What will a major investment mean for the PTO?

Good morning everyone!

After a break from swim training, I'm back in the water. Slower for sure, but definitely more buoyant after a calorie-heavy holiday period! In this edition, we've got some tips for swim buoyancy that don't involve crushing food, along with:

• An analysis of a major investment in the PTO 📈

• And can this YouTuber break an elite triathlon record? (you know the answer)

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-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

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ONE BIG THING

PTO Secures Major Investment from Warner Bros Discovery

What is it? The Professional Triathletes Organization (PTO) recently announced a major investment from media conglomerate, Warner Bros Discovery, as reported in the Financial Times.

• Of the $30 million raised in this round of funding, Warner Bros is a significant partner.

Why it matters?

In the fragmented world of online streaming, live sports events have been proven as a winning product.

• Warner Bros will now have a significant stake in what is dynamic and thrilling made-for-TV triathlon product.

For the PTO, they will be able to leverage their start-up energy with the distribution of an established media giant.

Tempo's take: 

This is very exciting news for the PTO heading into 2023. After an incredible year of racing that included the debut of the US and Canadian Open events alongside the flagship Collins Cup, they are in a strong position to quickly grow. Although triathlon isn't a sport on the scale of the NFL, neither was Formula One...

• With the rise of Netflix's Drive To Survive series, there is a playbook for niche sports with compelling races, characters, and storylines to break into the mainstream.

• If the PTO can leverage their partnership over an expanded five-race season then 2023 could be the year the PTO tour becomes the dominant triathlon event series.

Little discussed is the crossover potential with the PTO and current Warner Bros Discovery intellectual property. Some potential content ideas:

• "Triathlon Space Jam" featuring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and the Looney Tunes versus Blummenfelt, Iden, and the Norwegian Monstars.

• "Draftbusters" triathlon's take on Mythbusters.

• "Sanders Week" instead of Shark Week.

NEWS

🇪🇺 Triathloning across Europe: In a bid to raise money for charity, Martyn Brown of Wigan, England will complete a triathlon spanning five countries including Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, and England. He will start his journey in June 2023. [Wigan Today]

🥟 Shimano X Poland: For the 13th year in a row Shimano will partner with IRONMAN triathlon events in Poland. Shimano will provide free onsite service for IRONMAN racers, and also assist athletes with on-course mechanical support. [Endurance.biz]

🏃‍♀️ Fast and Female: The recent Ironman 70.3 Bahrain triathlon featured almost 900 participants, including an ever-growing share of female finishers. Their goal? Inspire other women to take on the multisport challenge. [GDN Online]

👶 Kanute kid: Congrats to American triathlete Ben Kanute on the birth of his son, Caden, on December 24th. We can't think of a better Christmas gift!

TRAINING THOUGHT

Better Buoyancy for a Best Time

Buoyancy or the ability to float in the water is the foundation for fast swimming. Here are a few things to think about to keep that body position on point.

🏄 Keep it horizontal:

• Like a surfboard, horizontal is good, vertical is no bueno.

• Usually the hips are the first to drop, so do your best to keep them high in the water.

👀 Eyes down:

• An easy way to stay buoyant is to look towards the bottom of the pool/lake/river/ocean/bathtub.

• Not directly down, more like 4-5 feet in front.

😮‍💨 Just breathe:

• Exhaling through the stroke will keep you relaxed so you can bring tension to the right areas.

• Make sure to exhale lightly in between breaths!

FAVOURITES

💯 Inspirational Chris Nikic: Born with Down Syndrome and unable to walk until he was four, Chris Nikic never let adversity get in the way of his goals. Read on about how Chris used the "1% better" method to become the first athlete with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman. [Olympics]

🚀Crazy runs, but how: A record run from Gustav Iden in Kona, and Chelsea Sodaro flew away for the win. The run times at the Ironman World Championships were insane, but is it just the shoes? [Triathlon Magazine Canada]

📹 YouTuber record: YouTuber Keltie O'Connor thought it would be a great idea to try and break the record for the fastest Olympic triathlon with zero training. Spoiler alert...she didn't, but she was a good sport about it, and she even raised a bunch of money for charity in the process. [Keltie O'Connor]

WHAT TO BUY

Where to spend that extra holiday money

The holidays may be over but that doesn't mean gifting has to end. What better way to spend that holiday money than on some multisport products? Here are a few more gifts from our gift guide.

ProGold Extreme Chain Lube

✈️ Built for long distances, and extreme road conditions.

💦 Sheds water.

Body Glide anti-chafe balm

A transition icon for a reason, it works!

• Keeps pores clear and allows sweat to escape.

• No animals harmed - Vegan approved!

Skratch Lab energy chews

Skratch prides itself on all-natural ingredients. These are chews just like grandma would make!

🥕 No artificial sweeteners, isolates, colors, or preservatives.

🚂 Unique shape for quick energy.

Read the entire gift guide here.

GAME TIME

Where is next year's Ironman 70.3 World Championship? Reply with your response and name and we'll include it in the next email.

Our previous quiz asked who what year did Jan Frodeno win the Ironman World Championship. The correct answer was 2015! We had a feedback answer that was correct, and an email from Guy Petruzzelli who also answered correctly.

COMMUNITY QUESTION

Have a burning question about triathlon or Ironman? Want to share a racing tip? Let us know and it could be featured in the newsletter.

Are you racing this weekend? Or any epic training sessions? We'd love to hear about them! Send us your photos or a race recap, and we will feature them in next Tuesday's edition!

Quick note: Thanks to Dave Williams for adding us to his website. We appreciate the support!

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