Ironman Can't Give Away Championship Slots

Good morning everyone,

Busy travel day for me yesterday, so let’s get into it.

In today’s edition:

• Pro triathlete hit with doping ban. But not a typical one

• Ironman is basically giving World Championship slots away.

• And how do you balance training while being a parent?

Thanks for being here.

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

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TOP STORY

Pro Triathlete Thomas Steger Hit with Doping Ban

What is it: Thomas Steger, a professional triathlete from Austria, has received a one-year ban for a doping violation, which was announced by the Austrian Anti-Doping Agency and reported by TRI247.

• Steger was found to have violated article 2.6 of the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) code - possession of a prohibited substance.

• The doping ban began on October 7th, 2022, and will be finished on October 6th, 2023.

• Steger is an up-and-coming professional triathlete who finished on the podium at The Challenge Championship in 2022.

Not typical: Steger has released a statement in which he denies actually taking a banned substance. According to Steger, during a police raid of his home, they found an inhaler that contained a banned substance.

• In a typical anti-doping violation, where an athlete has a sample test positive for a banned substance, the length of the ban is four years.

Tempo’s take: Obviously, if someone has a banned substance lying around then that can be suspicious. In his statement, Steger suggests it is an old inhaler from his dad’s medical practice.

• The big question that needs to be answered is why the police were raiding his family home? Like were they looking for drugs?!?

This is an interesting scenario that will probably develop more as time goes on.

OTHER NEWS

Amidst Unfilled World Championships, Ironman Offers Extra Slots

What is it: As reported by Triathlon Magazine Canada, Ironman has been offering athletes slots to its prestigious 2023 World Championships.

• Many of the athletes receiving these slots competed in events last fall.

Tempo’s take: A lot has been said about Ironman splitting the World Championships between Kona and Nice. There were always going to be second-order effects from this decision, and it looks like unfilled championship events are the result.

Larger fields in both the men’s and women’s races and an unsteady global economy all play a role. But if Ironman is having trouble filling spots at its most prestigious events, then some hard decisions and changes should be made.

But…that’ll be a problem for the new CEO!

QUICK NEWS

Iden idles: Ironman World Champion Gustav Iden (NOR) had a further setback in his goal of returning to the Olympics. He has been replaced on the start line of next month’s Olympic test event by the Norwegian Triathlon Federation. Fellow Olympian Casper Stornes will be competing instead.

Singapore stars: Wild card entries for the Professional Triathlete Organization’s PTO Asian Open have been released. Marten Van Riel (BEL), David McNamee (GBR), Ruth Astle (GBR), and Amelia Watkinson (NZ) are among the athletes who will be toeing the line in Singapore for the PTO’s third and final event of the year. [Professional Triathletes Organization]

Captain helpful: Salvation Army officer, Captain Jordan Clifton, will be swimming, biking, and running 140.6 miles to help raise money for homeless initiatives on the Fylde Coast. [Yahoo UK]

TRAINING THOUGHT

Maximize Your Carbs to Maximize Your Performance

Guest writer Klemen Suligoj shares how you can optimize your carbohydrate mix to maximize your performance

Carbs as fuel

🔥 Carbohydrates can be oxidized (burned as fuel) at a higher rate compared to fat, and are therefore used as the primary energy source for high-intensity exercise when energy requirements are high

💪 Glycogen (endogenous carbohydrates) are stored in the muscle and liver. But glycogen is a finite resource, and after 90-120 minutes of hard exercise exogenous carbohydrates (gels, gummies, any sugar!) are necessary to maintain performance.

How many carbs should you consume?

⏹️ It was previously recommended that athletes only consume glucose at about 60 grams per hour due to constraints on the body’s carbohydrate transporters.

👨‍🔬 Over time, scientists began to experiment with the use of fructose, another simple carbohydrate, along with glucose during periods of intense exercise.

Read the rest of the article and learn

• The affect of multiple transporters on carbohydrate uptake

• How many carbs your body can REALLY handle

Read the article

REEL TIME

“Oh yeah we have to go this way, it’s quicker.” 😆

chelseaa_shae

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FAVOURITES

👶 Swim, bike, parent: Training and life don’t always match up the way we’d like, especially as young parents! This reddit thread asks for advice on triathlon training as a busy parent. The answers are thoughtful, like training when kids are asleep. And funny, like the one about combining tasks 💩📱 [Reddit]

💵 Pro dough: Ever wonder how a pro triathlete actually makes money? In this YouTube video, American triathlete Ben Kanute opens the door on how he makes a living at the highest level of sport. Big contracts come into play in a big way! [YouTube]

👨‍⚕️ TriDoc delivers: A new episode of the TriDoc podcast is out featuring a discussion of how training affects the gut microbiome and how that in turn affects endurance capacity. PLUS Tamara Jewitt! Have a listen! [TriDoc Podcast]*

⚖️ Awesome Angel: Now that her kids are a little older, Bossier City’s Angel Martin has found the ‘sweet spot’ with life and Ironman training. But her schedule is anything but simple. Check out this article on how she balances work, family, and training ahead of her debut at the IM World Championships this fall in Kona. [Bossier Press]

🦅 Team USA: The theme of the athletes hoping to represent the U.S. in Paris at the 2024 Olympics: Experienced. The difficulty rating to get there: Extreme! Check out this extensive list of the athletes hoping to wear the red, white, and blue in the land of the rouge, blanc, et bleue. [Triathlete]

*Sponsored post

MEME OF THE WEEK

A special one for all your Barbie fans.

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. 

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