not yet listed it as a race for 2024, and this year’s edition attracted less than 1000 participants. [Triathlon Today]

💊 Doping violation: World Triathlon has reported that South African para triathlete Mhlengi Gwala has returned a positive drug test. Further investigation has concluded that Gwala’s positive was most likely due to a contaminated supplement. [World Triathlon]

TOGETHER WITH THE TRIDOC PODCAST

The TriDoc Podcast; Triathlon and Health in One Place

Triathletes are bombarded by advertisements for the latest and supposedly greatest device, gear or supplement that will make them so much better than their competition. Or so they are led to believe!

The TriDoc podcast has been a trusted source of truth in helping sort out facts from fiction for four years. Before you spend your money, have a listen to learn and be entertained.

Download and subscribe wherever you find your listening content.

TRAINING THOUGHT

The Study: Effect of Sleep Duration and Quality on Infection Risk

Results: Athletes whose sleep was restricted only had higher instances of upper respiratory tract infections (getting sick) when the perceived quality was bad. 

Takeaway: Even if your sleep time is restricted, the quality of your sleep is what matters most with respect to not getting ill.

Check out the full rundown from this study on the My Sports Science blog. It also has great tips on how to enjoy more quality sleep.

REEL TIME

Physio’s…they know when you haven’t been rehabbing! 😂

evolvehumanperformance

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FAVOURITES

🏂 Hobby miles: It’s an age-old question, does mowing the lawn count towards training? What if I have a really big lawn? 😂 This Reddit thread asks whether you count your hobbies towards training. It may not have the exact answers, but some of them are definitely entertaining! [Reddit]

🎤 Sanders says: One of the most important rules for triathlon media, if Lionel Sanders is around, make sure to get a microphone in front of him. In this podcast with Super League triathlon, Sanders touches on a number of key issues in the sport, and his take on whether triathlon can be a big-name sport is worth the time. [Super League Triathlon]

🚴 Silly watts: Chest fairings - sticking something in the front of your race suit - for an aerodynamic advantage has been taking the elite triathlon world by storm. But is looking kind of silly really worth it? This article from Triathlete magazine has the surprising answer. [Triathlete]

TEMPO EXCLUSIVE ARCHIVE

• Expert analysis: Legal performance enhancers that work!

• How Renee Kiley helped fix the PTO rankings.

• Expert Analysis: Strength Training for an Ironman PB. 

LATEST EDITIONS

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