More Questions Than Answers For New Triathlon World Rankings

Good morning everyone,

A quick housekeeping note - if you’re looking to use our discount with Blueseventy this year it’s been changed to to “Tempo2026” - which still gives you 20% off the incredible lineup of Blueseventy products.

I’m thinking of using it myself soon - since retiring from Pro racing my motivation to jump into the pool hasn’t exactly been at an all time high…Nothing a little retail therapy can’t solve!

But one thing money can’t buy? The shoulders I used to have 😂

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

ONE BIG THING

More Questions Than Answers For New Triathlon World Rankings

What is it: The Professional Triathlete’s Organization (owners of the T100) have announced changes in 2026 for it’s World Ranking System. Key changes include,

• An increase from 3 races to 4 that count towards an athlete’s ranking.

• The removal of the 5% bonus for an athlete’s best performance.

• No distance caps - points count for any mix of middle and long distance races.

According to the PTO/T100, “These updates ensure the PTO WRS stays in step with changing athlete behaviours as the sport continues to evolve.”

Ranking or qualification? The rankings update also revealed that the new World Ranking System also directly determines T100 race access - 8 slots per race will come from the PTO rankings.

Winners and losers: Previously, athletes only had 3 races count towards their World Ranking. This saw Full Distance athletes who raced well, but less frequently, feature more prominently at the top of the rankings.

• With these changes, the PTO aims to reward consistent excellence.

Tempo’s take: The PTO World Rankings were a hot commodity in the early 2020’s - they paid athletes very well for success at races like Challenge Roth and the IRONMAN World Championships.

• Of course as we all know, the music began to stop, and in 2024 the PTO/T100 began their pivot to profitability.

Now, the rankings are tilted more in favor of athletes who compete on the T100 circuit. Which is exactly what the people who are in charge of them should do!

• But is it truly a World Ranking that measures who’s best? Or who’s most valuable to the tour that runs it? (You know the answer).

The reality is, the entity who should be handling these World Rankings is actually the one who has been doing it the longest, World Triathlon. They have a robust World Ranking system for short course athletes that also happens to mix distances.

But now that they are tied at the hip with the T100 and their joint Triathlon World Tour, the governing body for the sport can’t exactly be trusted.

So who can be trusted to make objective World Rankings? And do they even make sense for professional triathlon’s multi-tour format?

• If only there were a Professional Triathletes Organization whose job was to provide a unified, independent voice on things like World Rankings. Wouldn’t that be something?!?

a

FAVORITES

🧩 Prehab personality: Ever feel guilty for not keeping up with the latest “must-do” strength routine? That feeling is common, but in reality, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all prehab plan. Want to know what your prehab personality is? Find out here! [McMillan Running]

🥶 Edge of possible: Think you’ve seen the limits of triathlon? This jaw-dropping feature dives inside Antarctic 100, the first triathlon ever staged on the coldest continent on Earth. A near-freezing ocean swim, a snow-covered bike leg, and a subzero run? Where do we sign up! [Triathlon Magazine]

☀️ Vitamin D trap: Think you’re getting enough vitamin D in winter? Probably not - and thats a problem. This article breaks down how much sun you really need, when supplements matter, and why vitamin D affects far more than just your bones. [Baylor College of Medicine]

🌅 Morning workout myth: Drag yourself out of bed to train only to feel flat, underpowered, and cooked by lunchtime? You’re not alone. But as this article shows, small tweaks to fueling, timing, and setup can turn pre-work training into your most productive sessions! [220 Triathlon]

🔗 Most clicked link: The most clicked link from last week’s edition was a video showing how to perfectly execute the Bird Dog core exercise. One that’s will help you see iprovement in all three sports! [HSS]

TEMPO TALKS PODCAST

Will 2026 See Lionel Sanders’ Last Race? 

Will IRONMAN Launch a Streaming Service? And what Happens When Dopers Return to Racing?

All of the these 2026 predictions and much more in the latest episode of the Tempo Talks Podcast!

• On Spotify? Listen here! 

REEL TIME

We’ve all been there! 😂

LATEST EDITIONS

• Why you need to do the Bird Dog. And are natural sugars better?

• Will T100 debut at the 2032 Olympics? Plus: 2026’s best bike innovation!

• World Triathlon, T100 launch new Triathlon World Tour.