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A Slowdown for World Championship Slots
And is creatine what you need in big race moments?
Matthew Sharpe
May 26, 2023
TOGETHER WITH
Good morning everyone,
I just wanted to use this space to bring awareness to a fellow pro triathlete here in the U.S. Elliot Bach. On Wednesday, Elliot was cycling with a friend when he was struck from behind by a large truck. He was airlifted to the hospital and although he does have many broken bones, it sounds like he will make a full recovery. If you want to support him in his recovery there has been a GoFundMe set up for him.
We are rooting for you Elliot!
In today’s edition:
Has an IRONMAN World Championship slot lost its luster? 🤔
The World Triathlon Championship Series rolls into Italy 🍕
Could Creatine help you in critical race moments? 🏎️
Thank you 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.
QUICK NEWS
🦮 Dynamic duo: In addition to training for next year’s Paralympics in Paris, Canada’s Jessica Tuomela is also finding missing people with the help of her seeing-eye dog. Read the incredible account of how Tuomela and Lucy found a missing person before it was too late. [Abby News]
🙏 RIP Rick: Although born with cerebral palsy, Rick Hoyt, with the help of his father Dick, never let that stop him from participating in countless endurance events, including the IRONMAN World Championship. Rick was an inspiration to so many athletes. He passed away on May 22nd. [New York Times]
🍫 Chocolate challenge: 22 members of the staff of Oxfordshire’s Rumsey’s Handmade Chocolates recently completed a sprint triathlon in support of a local charity. [Oxford Mail]
🕬 Israel coach: The Israeli Triathlon Federation is looking for a new national coach as they build toward the 2028 LA Olympics. Requirements include fluency in English and experience coaching female athletes. [World Triathlon]
TOGETHER WITH XTERRA SLEEPING GIANT
XTERRA Sleeping Giant August 12, 2023. Take a step off the beaten path!
At the head of Lake Superior, the City of Thunder Bay has a wealth of outdoor adventure opportunities. Taking advantage of epic single track built over unique mesa rock formations covered by the Boreal forest. Don’t miss this chance to enjoy what northwest Ontario has to offer.
XTERRA Sleeping Giant’s premier event is the Full Distance Triathlon. This consists of a 1.5 km swim, 26 km mountain bike and a 10 km run. This event will have 28 qualifying spots to the XTERRA World Championships in Italy up for grabs.
In addition, we will have sprint distance individual triathlon as well as relay events in both the sprint and full distance categories. There is a full distance duathlon (run/bike/run) as well as trail run events.
August 12, 2023 - Your adventure begins! Register Today!
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ONE BIG THING
With a Split World Championship, are IRONMAN Roll Down Slots Becoming Less Popular?
What is it: At the recent IRONMAN Lanzarote awards ceremony, “dozens” of athletes were declining their slots, and the opportunity to compete at this year’s Men’s World Championship in Nice, France, as reported by Triathlon Today.
Why it matters: Competing at the IRONMAN World Championships is typically an incredibly exclusive and sought-after opportunity.
But the lack of enthusiasm for the first edition of the gender-split World Championships should concern the corporation.
Zoom out: Although there has been admonishment for the split World Championships, the potential drop in race entries may not have anything to do with IRONMAN.
Recently, it was announced that Germany, Europe’s largest economy (and biggest triathlon market) has officially entered a recession.
Persistent high inflation and monetary policy tightening have led to a pullback in consumer spending.
Maybe next year: With the combination of a World Championships in a non-Kona location and severe economic headwinds, athletes may be more interested in waiting a year and saving money for a big trip to the big island.
👀 And it just so happens that in about a month, there is an IRONMAN in Nice that costs about $1,000 USD less than the World Championships on the same course…
Would you take a slot for Nice?Or is Kona the only IRONMAN World Championship for you? |
RACE WEEKEND
World Triathlon Championship Series Cagliari and More!
The 3rd stop in this season’s World Triathlon Championship series is the first opportunity for athletes to score points in the second Olympic qualifying period that ends in May 2024.
Women’s race: Taylor Knibb (USA) will skip this round. But two other Americans will be taking her place. Olympic gold and silver medalists Gwen Jorgensen and Katie Zaferes will return to the WTCS start line after stepping away from the sport. They will be joined by fellow Americans Taylor Spivey, Summer Rappaport, Kirsten Kasper, and Erika Auckerlund.
The race will most likely see a non-wetsuit swim. So there will probably be a breakaway featuring Maya Kingma (NED), Spivey, Kasper and surprise Yokohama silver medalist Rosa Maria Tapia Vidal (MEX).
But Olympic bronze-medalist Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR) will be hungry for redemption after a slower start to the year.
And Beth Potter (GBR) will no doubt be looking to take her second WTCS win after her triumph in Abu Dhabi.
Men’s race: There are loads of incredible athletes in this race, including Olympic gold medalist Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR), IRONMAN World Champion Gustav Iden (NOR) and current World Series leader Vasco Vilaça (POR).
But the dominant storyline is surely the head-to-head between Yokohama winner Hayden Wilde (NZ) and fellow super-runner Alex Yee (GBR).
If it comes down to a straight-up run race between the two, then Yee probably has the edge.
But Wilde’s swim has been trending up, and if he can get into a pack with the likes of World Champion Leo Bergere, and a few others. Yee will not be able to chase him down.
Watch the race live: At triathlonlive.tv, the races kick off at 11:00 AM CEST, 5:00 AM EST.
Check out our race weekend page for the IRONMAN Brazil preview and more!
SURVEY
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FRIDAY MEME
FAVOURITES
🗲 Angela’s analysis: Pro triathlete Angela Naeth recently shared insightful data on how her menstrual cycle affects her endurance performance. Take a look and see how she manages training during this time.
🚵♂️ XTERRA Sleeping Giant: Take part in XTERRA Sleeping Giant August 12, 2023, a unique event with 28 qualifying spots to the XTERRA World Championships in Italy up for grabs. Learn more.*
🥕 Creatine machine: Creatine supplementation hasn’t traditionally been associated with endurance sport. But a new study has suggested numerous potential benefits, such as the ability to be successful in “race defining” moments like a surge in pace or climbing steep hill. But there are drawbacks. [Outside]
🥇 Paved with Gold: Monarch Road is an unassuming stretch of dirt just outside Boulder, Colorado. But for triathletes (and runners) it’s hallowed ground for training and racing. Read why Monarch has been a proving ground for champions. [Triathlete]
*Sponsored Listing
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