With many different routes to Daytona – automatic qualification through the PTO World Rankings, PTO wildcards, CHALLENGEFAMILY® invites and race qualification – triathletes of all ages earned the opportunity to compete.

In this article we focus on those veteran athletes who have spent their entire careers waiting for the opportunity to compete for a slice of the mammoth $1.15 million prize purse and the up-and-coming stars of the triathlon world hoping to upset the applecart and compete with professionals they have idolised since their youth.

When it came to a head-to-head, did youth trump experience? Or was it the veterans who handled the pressure best on the Daytona International Speedway®?

‘Young guns’ shine in Daytona

In the men’s race, on the start line were several athletes who were 25 or under and hoping to make a name for themselves in the high-calibre field.

Gustav Iden, George Goodwin, Sam Long, Kieran Lindars, Magnus Elbaek Ditlev and Frederic Funk locked horns with triathletes they had looked up as they pursued a career in the sport. Iden and Goodwin obviously stole the show with their win and third place respectively.

Iden produced an outstanding swim to keep the deficit to the short-course experts who excel in the water to under two minutes, but it was his work on land that was the catalyst to his success as he made his way through the field to earn victory. Likewise, Goodwin produced an all-round masterclass to finish on the podium.

The youngest man in the field to finish was the 23-year-old Funk, who conjured a fabulous display of his own to come 17th and pick up $7,000.

“This whole event was just the beginning of something big and especially young athletes like me can be very glad that we have the PTO making triathlon even better,” he posted on Instagram after the race.

With Long and Ditlev also earning top 20 finishes, the ‘young guns’ certainly had an outstanding day in the men’s race.

The youngest competitors to finish the women’s race included Lucy Hall, Amélie Kretz and Lisa Becharas.

Hall showcased her incredible swimming pedigree to lead the race into transition one and maintained her pace through the bike stage before succumbing to an injury on the run.

“I picked up a slight niggle along the way. Taking mainly positives, learnt a lot and now to get mended,” Hall posted on Instagram after the race in which she finished 28th.

Kretz and Becharas came 33rd and 34th respectively – but both commented on social media about the opportunity to race against the world-class field in Daytona.

Age is just number

Tim O’Donnell, 40, rolled back the years to finish 16th in the star-studded race, earning $8,000 in the process. The 2009 ITU Long Distance World Champion, who was second at the 2019 IRONMAN World Championship, was the only over 40 to finish in the top 20 of either race.

The highlight for the American legend was an outstanding display on the bike, notching a 1:40:14 split – the ninth best in the field. His experience in the PTO 2020 Championship once again increased his desire to continue in the sport

“I absolutely love to race and I want to win! I walked away from that event with a fresh focus and a desire to achieve my 2021 goals,” O’Donnell posted on social media.

Andy Potts and Eneko Llanos, both aged 44, were the oldest competitors to finish either the men’s or women’s race – Potts finishing just outside the top 20 in 22nd and Llanos coming 31st.

Potts exited the swim on the coat-tails of O’Donnell but was unable to keep up with his compatriot on the bike – dropping around two minutes from his fellow veteran.

Potts was only able to claw back 13 seconds on the run to O’Donnell but was agonizingly a minute outside the prize purse positions.

In the women’s race, 42-year-old Lisa Roberts, a six-time winner over the IRONMAN distance, competed in her final professional race.

She admitted the distance didn’t suit her and a pre-race change of bike due to back pain didn’t help – but the triathlon legend loved the experience and praised the event after the race.

“This event marks a major turning point in professional triathlon,” she said. “I’m excited to watch it unfold and see where it takes these fabulous athletes. I have the pleasure to know!”

Fellow 42-year-old Rach McBride was pleased with their performance in finishing in 32nd place – ending in direct competition with the younger end of the field in Kretz and Becharas.

The first professional triathlete to come out as gender non-binary, McBride, who is a three-time IRONMAN 70.3 victor, rode the fastest 80km of their career.

After the race McBride posted on social media: “I celebrate the privilege to cross the finish line amongst the best athletes in the world.”

The post Youth vs Experience || Who triumphed at the PTO 2020 Championship? appeared first on PTO.

We reflect on the moments which made the PTO 2020 Championship the triathlon event of the year…

The post Top 10 Triathlon Moments: PTO 2020 Championship at CHALLENGEDAYTONA® appeared first on PTO.

Prior to the race, there was a lot of talk over the format of the race – it wasn’t quite a middle distance triathlon but was well above the Olympic and sprint course distance many triathletes specialise in.

In the end, the 100km race at the world-famous Daytona International Speedway® saw the finest triathletes from the short-course world take on their long-course counterparts – and here’s how they fared.

Short-course stars came to the party

Great Britain’s Alistair Brownlee and Spain’s Javier Gomez have enjoyed unrivalled success over the Olympic and sprint distances – Brownlee is a two-time Olympic gold medallist, four-time ITU World Champion and four-time European Champion, while Gomez is a five-time ITU World Champion – although both have enjoyed measured success in the longer race formats, making them hot contenders for the Daytona crown.

Current ITU World Champion Vincent Luis is another who excels over the shorter distance – the 2019 and 2020 World Champion was undefeated in his last four short-course races heading into the PTO 2020 Championship – while Gustav Iden had enjoyed an excellent short-course 2020 season and is the reigning IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion.

On the women’s side, several of the short-course favourites were unable to take part in the event due to injury, but there was still plenty of talent on show from the standard-distance specialists.

The likes of Flora Duffy, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Jessica Learmonth, who reside in the top 10 of the ITU World Rankings, were among those unable to make the start line.

However, former Olympic Champion and six-time European Champion Nicola Spirig was there, along with super-swimmer Lucy Hall and 2011 ITU World Champion Jodie Stimpson, both of whom were ready to test themselves over the longer distance.

Long-course athletes keen to defend their turf

The PTO 2020 Championship took place over a 100km course at the Daytona International Speedway® – with the distance closer to the longer end of the distance spectrum rather than the shorter.

PTO #3 Sebastian Kienle is a two-time IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion and an IRONMAN World Champion with an almost unrivalled pedigree over the past decade – especially with Jan Frodeno not appearing on the start line.

Lionel Sanders, who ranks #4 in the PTO World Rankings, is a former long-distance World Champion, while talents such as Sam Long, George Goodwin and Andreas Dreitz were also in the field.

On the women’s side, the race was filled with long-course stars, with the likes of 2019 IRONMAN World Champion and PTO #4 Anne Haug among the favourites for the race along with PTO #6 and 2016 IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion Holly Lawrence.

With both worlds colliding, there was no doubt that the field at the PTO 2020 Championship was the most illustrious ever assembled for a triathlon event – which led to some verbal sparring between the two camps during the lead-up to the race.

Long v Pearson: An Instagram fable plays out

Sam Long and Morgan Pearson, two Americans who specialise over different triathlon distances, got into a war of words on social media ahead of the race in Daytona.

Long posted a message on his Instagram story of a chat involving the two men, which Pearson quickly rebutted.

“I hear Morgan Pearson is going to embarrass the long-course athletes,” said the PTO #42 ranked Long. “I hope you’re working on your time trial position.”

“Embarrass isn’t a strong enough word,” responded Pearson, who ranks #23 over the shorter distance races. “Working on your TT positions is easy; learning to swim is not.”

The two Americans are friends and both enjoy bantering with each other – especially over Long’s swimming times and Pearson’s bike times. They are regulars on each other’s Instagram comments sections and added a little fuel to the rivalry.

Unfortunately for the viewing public, after a stunning swim that saw Pearson take a commanding lead between the two, the short-distance aficionado’s hamstrings seized up and he chose not to risk injury by completing the race.

Long, meanwhile, came out of the water in 50th place after what he described was a ‘terrible’ swim. The Unbreakable series star worked hard during the final two disciplines of the race to finish ninth.

The long and short of it

Unsurprisingly, in both the men’s and women’s races, it was the short-course athletes who dominated the early stages of the race as their swimming prowess came to the fore.

Schoeman, Luis, Gomez and the Brownlee brothers were part of the lead group heading out of the water and in the women’s race Hall, Stimpson and Spirig were all situated towards the front of the field.

As the race progressed, however, the long-course stars gradually closed in. The bike and run distances were nearly double those of a standard short-course race.

Paula Findlay – a former ITU World Champion who has spent the last few years focusing on the middle distance – stole the show in Daytona, winning the event for the second successive year with a dominant display on the bike and run.

She was followed home by the long-course quartet of Haug, Laura Philipp (PTO #9), Lawrence and Amelia Watkinson (#19) to round off the top five.

The short-course women’s field performed admirably across the 100km distance, though, with Spirig earning a top 10 finish, Britain’s Hall producing a stunning display in the swim and Stimpson finishing 15th.

In the men’s event, Norway’s Iden produced an outstanding split in the run to overtake his rivals and claim victory. Only second-placed Matt Hanson beat the victor’s run time.

ITU #3 Alistair Brownlee was in contention for the majority of the race before retiring through injury. Schoeman (7th), Luis (8th) and Gomez (11th) also represented the short-distance athletes well.

Long-course talents dominated the top five outside of Iden – who had enjoyed success over the longer distances prior to Daytona – with Hanson, Goodwin, Sanders and Rudy Von Berg following the Norwegian over the finish line.

However, with the top 12 in the field covered by just three minutes, both sides of the debate will be happy with their performances in Daytona.

The post The long and short of it: A battle of strengths appeared first on PTO.

For some, though, hopes of glory soon faded on the circuit as several of the world’s finest suffered race-ending injuries during the event.

Double Olympic gold medallist Alistair Brownlee, 2012 ITU World Champion Lisa Norden and 2014 IRONMAN World Champion – and two-time IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion – Sebastian Kienle all started the race with ambitions of taking home the $100,000 grand prize.

However, all three were forced to retire through injury. We spoke to them about the race and the problems they encountered.

Numbness hampers Kienle’s shot at glory

A perennial medallist at the both the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships over the last decade, Sebastian Kienle was one of the favourites heading into the race at the Daytona Speedway®.

However, his race did not go according to plan. Heading into the bike stage, Kienle was well placed to launch an assault on the leaders – but his body, which was suffering heading into the event, let the three-time world champion down.

“I had an issue with my left calf in the last two weeks leading up to the race,” explained the German.

“After the swim I was in a good position, but my complete left leg went numb. We do not know exactly what happened. I got a couple of checks done, but we found no real reason.

“This was the only real opportunity to shine this year and I wasn’t able to.”

The good news is that the 36-year-old is recovering well from the setback, although he admits he is upset with himself for allowing the injury to hamper him.

“The recovery is going well,” he reported. “My calf problem turned into an Achilles problem again, but that’s something I can handle.

“I’m just very upset with myself, because I made a couple of mistakes I should not make with my experience in the sport.”

Norden: ‘I knew I wasn’t going to be able to finish’

The PTO 2020 Championship seemed to be going swimmingly for Sweden’s Lisa Norden heading into the final discipline of the race.

The 2012 Olympic silver medallist was in pole position heading into the second transition, leading eventual winner Paula Findlay off the bike and into T2.

However, disaster was about to strike the 36-year-old.

“My legs were working, the heart rate was low, my watts were good, it felt easy and controlled; it was quite amazing,” Norden said of the first two stages of the race.

“The further into the race I got, the more convinced I was going to be fine, and I got all the way to the backside of the track – which was about 3km into the run – when I felt a sudden twitch in my calf. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to finish.”

The Swede was forced to retire with a calf injury that had been causing her problems in her preparation for the race – but one she thought she would be able to overcome.

“I tore my calf two and a half weeks before the race,” the Swede explained, “it was during an easy morning run, nothing spectacular, but I kind of knew straight away that it was bad news.

“We did a scan, but nothing showed up, I also could [put a] load on it without pain and even do some small jumps so we hoped the turnaround wouldn’t take too long.

“I did a test run two days before the race and it felt absolutely fine so we decided to go into the race with a 100% intention of racing hard and smart.”

Despite the disappointment of Daytona, recovery is going well for the Scandinavian as she prepares to take on the 2021 season – and a step up to full distance triathlon.

“It would have been easier to swallow if the leg literally was falling off,” Norden joked when discussing her recovery from Daytona.

“It required one week of no running before I could start jogging again, and I replaced a lot of the initial load with skiing. Now I’m back in my regular routine.

“The big news for me is a lurking Ironman debut – which is equal parts scary and exciting.

“There are two warm weather camps on the plan this spring and I guess I’ll be on the start line sometime after that once the racing resumes in Europe.“

Calf injury causes chaos for Brownlee

Another unfortunate victim of the unforgiving Daytona International Speedway® was two-time Olympic gold medallist Alistair Brownlee – who led the race for a good portion of the bike discipline.

The 32-year-old Briton produced a sensational swim and was part of the lead group heading out of the water, before producing a solid 1:40:58 bike split which kept him in contention at the front of the field.

However, after the first loop of the run, Brownlee was forced to retire due to injury.

“I was actually confident before the race that my calf was going to be okay,” Brownlee explained when discussing the race.

“Waking up on race day, I felt good and was looking forward to racing. Training had gone okay, although I was a bit nervous about my calf and I was just ready to go and race as hard as I could.

“It had been okay for the week before; it was just bad the night before. But I pushed that to the back of my mind.

“Within running the first mile I got into my stride and started feeling good, but soon my calf started to hurt and I knew it was going to be tough to finish the race.

“Within the race there were obviously lots of obstacles to overcome. It was a long-distance triathlon, which is always hard, but the big obstacle I couldn’t overcome was the problem with my calf.”

The post Injury Report: Trio tell their tales of Daytona appeared first on PTO.

To celebrate the array of talent on display in Florida, we have created an ‘Ultimate Daytona Triathlete’ for both men’s and women’s races, consisting of the very best performers for each leg.

The ‘Ultimate Daytona Triathlete’ would excel in every discipline, making them a frightening prospect for even the greatest opposition.

Women’s ‘Ultimate Daytona Triathlete’

Swim: Lucy Hall (24:16)

Renowned as one of the fastest swimmers in triathlon, Lucy certainly lived up to her reputation in Florida. She asserted her dominance in the water by completing the 2km swim in an impressive 24:16, clocking a rapid average pace of 1:13 per 100m.

The 28-year-old was marginally quicker on the opening lap of the two-lap swim, clocking 12:06 for the first kilometre and 12:10 for the second.

Lucy exited the water eight seconds ahead of her nearest challenger Lauren Brandon, and a full 38 seconds clear of Fenella Langridge in third.

With her frightening pace and remarkable consistency in the swim, Hall would get the women’s ‘Ultimate Daytona Triathlete’ off to a flying start.

Bike: Lisa Norden (1:51:04)

It may have been a disappointing day in the end for Lisa Norden as injury early in the run saw her unable to complete the race, but she certainly did herself justice on the bike.

When she hopped onto the bike for the 80km ride, Lisa found herself in 10th position and within striking distance of the leaders.

As the laps ticked by she slowly reeled in the leading pack, claiming second position by lap seven and ultimately found herself leading the all-star field by the halfway point of the leg.

The 36-year-old held a firm grip on top spot for the remainder of the bike leg, clocking an average speed of 43.2km per hour. She also produced a split some nine seconds faster than eventual winner Paula Findlay and more than two minutes quicker than eventual third-place finisher Laura Philipp.

Run: Anne Haug (1:05:01)

Although it was Findlay who crossed the line first to claim top spot on the podium, it was second-placed Anne Haug who recorded the fastest run time.

The German scythed her way through the field on the final leg, making up three places on the first lap of the 18km run to move up to ninth position.

Haug continued to blitz her way through the opposition, averaging a blistering pace of 3:37 per km as she pushed through to ultimately claim second position.

Haug clocked 1:05:01 for the run, a phenomenal 1:24 faster than Findlay. This was an impressive feat in itself, but even more so when you consider the 37-year-old served a two-minute penalty from T2 which was included in her time.

A barnstorming run from Haug would be the perfect way for the women’s ‘Ultimate Daytona Triathlete’ to round off the race.

The women’s ‘Ultimate Daytona Triathlete’ would have recorded an outrageous overall time of 3:20:21 in Florida, 4:34 ahead of winner Findlay.

Men’s ‘Ultimate Daytona Triathlete’

Swim: Henri Schoeman (22:25)

As one of the fastest swimmers in triathlon there were high expectations of Henri Schoeman heading into the first leg in Daytona, and the South African certainly didn’t disappoint.

Henri set a ferocious pace of 1:07 per 100m as he completed the first kilometre in 11:09. His second kilometre lap was seven seconds slower, but still enough to see him complete the leg at the head of the greatest field ever assembled.

He led a 12-man chasing group of out of the water, all separated by less than 15 seconds.

With vast experience and staggering pace through the water, a swim from Schoeman would be the perfect way for the ‘Ultimate Daytona Triathlete’ to kick off the race.

Bike: Magnus Ditlev (1:38:12)

Dubbed by many as king of the bike, Magnus Ditlev did his reputation no harm with a stunning display in in Florida.

When Magnus took to the bike for the 80km ride, he was down in a lowly 44th position and would be forgiven for ruling out any hope of contending with the frontrunners.

But the Danish star bedded in for an astonishing ride as he hauled his way up the field, clocking a lightning-fast average speed of 48.9km per hour.

As he approached the 30km mark he was already inside the top 20, and broke into the top 10 shortly after the halfway point.

His breakneck pace continued and he even led the pack for three laps before slipping back slightly and ending the bike leg in a commendable fourth position.

Run: Matt Hanson (57:21)

Matt Hanson claimed second position at the PTO 2020 Championship, and his impressive result was largely owed to his stellar run performance.

During the swim and bike legs Hanson was largely anonymous, holding down a position deep in the midfield of the pack. But he came into his own on the run.

Beginning the 18km leg, Matt was outside the top 20 but powered into the top 10 by the halfway stage.

Clocking an eye-watering average pace of 3:11 per km, he overtook five athletes on lap six of the nine-lap leg to move up to a podium position.

The following lap he edged into second place, where he would remain for the remainder of the race, crowning a fantastic final leg.

Hanson trailed only Gustav Iden at the finish line, but his 57:21 run split was almost a minute quicker than the Norwegian prodigy.

To produce such pace in the final leg of a gruelling competition would be a fitting way for the ‘Ultimate Daytona Triathlete’ to finish the race.

The men’s ‘Ultimate Daytona Triathlete’ would have finished in Florida with a breathtaking time of 2:57:58, just over six and a half minutes clear of Iden.

The post Building the ‘Ultimate Daytona Triathlete’ appeared first on PTO.

Follow @professionaltriathletesorg (Instagram) for more action and reaction from the PTO 2020 Championship!

The impact of a rollercoaster pandemic hit year in sport only added to pre-race nerves for these global triathlon icons as they prepared to battle against each other at the iconic Daytona International Speedway® to win a share from the biggest prize purse in triathlon history of $1.15 MILLION.

One month on from the fast and furious action our pros have had a chance to reflect and assess their races that would define their 2020 season before these gladiators refocus their efforts to smash fresh triathlon goals in 2021.

The post Beyond The Race || PTO 2020 Championship appeared first on PTO.

With a stellar field of the world’s greatest triathletes battling it out for a landmark $1.150,000 purse, the Florida spectacular produced some intriguing numbers across the swim, bike and run.

We’ve delved to deeper into what happened at the PTO 2020 Championship to provide some statistical insight on how 20 athletes earned the biggest paydays of their careers to date.

Women’s race

Findlay fastest athlete ‘on land’

Paula crossed the finishing line in Florida in a time of 3:24:55, just over two and a half minutes clear of her nearest competitor Anne Haug.

The Canadian showed tremendous pace throughout the race, with 10th being the lowest position she occupied coming out of the swim.

She displayed her strength over the remainder of the race, powering her way to the front of the field on the bike leg and leading the run for the full 18km, despite Haug eclipsing her time for the final leg by nearly a minute and a half.

Polarising swims for Hall and Lewis

The race highlighted that the head of the standings after the first leg often holds little significance in the final results.

Lucy Hall exited the water in pole position after a rapid time of 24:16 for the swim, but by the end of the race she had slipped down to 28th.

Danielle Lewis meanwhile was at the opposite end of the spectrum. She was third from the back coming out of the water, completing the swim over eight minutes behind Hall. But by the end of the race she was just 40 seconds behind her rival in 29th.

Morrison’s stellar performance on the bike

There were some athletes who may feel that a better balance across the three disciplines could have led to a higher finish.

Kimberley Morrison was thrilled with her commendable 13th place, with her bike split just 11 seconds slower than winner Findlay.

“I got a little excited when I saw inspiring names on the name board after each lap; [Nicola] Spirig, [Holly] Lawrence, [Lucy] Hall,” she recalled.

“I knew I was putting time into very good company. The last couple of laps were all about upping my cadence to get ready to run.”

Had she managed a similar pace across the first and last legs though, Morrison would have certainly been in contention for a win in Florida.

The Brit admitted her start to the swim had been disappointing, and that due to fatigue she was struggling to match her planned run time as she eventually recorded a pace of 7:02 minutes per mile on the final leg.

“The swim start was essential for this fast-paced race,” she explained. “The swim wasn’t my highlight, although I have spent many strokes in our ‘endless pool’, swim start practice has been tricky to come by this year.

“We dialled sub 6:30 minute miles [for the run] however this didn’t fit my piece of the puzzle on the 6th of December.

“I ran as quick as I could bare for 18km and it got me to the finish line delighted with 13th.”

The triumphant Findlay, Fenella Langridge (7th) and Elisabetta Curridori (9th) were the race’s ‘overperformers’, with their respective finishes transcending what was expected of them based on previous results.

Men’s race

Consistency key for Iden

Iden clawed his way back from 22nd exiting the water to claim victory at the PTO 2020 Championship, clocking an outstanding time of 3:05:06 – nearly a minute ahead of second-placed Matthew Hanson.

Despite his impressive performance, the Norwegian was not the fastest over any individual discipline, proving that a strong and steady pace can prove to be a winning strategy.

George Goodwin’s race also highlighted that a consistent, competitive pace across the three legs will lead to a successful finish.

The Brit displayed his capability across all three disciplines as he finished third in Florida, evidenced by the fact that he was the only athlete to manage a sub-25-minute swim, a sub-100-minute bike leg, and a sub-one-hour run.

Slow swim hampers Sanders

Finishing seven seconds behind Goodwin in fourth was Canadian Lionel Sanders, who following the swim was close to the back of the field, recording a time of 25:54 as he began the bike leg in a lowly 50th position.

However, the 32-year-old would go on to be the fastest competitor ‘on land’ as he blitzed the combined run and bike leg times of the top three finishers by roughly a minute.

A strong finish proved to be a profitable strategy for the top-placed athletes, with the quartet of Iden, Hanson, Goodwin and Sanders all clocking run times within the top five performers for the final leg.

Cramp leaves Hoffman frustrated

One athlete who came away disappointed after the PTO 2020 Championship was Ben Hoffman.

The 37-year-old American failed to break into the top half of the field as he suffered from cramp during the first two legs of the race, ultimately finishing in 38th place with a time of 3:24:37.

“I would not say that a lot went well for me on race day in Daytona, as I was experiencing some odd cramping early in the swim and had to reduce my kick and overall effort in the water to ward off full incapacitation,” he explained.

“In the early stages of the bike, I still struggled with the same sensations, primarily in my hamstrings and glutes, and it was not until the run that I finally got a little rhythm back and felt ok to push again.

“It was a disappointment, especially after a decent training block and a good lead up to the race made me excited to push hard against the best on a big stage.

Although he was not able to compete with the leaders, Hoffman was full of praise for the event and was pleased he was able to complete the race despite his discomfort.

“If anything, seeing the race unfold first-hand only fired me up for future PTO events, as it was truly a world-class race,” he stated.

“As far as what went right for me, I would certainly highlight the choice to keep going even after things went downhill quickly.

“I am a big fan of finishing what I have started, as long as it does not create a bigger injury or problem.”

Regret for Gomez despite strong start and finish

Javier Gomez, who recorded the fifth fastest run time of the day, might well have challenged for the win had it not been for his disappointing bike leg.

The Spaniard was just outside the top five following the swim, but dropped down to 24th after recording a time of 1:44:31 for the bike leg – over three minutes slower than Iden. He could only recover well enough to finish 11th despite making up ground in the run.

Hanson – whose run time of 57:21 for the 18km leg was the fastest of the day – and Goodwin were two athletes who punched above their weight at the race with their podium finishes exceeding what was expected.

The post PTO 2020 Championship: Let’s talk numbers appeared first on PTO.

Arguably one of the most impressive performances was that of Danish star Magnus Elbæk Ditlev on the bike to push himself into contention.

The 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 Gdynia champion found himself towards the back of the pack after the swim, forcing the 23-year-old to produce the ride of his life to get into the top 20.

A 14th place finish for the Dane earned him €10,000 – an achievement that looked spectacular after the swim, but which could also be described as a disappointment after the bike stage.

40th coming out of the water

It was a swim to forget for Magnus, who finished the 2km swim two and a half minutes behind the leading pack in 40th position.

“Losing more than two and a half minutes to the front group on the swim is completely unacceptable if you want to have a shot for the top spots in a big race like the PTO championships,” he commented.

“Since the race I’ve taken some time to critically reassess my stroke and technique together with experts that know much more about swimming than myself and we’ve found some quite inconvenient patterns of movement.”

“I’m stunned to see someone ride like this”

However, his cycling performance was a complete contrast, causing Alicia Kaye, who was covering the race for the PTO’s live stream to say: “I’m speechless. Magnus for 15, 20 seconds – I’ve just watched him go by the entire field. I’m stunned to see someone riding like this.”

In those 20 seconds the Dane passed the first five competitors on lap 13 of the 20-lap bike circuit to take the lead.

“Watched this video [of those 20 seconds] probably 1,000 times,” he posted on Instagram. “It still gives me goosebumps.”

His 1:38:12 split on the bike was the fastest in the field, bridging the two-and-a-half-minute deficit he had conceded during the 2km swim.

“I lost my nutrition at the start of the bike and I thought I would never get back into the race,” he said.

“To bridge the gap to the front guys, taking the lead halfway through the bike and feeling amazing at the 4 km run mark was part of the emotional rollercoaster of the event.”

Paying the price

Just after the 4km mark on the run, Magnus – who had been running comfortably with the leading pack of Rudy Von Berg and Alistair Brownlee cramped up – paying the price for the lack of nutrition during the frantic bike split.

“I was barely able to walk, barely able to get back running again,” he posted on social media after the race as he dropped back through the field and was overtaken by eventual winner Gustav Iden and podium placers Matt Hanson and George Goodwin.

Despite dropping all the way back to 14th in the final standings, Magnus commented: “It was an absolutely amazing experience and an honour to be a part of such a great event. Thank you to the PTO.

“Motivation towards 2021 couldn’t be higher, but first some down time.”

The post King of the Bike: Ditlev showcases cycling prowess in Daytona appeared first on PTO.

The 24-year-old crossed the finish line first ahead of a star-studded field during the 100km race – holding off a later surge from second-placed Matt Hanson to win by just under a minute.

Prior to the event in Daytona, the Norwegian had competed only twice on the middle-distance IRONMAN 70.3 circuit – but had certainly put on a show in both races.

Iden finished second in the 2018 IRONMAN 70.3 Bahrain before winning the 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in Nice – and the PTO 2020 Champion has now laughed off any suggestions his performance in France was a one-off.

“I guess I’m not a one-hit wonder after all,” Iden commented on Instagram after the event.

“Unbelievable to take the Championship win here in Daytona. And the $100 000 is not too bad either.”

More to come from the champion

Despite taking victory, Iden was critical of certain aspects of his performance around the Daytona circuit – showcasing the unrivalled pursuit of perfection it takes to be one of the world’s best triathletes.

“The swim was not good. I was afraid that I had already blew up my race in the swim,” explained in his post-race interview, “and then on the bike, I had no control at the start.

“Then I realised that the cars were following the leaders, and I wasn’t really that far behind on the bike.”

Despite the self-criticism, the Norwegian star came out of the swim 21st (23.44) before producing the eighth fastest split on the bike (1.41.44).

Taking control from the front

The catalyst for Iden’s victory came in the final hour of the race as the IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion produced a sub-hour 18km split (58.16) – the second fastest in the field.

“I decided to just not go over my ability because 18km is pretty long on a run,” Iden said, “but then I saw I was gaining on the leaders at the start, on the run.”

“I went to the front and I had 100% control. Then five minutes later I really started feeling it. Luckily, I took a [energy] gel at the start of the run and when the caffeine kicked in after 30 minutes I was back in the zone. I had pretty good control.”

Iden needed that energy to hold-off the late surge by Hanson who closed to within a minute of the leader on the final lap.

‘I believe in the lucky hat’

Many an athlete would have attributed their magnificent success to their preparation, training and peak physical conditioning. Gustav on the other hand believes in the power of his lucky hat:

“I’m starting to believe it actually brings luck for real now because every time I wear it I have an amazing race.

“I just found it on the ground in Japan last year, it’s from Taiwan. I really feel a connection with these people now, so it’s so cool to be wearing this, it’s an honour.”

Whatever is the behind Iden’s success there is no doubt he produced on the biggest stage of them all – and he is only just getting started in the world of middle-distance racing.

The post Not a one-hit wonder: Gustav Iden showcases talent in PTO 2020 Championship triumph appeared first on PTO.

She joined compatriot Anne Haug on the podium earning $50,000 in prize money – a fitting reward for an incredible performance as she excelled as part the strongest line-up ever assembled at a triathlon starting line.

Philipp was forced to battle through the pain barrier as she finished the bike leg, and even had doubts about her chances of finishing towards the top end of the field – let alone on the podium.

“Really amazing, I didn’t know I was third, I just kept on pushing,” she commented following the race. “I had very bad cramps after the bike so I didn’t even believe that I would make the top 10.

“I’m just super proud of my legs, of my head, and third place is amazing.”

A valuable experience

Philipp was ecstatic with her podium finish but was keen to highlight the intense struggles herself and the athletes faced when preparing for and competing in such a high-level event.

“This race was insane,” she stated on Instagram after the race. “Crazy strong field, a lot of speed, pain and struggle involved but I am definitely over the moon about my bronze medal.

“Heads up to everyone who had to drop out today, this race was definitely a real challenge for the body.”

Philipp also expressed her gratitude for the experience of competing in Florida, with the medal and prize money coming as an added bonus for the 33-year-old.

“I will bring home a big smile, the best prize money I ever earned and a lot of gratefulness to have had this experience!”

Importance of mental strength

It was a battle of mental strength for Philipp, especially after she recorded a time of 26:55 in the swim – leaving the German with plenty to do over the next two disciplines.

An exceptional performance on the bike – fourth fastest in the field behind Paula Findlay, Lisa Norden and Kimberley Morrison – brought the eight-time IRONMAN 70.3 race winner back into contention.

She followed it up with the fourth fastest run split, breaking the 68-minute barrier for the 18km distance – overtaking a number of athletes to secure the podium place.

After clocking a time of 3:30:00 over the 100km course, Phillip admitted she had to ignore calls from her body to slow down – something she has become accustomed to doing.

“The moment when the pain kicks in and you can’t ignore it anymore is the moment when you should know your WHY,” she expressed on social media after the race.

The post Ignoring the pain: Laura Philipp fights off cramp to claim third in Daytona appeared first on PTO.

Goodwin was unfazed by the calibre of opposition as he surpassed a number of triathlon legends to claim an impressive third position.

In the star-studded field, Goodwin arguably produced the most consistent display of the entire race – he was the only athlete to record a sub-25-minute swim (24:47), sub-100-minute bike (1:39:34) and sub-hour run (59:29).

But his performance didn’t come without adversity as Goodwin’s body, like everyone else’s in the field, suffered from the unforgiving layout in Daytona.

Overcoming cramp

Goodwin admitted he struggled with cramp midway through the race but there was little evidence of that as he picked his way through the field and into the top three.

“I’ve had 10 weeks’ (training) perfect, absolutely perfect,” he commented in his post-race interview “I knew I had a top 10 in me.

“Going off to the run I had a really bad cramp in my left quad, in T2. I thought maybe it just won’t happen today.

“I just managed to build my way through. Everyone went off really quick, and I just sort of gradually made my way through.”

The PTO 2020 Championship was held at the historic Daytona Speedway® in Florida, and Goodwin was delighted to have had the chance to compete at such a famous location.

“The venue, it’s crazy,” he remarked. “To have a sport like triathlon in an arena like this, with the best field in non-drafting history probably, it’s just so amazing.”

Overtaking with style

To reach third position, Goodwin had to navigate several renowned triathletes – something he says he was not disconcerted by – even if he did afford a cheeky smirk as he overtook Rudy von Berg.

“I’ve had enough experience now that it doesn’t faze me when I’m racing,” he professed. “He (Von Berg) asked if I was a lap down, and I tried to look as relaxed as possible going past.”

Goodwin raced at the absolute limit to secure his podium finish and pointed out the moments where he struggled the most with fatigue.

“My face gives away the answer on the last part of the run,” he observed. “Some moments on the bike were also in the red [such as] overtaking.”

The run leg was completed on the Daytona Speedway® tarmac, and Goodwin believes this may have been a contributing factor in the number of cases of cramp across the race day.

“No variation meant almost 100 per cent of time in position, which is probably why we saw so much cramp in both men’s and women’s races,” he explained.

Familiar face on the podium

Goodwin doesn’t believe any particular training session proved to be the tipping point for his success, instead hailing the months of work he did as a whole as the secret behind his accomplished performance.

“No one particular session was a standout,” he affirmed. “10-12 weeks of nailing every day gave me confidence.”

Goodwin took his place on the podium behind Matt Hanson and winner Gustav Iden – the latter of whom was a familiar foe from his younger days.

“I raced ITU as a junior at U23,” he recalled. “I raced Gustav Iden a few times then, he beat me at that distance as well.”

The post Rising star: George Goodwin masterclass seals podium in Daytona appeared first on PTO.

Daytona International Speedway® played host to the showcase triathlon event of the year as the best long and short distance athletes in the world arrived in Florida to battle for a prize purse worth $1.15 million.

The race action did not disappoint with 2019 Kona world Champion, Anne Haug taking on last year’s Daytona winner Paula Findlay in a fight to the finish with Holly Lawrence, Amelia Watkinson and Nicola Spirig also in action.

While the men’s race boasted more stars with double Olympic Champion Ali Brownlee facing off once again with ITU world champion Vincent Luis. Sam Long and Lionel Sanders finally met to race, and throw 70.3 world champion Gustav Iden into the mix and this is 45 minute of triathlon action you don’t want to miss!

The post PTO 2020 Championship at CHALLENGEDAYTONA® | Race Highlights appeared first on PTO.

Findlay produced a scintillating display – particularly on the bike – to triumph over Anne Haug and Laura Philipp by over two minutes at the event.

Her 1:51:13 split on the bike – the fastest of anyone in the field – coupled with the second fastest run and sixth fastest swim splits saw her dominate the field.

“In terms of a perfect race, I came as close I think as I have ever gotten to it, especially in a long course race,” explained Findlay of her accomplishment.

“I do think my swim can be a little better, I came out well, I wasn’t necessarily expecting to be within that main pack coming out of the water – a lot of people haven’t had access to pool this year, me included.

“I was unsure of how my swimming would do over 2km, so I was pleasantly surprised, although I think to achieve an even more perfect race, I’d have my swimming a little bit quicker next time.”

In a race of her own

Due to the unique circumstances of CHALLENGEDAYTONA® because of the coronavirus pandemic, Findlay said it was very difficult to gauge what was going on behind her during the race.

At times during the bike and the run, Findlay was leading by over four minutes from her nearest competitor, but she insisted she wasn’t aware of how dominant a performance she was putting in.

She said: “I didn’t really have that much awareness on the bike of where other people were, and even on the run, I wasn’t getting much feedback, so I was just staying in my range of what was comfortable and doable for a 100km race.

“The only time I could see people was running through the transition/finish area and even then, it was just so loud, and I didn’t have a coach there. I didn’t have one single person I trusted to give me splits or feedback or any information on the course.

“I didn’t let myself believe I was going to win; I was sort of trying to do math in my head of how slow I’d have to go for Anne [Haug] to catch me or how quick she’d have to go, so I sort of knew in the last 3km that it was likely I was going to win.”

‘Best race in a decade’

The emotions hit Findlay all at once as she crossed the finish line in Daytona – from utter disbelief to pure elation, she was unable to fully grasp the enormity of what she had just achieved.

“I was shocked at the finish line,” explained Findlay, “then I just kept looking back at disbelief and then felt the happiness.

“There was like four or five different emotions that all hit me at once and you kind of see that as I cross the finish line. It’s like I look like I’m going to cry, then I look shocked, so it was kind of crazy. I don’t really remember it to be honest.”

The Canadian star admitted that while she had won races over the past decade, the victory at Daytona brought her a feeling that she hadn’t felt since 2011 – the feeling that she could compete with the best in the world.

“I was pretty much on top of the world back in 2010, 2011, so that was the last time I had these sorts of races where against the best women in the world I was winning or finishing on the podium.

“I’ve had good races since then but nothing of this level and, although I have won races, they obviously weren’t of this calibre of field.

“The prize money was obviously bigger than anything I have ever won, so yes, I guess I’d say it’s not like I haven’t had any good races in the last decade, but this was definitely the best one.”

Collins Cup on Findlay’s radar

Findlay’s thoughts now turn to the 2021 Collins Cup in Šamorín, Slovakia, and working with Canadian triathlon royalty in the form of Lisa Bentley and Simon Whitfield who are captains of Team International.

“It’s really cool,” Findlay said about working with the duo. “I’ve always looked up to them since they were racing when I was kind of getting into the sport and I know them both very well, I keep in touch with both quite often.

“Simon’s a good friend of mine and I trained with him a little bit before the London Olympics and Lisa Bentley is just like a sporting hero in Canada.

“I’m looking forward to it, it’ll be a little bit of a unique race with these team formats and working together instead of being completely individual and racing for yourselves, so that is also a cool dynamic that I think will be fun to watch and to race.”

The post Close to perfection: Paula Findlay’s emphatic march to the top appeared first on PTO.

Paula Findlay took the plaudits for her well-merited victory at CHALLENGEDAYTONA®, but Haug caught the eye with a stirring performance.

Despite battling to second place in one of the strongest fields ever seen in triathlon, Haug refuses to relive the rollercoaster of emotions she experienced throughout the race.

She explained: “I never watch the races I’ve participated in because I know what I’d be doing or how the race unfolds, so I was just happy to be back again in Germany and enjoying my time a bit, having a season break and getting mentally refreshed.

“I don’t like to watch myself, to be honest. I can’t change it anyway. I know what I’ve done wrong and what I want to do better for the next race, so that’s what I’m taking with me and I try better next time.”

Haug revealed that prior to CHALLENGEDAYTONA®, she had never been penalised during a race, but after being handed a two-minute time penalty during the bike leg, she was left wondering where she went wrong.

“Officially, I don’t know why I got that (penalty) still, so I assume it happened in the overtaking process, because I’m always a bit at the back in the swim and I can’t hold back. I want to have the fastest race possible.

“So, I didn’t care if in front of me there was a whole bunch and I took the risk to overtake them. Obviously, it’s a corner, like a track, and the corner came and because you have to be 3m apart, I had the outside, so the longer way to go, and after I finished that I got the whistle.

“I thought ok, it has just happened. Because I was still 3m apart from the others, it can’t be a drafting fault, so I thought I maybe took a little bit too long for overtaking.”

Haug’s reaction to the penalty encapsulated her steely determination to compete at the highest level of triathlon – she simply brushed off the disappointment and set about atoning for her error.

“First, I thought please, please don’t let my number be on the penalty box, but when I passed the penalty box, I just saw the guy writing my letter and I said ‘oh, what a nightmare’,” she laughed.

“But then I was ok. You can’t change it, there is no, like, room for discussion and I have to take it and make the best out of it.

“So, I thought ok, that’s the situation, when is the best way to take it? And I decided to take it straightaway because I didn’t want to interrupt my run.”

From fifteenth to second

Haug fought through the pain barrier to recover from 15th position, overtaking several world-class athletes on the run as she put the frustration of receiving a penalty behind her.

“I didn’t have any other options,” she remarked. “I know from my short distance times that I always have to catch up.

“And even if my legs are burning after the bike, you have to go as fast as possible and if I’m in the race, I always think there’s a chance to win.

“Even if not, I’m here on the start line to give my very best performance and just because you stand two minutes in the penalty den, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a good performance.

“I wanted to show that I’m a good runner and I wanted to show that I was the best possible. I had good motivation because I was in 15th and I definitely wanted to be on the podium.”

Haug was full of praise for CHALLENGEDAYTONA® winner Findlay – an athlete who has been plagued by injuries over the years but appeared back to her best at the PTO 2020 Championship.

“It was a well, well-deserved win for her and I’m so happy for her because she was such a great ITU athlete,” Haug beamed.

“She was a world champion. I mean she won five WTS races in a row and then she had a really, really tough time to fight back after such a long time and still believe in herself, so I’m very happy about her development.

“That’s a really, really great effort, not just physically, but mentally as well, and I really love such stories as well – coming back after such tough times.

“So, a very, very well-deserved victory and just a very controlled performance. It was a perfect race I think.”
Collins Cup dream very much alive.

Haug’s attention now turns to the 2021 Collins Cup in Šamorín, Slovakia, as she looks to fulfil her aspirations of competing in what is shaping up to be a very strong Team Europe.

“I hope I will be a part of that because it’s a big goal of mine to be in that team,” she reasoned. “Obviously, I think Team Europe is the strongest around and just to make the team means you have to be the best possible, because the competition is just so high.

“But I think that’s the reason why we are so good – because we have so much competition and everyone really has to work hard to be on the team.

“Šamorín is a big, big goal for me and I hope I can make it, maybe with other German team members as well – that would be fantastic. I train hard to be on it.”

The post Redemption: Anne Haug’s remarkable recovery to finish on Daytona podium appeared first on PTO.

The 35-year-old American produced a sensational 57:22 run split at CHALLENGEDAYTONA® – the best of the day – to cut down everybody bar the Norwegian prodigy en route to a stellar second-place finish.

It was a fantastic result for Hanson, up against the greatest field ever assembled by the sport. The closing stages were quite something as he scorched past a string of star names. Much to their surprise.

“Yeah, the last lap was definitely a bit of a blur. I think I started the last lap in eighth or ninth and ended up second, it was an important lap for sure.

“I think the last five guys asked what lap I was on, George (Goodwin) did, Rudy (Von Berg) did, Sam (Long) did, Lionel (Sanders) did. They all thought I was a lap down when I was going by them, so it was a little bit of an additional motivation bump I think.”

Immediately after crossing the line, Matt revealed that he had been waiting all year for a run performance like this. He ended that wait in some style, with a display founded on sustained brilliance.

He explained: “I mean if you look at the splits that I put out, I never really officially made a move, I just ran really steady, you know I had one bad mile in there, mile number 2 was a 5:17 but other than that my slowest mile was a 5:09 and my fastest was a 4:59, so I’m not great at converting that to kms but I think that’s like a 3:10-3:20 range.

“I had to bump it up in the last km, or maybe the last km and a half, on the back stretch, just wasn’t making up much time on to George. That was the only real hard decision to make, do I play it safe and run for third or do I really try to make the move and go for second?

“You know I’d just come so far in the race and just kind of made the decision, I had nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

Goodwin’s breakout day

Just behind Matt at the finish was Britain’s George Goodwin, who also came from off the pace to snatch third. His performance drew high praise.

“George had a fantastic day, definitely a breakout performance for him,” said Matt.

“He actually came out of the swim with me and dropped me in transition on the bike and so he came off the bike quite a bit in front of me, so a little bit different.

“It shows again how a little bit of a different strategy can still play out so just it was a really important day to show how you have to execute a clean race and you know you can do that using your strengths, whether that is on the bike or in the run or in the water.”

The men’s pro race capped a fantastic festival weekend at the iconic Florida venue. Matt emphasised what events like this mean to the development of triathlon.

“I thought it was a really well-structured race weekend event and it made it a lot of fun. A lot of age groupers I talked to were really happy to be able to enjoy the men’s pro race as well, and the women’s pro race the next day. So I think all those things are really important for growing the sport and especially for growing us professionals.

“So often the age group triathletes don’t really know what’s going on with the pros because they are racing at the exact same time.”

All eyes on Collins Cup now

The next major milestone for the PTO is the Collins Cup, scheduled to take place at Samorin on May 22, 2021. Matt was ranked #17 in the PTO World Rankings heading into Daytona and is hoping for a subsequent boost.

“I think that I am obviously looking forward to the Collins Cup, I hope the weekend solidified my spot there on the start line.

“I hope that was good enough, we’ll see how the rankings unfold, but I think I should be up there.

“The Americans had a pretty good performance in Daytona, I think we have five in the top 20 or something like that so definitely bodes well for us, I think, so it’ll be fun.”

Despite a COVID-ravaged year, the sport of triathlon ended 2020 on a year on a high note with the drama in Daytona. The future appears bright, and Matt expects more giant leaps in 2021 and beyond.

“We can’t thank the PTO enough for helping us bring this sport forward and it’s really a good time to be a pro triathlete.

“You know I think if you’d asked us last year, we were like ‘you’re four or five years too late, it’s hard to get things going right now’. That’s not the case any more. It’s a really exciting time and I’m really excited to see what the next couple of years bring and how it’s going to change the triathlon landscape.”

The post The Closer: How Matt Hanson surged to Daytona glory appeared first on PTO.

The 6ft 4ins ‘Big Unit’ will turn 25 years old on December 23, knowing “the monster” inside him is what will drive him forward in the desire for greatness in 2021 and beyond.

Long is currently ranked #42 by the PTO, and finished ninth in the PTO 2020 Championship at CHALLENGEDAYTONA® earlier this month. He does not want to finish ninth though, only first.

Appearing in the PTO’s Unbreakable documentary series, the American revealed: “The problem is, losing hurts so much and losing haunts me for so long that I have to chase being number one.

“It has gotten to a point where it is almost this obsession, I don’t even have to think about reasons. It has just become this like monster inside of me.”

‘Big Unit’ searching for his limits

Elite triathlon competition drives the sport’s superstars to insane levels of endurance and athletic brilliance. It drives them to dig deeper than ever before. Long is still trying to find his limits, and this is what excites him most.

“It’s an unknown road ahead, and the limits are really endless, and that’s what is most exciting. Makes me want to go faster than anybody has gone before.

“The biggest thing between triathletes and other athletes is that we’ve got three sports to do, so we are doing a three-a-day, 340 days of the year. That’s just a fact and I think we are just a little bit ‘psycho’.

“That’s kind of why I became a triathlete, I was like ‘this is the coolest thing of all-time’, but I also realise that it is a little bit ‘psycho’ and I think we are all kind of like that.”

Sam’s competitive nature is matched in full by his confidence. Something he says which can lead to others getting the wrong idea about him.

“I think my confidence has been perceived as cockiness and brashness, and trying to rub people up the wrong way. And that I don’t really respect the rules of the sport – and some of the rules of the sport are ridiculous.

“But I do respect my competitors always. But it is okay to say ‘I want to go faster than you and I think I can go faster than you’.

“I just want other athletes to be themselves and to not be shy about being themselves, and if they are still quiet individuals, then I am completely happy about that.”

A sensitive soul

Sam knows his persona has brought something of a mixed reaction. His outward nature might have you believe that does not bother him. Underneath it all though, he is a sensitive soul.

“I think I am someone who has already kind of divided people a lot, you might have a hundred fans and one hater. But that hater stings the most.

“You go to bed at night and you are thinking about that one hater often, and so it’s hard to deal with. Honestly, yeah, I just think it’s hard to deal with.

“I can come up as social media and being so confident and being so clear, but often, I’m so nervous and I feel like I’m ripping the earth apart and I just don’t know if it’s going to be right.

“But I just do and live by who I am, and that’s all I can do.”

The post ‘Losing hurts so much’ – the monster inside Sam Long appeared first on PTO.

The 24-year-old from Bergen destroyed the best field in the sport’s history in jaw-dropping fashion with a performance for the ages at Daytona International Speedway®.

Iden, positioned in 17th after the swim, was still a minute and 28 seconds off the pace in 15th when he got off the bike into T2.

Iden slices through field

The 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion then showed that Nice victory was no fluke as he sliced through a star-studded field in unbelievable fashion on the run to win by 51 seconds in a time of 3:05:06. He picked up $100,000 in prize money, part of a record-breaking $1,150,000 total purse.

Even Iden’s 58:16 run split was bettered by the fast-finishing American Matt Hanson in second place. He surged through the faltering field in the closing stages courtesy of a spectacular 57:22 split. He had been way down in 22nd getting off the bike into T2. Hanson’s reward was prize money of $70,000.

Britain’s George Goodwin took the final podium place and $50,000 in prize money with a fine performance to sneak into third during the closing stages.

Lionel Sanders never looked likely to repeat his Daytona win of 2019 after he finished the swim more than three minutes off the pace in 42nd spot. He did though produce a stellar performance on the bike and in the run to recover into a creditable fourth position.

American Rudy Von Berg claimed fifth ahead of Australia’s Sam Appleton and South African ace Henri Schoeman. The latter had hung in valiantly after leading as he so often does out of the water.

France’s short-course star Vincent Luis recovered from a two-minute penalty incurred during the bike leg to claim eighth, while American Sam Long was ninth and Germany’s Andreas Dreitz 10th.

Agony for Alistair

Pre-race favourite Alistair Brownlee had been right up there after the swim and the bike, but began to give out distress signals when leading on the second of four run laps around the iconic motorsport venue.

The British double Olympic champion had suffered a calf injury, and while he attempted to continue after stopping to stretch, he was unable to finish.

Another man who saw his race ruined by pain on the run was young Dane Magnus Ditlev. He was only 40th out of the water but then stunned the field momentarily by blasting his way into contention with a blistering 1:38:12 bike split.

His hopes of a top-10 finish though died on Lap 2 of the run when he was beset by cramps. He would eventually finish 14th.

Jonny Brownlee, like Luis, was well in contention when he too picked up a two-minute penalty during the bike leg, and would come home in 30th.

The victorious Iden was a very happy man as he basked in the glory of a brilliant performance. It crowned a day which had not started well for him.

“The swim was not good. I was pretty afraid that I already blew up my race on the swim. On the bike I had no control in the start, but then I realised that the cars were following the leaders and I wasn’t that far behind on the bike.

“I decided to just not go over my ability because 18k is pretty long in the run. Then I started gaining a lot on the leaders from the start of the run. Then I went to the front and I had like 100% control, and then like five minutes later I really started feeling it.

“But luckily, I took a gel at the start of the run and when the caffeine kicked in after like 30 minutes, I was back in the zone. I had pretty good control.”

Gustav’s ‘lucky’ hat – the back story

Gustav also provided the back story behind the baseball cap he wore en route to victory. A hat which is turning out to be a pretty lucky piece of equipment.

“I started to believe it actually brings luck for real now, because every time I wear it I have an amazing race. I found it on the ground in Japan last year, and it’s from Taiwan.

“I really feel a connection with the Taiwanese people now, it’s so cool to wear it with honour.”

Second-place man Hanson meanwhile picked the ideal time to produce a stellar run split.

“I’ve been waiting for my run to show up all year and I picked a good day to have a good day I guess. I biked really well, I was pretty happy with where I came of the water to set up the day.

“I ended up getting dropped by the uber bikers about the halfway point, and then really I was on my own on the bike the rest of the day. It was just a constant reminder to stay focused.

“On the start of the run I have no idea what place I was in, I don’t think I was in the top 20 though. The goal was to try to find the top 10, I found that a little earlier than expected. Then it was just ‘see what happens’. Most of the time I had no idea where I was in the course. I didn’t know I was in second.”

Goodwin’s third place may have surprised some experts, but the British star had hoped for a big showing after coming in full of confidence on the back of a perfect preparation.

“I’ve had 10 weeks like perfect, absolutely perfect. I knew I had a top 10 in me. Going off onto the run I had really bad cramp in my left quad in T2. I was like ‘oh, maybe the run maybe just won’t happen today’.

“Everyone went off really quick and I just like sort of gradually moved my way through.”

The post Golden Gustav: Iden scorches to incredible PTO 2020 Championship win appeared first on PTO.

The 31-year-old Canadian had not set foot on an elite start line in a year since triumphing at CHALLENGEDAYTONA® in 2019.

But it was like she had never been away as the strongest field in triathlon history was put to the sword in incredible style through this 100km test of endurance at the iconic motorsport venue.

Findlay faultless

Paula was faultless in all three disciplines as she came home comfortably in front of reigning IRONMAN World Champion Anne Haug. The German superstar had been up against it even before she incurred a two-minute drafting penalty during the bike leg.

Haug eventually set off on the 18km run more than six minutes adrift of the eventual winner, which proved a gap too far. She scorched through the field into second place, but was never in with a real chance of catching Findlay.

Coming into the race Paula had been full of confidence after a year without any injury interruptions. Even she though didn’t quite expect what was about to unfold.

Findlay (25:00) came out of the water seventh behind the trail-blazing Briton Lucy Hall, but she transformed the shape of the race on the bike.

Paula shared the workload at the front of the field with Lisa Norden. She came into T2 just behind the Swedish star after a 1:51:13 bike split, but she emerged in front on the back of a smooth transition.

The run was a virtual cruise for Paula as she gradually turned the screw. Norden meanwhile was soon reduced to walking pace by a torn calf muscle suffered just weeks before the race.

As Findlay dominated, the only question now was whether Haug’s blistering run prowess could recover that huge gap, or if that year away from on-course action would see Paula falter in the closing stages.

The answer to both was in the negative as Findlay completed the run in 1:06:26 to claim the $100,000 first prize amid memorable scenes with a time of 3:24:55.

A perfect day for Paula

She said: “This is so crazy. I don’t even know what to say. I didn’t expect that obviously. I just felt good all day. Just one of those perfect days that never happens, but it happened today.”

Paula added: “Lisa’s such an amazing time trialist, so I knew if I was within 20m of her I was in a good spot. I’m excited for next year, it’s good to have a race like this, the only race of the year.”

Haug classy in defeat

Haug’s superb run split of 1:05:01 was enough to easily claim second place and $70,000, but she ended the day more than two minutes adrift of the winner.

“It happens (the penalty), and I made the best out of it. Paula was just better today. It was a great race.
“I never give up because the race is over after the finish line and anything can happen.

“For me a race is never over, and I would never drop out because of a penalty.

“By the way, it was my first penalty ever!”

Haug’s fellow German Laura Philipp overcame considerable discomfort to surprise even herself by finishing third to claim prize money of $50,000.

“Really amazing, I didn’t know I was third. I had really bad cramps after the bike. I am really proud of my head and my legs so it’s amazing.”

Britain’s Holly Lawrence claimed fourth spot with New Zealander Amelia Watkinson in fifth. Skye Moench was the first American home in sixth, ahead of Britain’s Fenella Langridge.

Sara Svensk claimed eighth spot for Sweden, ahead of Italy’s Elisabetta Curridori. Completing the star-studded top 10 was Swiss great and 2012 Olympic champion Nicola Spirig.

The post Back to back: Awesome Findlay cruises to Daytona glory appeared first on PTO.

Paula Findlay battled to beat Olympic silver medalist Lisa Norden out of T2 to run to victory at the iconic Daytona International Speedway® for a second year in a row, chasing down by the German duo of Anne Haug and Laura Philipp.

The post Women’s Race Finish appeared first on PTO.

With Gustav Iden looking set to take the victory the battle for the rest of the podium was proving to be a closely fought contest with Matt Hanson, George Goodwin, Lionel Sanders, Rudy von Berg, Henri Schoeman and Sam Appleton all vying for a spot!

The post Men’s Race Finish appeared first on PTO.

Ahead of the Sunday’s 100km epic we catch speak to some of the key athletes who will be racing at and Daytona International Speedway® for a share of an incredible $1.15 MILLION prize purse.

Find out the pre-race thoughts from Wildcards Gustav Iden, Vincent Luis, Lisa Norden and Nicola Spirig ahead of Sunday’s showdown. Sebastian Kienle, Sarah Crowley, Holly Lawrence also look ahead to some epic battles at the iconic Daytona circuit, with double Olympic Champion Alistair Brownlee and current World Champion, Anne Haug ready for action!

WATCH LIVE THIS SUNDAY via staging-ptowebsitelivewp.kinsta.cloud

The post PTO 2020 Championship Press Conference appeared first on PTO.

Race Start Times (EST USA)

Women’s Race: 10am
Men’s Race: 2pm

Broadcast Start Times

Hawaii – 4:30am
Los Angeles – 6:30am
Daytona – 9:30am
Mexico City – 10:30am
Rio De Janiero – 11:30am
London – 2:30pm
Paris / Berlin / Madrid – 3:30pm
Cape Town – 4:30pm
Kuala Lumpur / Singapore / Hong Kong / Perth – 10:30pm
Tokyo – 11:30pm
Melbourne – 1:30am (Monday)
Wellington – 3:30am (Monday)

The post Global Start Times appeared first on PTO.

Follow @professionaltriathletesorg to see more and get tune in info for the race!

The athletes are preparing for a race like no other as they unite from across the globe to battle against each other for a share of a $1,150,000 prize purse.

From rising stars in the sport to Olympic and long-distance heroes, find out how the pros are preparing for the race of the year and what it means to be UNBREAKABLE!

Click here to watch all the action live

The post Unbreakable || PTO 2020 Championship appeared first on PTO.

We join Sam in Boulder, Colorado in his final days of training before heading to Florida to battle some of the world’s best athletes at the PTO 2020 Championship at CHALLENGEDAYTONA®

Sam lets us into his life behind the scenes as we speak to his parents who believe he has the mental drive and focus to reach the pinnacle of the sport, while Sam openly admits to living his dream as he prepares for the race of his life at Daytona to win a share of a $1,150,000 PTO prize purse.

The post Unbreakable || Sam Long appeared first on PTO.

Holly Lawrence’s take on life is not a mere hunch, it is based on cold, hard experience. She was broken but is now back, healed and ready for the PTO 2020 Championship at CHALLENGEDAYTONA®.

Just two years ago the 30-year-old British star was told she would never run again, would never be competitive again. But instead of accepting that grim prognosis, she sought another one and fought on.

Holly underwent surgery on the foot injury which threatened to end her career. It proved successful and now she is ready to bid for glory against the strongest field in triathlon history in Florida on Sunday (December 6).

“I had a pretty gnarly injury, I was told I wouldn’t run again or be competitive again. It kind of gives you more perspective on things.

“I broke one of the bones in my foot, which is the worst bone to break in your body. It just doesn’t heal very well, and I didn’t deal with it so well at the time.

“I wasn’t ready for it to be over, I just loved where I was at. I just never thought that it could be taken away like that.”

The pain of rehab

The road to recovery for Holly was painful, not just physically but mentally too. The memory of rehab is still fresh in her mind.

“I did the injury in April, had the surgery maybe early June and I was back winning my first race in December.

“I would just crutch to the pool every day, wipe out on the concrete, trying to hide my tears on the way out, but getting through that has probably been the year of the most growth for me.

“Just to have the negative experience I think helps you to hold onto just living in the moment and grab it with both hands and really make the most of it.”

The 70.3 World Champion in 2016 and now standing at #6 in the PTO World Rankings, Holly has made a habit of proving people wrong. Something she feels she has been doing most of her life.

“I think I have changed a lot in the last couple of years. How I entered triathlon was like, kind of written off, you know, I came into it late, I’ve never run fast enough, like my face didn’t fit.

“I just never was kind of accepted and that’s kind of when I went long-course and was kind of like F the federation, you know, I’m doing this for myself.

“You know, even when I gained sponsors and stuff, I like put the pressure super-hard on myself.

“I remember I booked the wrong flights once and obviously money was tight anyway, and I remember like smashing my laptop and I would just be like this rage.

“I had a bad session once and Sean (Jefferson, Holly’s partner) thought I was some lunatic like jumping my bike up and down because the power meter stopped working.”

Sean is the first to admit he is a very different type of personality to Holly, but it appears to work well.

He said: “Being in a relationship with a professional triathlete can be quite intense, some flare-ups here and there. It’s my responsibility to make sure she does well.

“I’m super-patient, very laid-back, mellow, even the way I drive, she gets pissed off at the way I drive because I drive slow sometimes. I wouldn’t even say slow, I think it’s safe, I drive safely, she likes to be a little more like foot down full gas.”

Proving people wrong since 1990

While Holly says she is a little more chilled now than in years gone by, she admits to being “pretty stubborn”. A trait again borne out of that desire to change people’s perceptions, and ultimately to win.

“I want people to underestimate me and I want to prove them wrong, I feel like I have just been doing that for forever.

“I don’t know where that really comes from, maybe growing up as a triplet. My sister was amazing at gymnastics, being in my brother’s shadow in sport, you know. He was an athlete, he was way more talented than me, he was the talented one, not me.”

Now, after all those years of pain and hard work, Holly has earned the right to her place in triathlon’s elite. Good reason then for her to be suitably excited about that trip to Daytona.

She will go into the big race full of confidence, having advertised her wellbeing by winning IRONMAN 70.3 Cozumel in Mexico in late September.

“The PTO Championship is like the marquee event, it’s just the most competitive race.

“There are a lot of people that their strength is the run, if they are ITU girls, super-strong swimmers, that are strong bikers, but you don’t know how they can perform on a time-trial bike. It’s just a whole lot of unknowns there.

“You are just never going to be comfortable no matter where you are, because you know it’s never going to be a forgone conclusion.”

Holly, now based in Santa Monica, California, says whatever happens in Florida, her journey still has an awful long way to run.

“I feel like I am nowhere near where I can be. It’s not positions, it’s not winning titles, but like internally it’s inching closer to where you can be.”

As the countdown to race day approaches fast, the last word on this special talent goes to the man who knows her best, her partner Sean.

“I am incredibly impressed with her resilience, she came back and almost didn’t miss a beat, like I think had her best year. It’s incredibly inspiring and something you don’t see very often.”

The post Unbreakable: Holly wasn’t ready for it to be over appeared first on PTO.

The Canadian star, currently #19 in the PTO World Rankings, had been beaten down by a mix of injury and failing to live up to the expectations of her early career as a short-course prodigy.

Appearing in the PTO’s ‘Unbreakable’ documentary series, which shines a light on the lives of elite stars ahead of the big showdown at CHALLENGEDAYTONA®, she was brutally honest about the thoughts whirling around her mind.

“Five years ago I think I was a bit confused about whether I still wanted to do triathlon.

“I was probably injured, I was trying to decide between career paths, if I wanted to like go back to school or continue in the sport. I’d sort of been through a lot.”

The pain of London 2012

Paula, now 31, had shown spectacular promise in her early days, and went to the London 2012 Olympics as a live medal chance. It was a day though that for years after would define her, for the wrong reasons.

Instead of battling for a spot on the podium she finished 52nd, and last. Shortly after, Paula was diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia. While it did provide some reason for that awful day, the pain of London is something she still remembers.

“After the London Olympics, it was a very long time ago so I don’t fully remember the emotions, but I just know it was very, almost embarrassing and heartbreaking because of all the expectations I had and attention I had going into the race as a medal hopeful.

“So, having a bad race is never fun but having it on that stage is even worse. I did end up finishing the race, although it was not a good result. I don’t regret finishing.”

Paula, who had also battled a hip injury in the countdown to London, would go through many changes and emotions in the ensuing years. But through it all, she epitomised the true spirit of competition. She refused to quit.

“I think publicly I’m a bit of a question mark all the time because I did have a lot of success when I was younger, and then I kind of disappeared for a long time.

“And although I didn’t ever quit the sport, I was kind of injured, having not great results, my body changed a lot.

“I was just kind of like, turning into an adult and it was like a rough eight years or so of transition.”

Curious Paula targets top five

As she prepares to line up alongside more than 100 elite triathletes in Florida next month – the strongest field ever assembled by the sport – Paula is almost curious about what lies in store for her. She will take heart from the fact she emerged victorious at Daytona last year.

“Obviously I do have a lot of potential based on my results from 2010, 2011, but that’s a really long time ago so I think I’ve also been written off in a lot of people’s minds – even in my own mind sometimes.

“I do feel like this year off of racing has helped me get healthy and be actually fitter than I have in a long time so I am excited for the opportunity to race in Daytona.

“Just because I feel better than I have in the last five years and I’ve had a more consistent year of running than I’ve ever had.

“I am pretty open about the ups and downs that come along with the sport and in the past I wasn’t as good at that.

“Like leading into the London Olympics I was quite injured and unhealthy, and I kind of kept it to myself and pretended everything was fine.

“But I’ve got a lot better at kind of sharing my story and I think that’s why people have continued to follow me, and follow Eric (Lagerstrom, Paula’s partner) and I – we are very honest about the struggles that we face, and also the highs that we go through.

“I think definitely I’m not unbreakable, in fact I’m fairly breakable in terms of my body. But a lot of it does come down to the mind and who’s the strongest in their head, on the day.

“Because everyone’s fit, everyone’s trained hard, everyone’s an amazing athlete. But who has the mental capacity to deal with little setbacks in the race and push through pain to be able to win? That’s what I think is the biggest part of it.

“I’m curious I guess, more than anything, to see how I’ll do in Daytona. To do well there would mean a lot in terms of just making a mark on the big race of 2020.

“And I could see myself coming top five – I think that would be a really, really good race for me. And it’s kind of scary to say that because honestly I have no idea.”

Health equals wealth for Findlay

Whatever happens at the iconic motorsport venue, just going into a race 100% healthy is something Paula is relishing.

“It is pretty cool to go into a race with full run fitness and having a full year running behind me, without any interruptions or injuries, so that gives me a lot of confidence.

“I definitely want to take over and I had that mindset at the Olympics – I didn’t want to just go participate, I wanted to go win.

“And I feel like that about Daytona – I don’t want to just go race, I want to go finish on the podium, and win ultimately if that’s possible.”

Often the people best qualified to talk about star athletes are the people who know them best. Eric has seen Paula’s struggles close up, and has the ultimate respect for how she has come through them.

“I almost look at it like two phases. She has this Olympic phase where she just rocketed to the top of the world and had everything you could possibly want in the sport.

“And then to have it all taken away and kind of have to build back up, is in my mind infinitely more challenging than to have never had that extreme high.

“A lot of the times I’m just like really, very impressed that Paula is still in the sport.

“I think there’s plenty, plenty of times and plenty of years that any other person would have left. I think deep down somewhere she has unfinished business.”

The post Unbreakable: Findlay heads for Daytona with ‘unfinished business’ appeared first on PTO.

We join Paula and her partner Eric Lagerstrom in Canmore, Canada during her final weeks of training ahead of flying out to Florida as she prepares for the gruelling 100km race at the Daytona International Speedway® against some of the world’s best athletes.

Paula opens up about her Olympic 2012 disappointment, her time out of the sport and her determined focus to deliver a result in Daytona and she battles some of the world’s best pros for a share of a $1,150,000 PTO prize purse.

The post Unbreakable || Paula Findlay appeared first on PTO.

We join Holly in Santa Monica, California in her final weeks of training ahead of flying to Florida to compete in the women’s field of the gruelling 100km race at the Daytona International Speedway®.

Holly lets us into her world and admits she’s felt written off in triathlon but is determined to prove people wrong as she takes on the world’s best athletes for a share of a $1,150,000 PTO prize purse.

The post Unbreakable || Holly Lawrence appeared first on PTO.

We’re back in Yorkshire to join Alistair at his home during this final weeks of training ahead of flying out to Florida as he prepares to take part in the gruelling 100km race at the Daytona International Speedway® against some of the world’s best athletes. Ali opens up about his injury struggles within the sport, how he’s focused on returning to race action and beating his competition to win a share of a $1,150,000 PTO prize purse.

The post Unbreakable || Alistair Brownlee appeared first on PTO.

The double Olympic champion expects he will be the man everybody wants to beat in Florida on Sunday December 6.

Brownlee, now 32 and currently #2 in the PTO World Rankings, will line up in a field of more than 100 elite triathletes. It is quite simply the deepest and strongest cast ever assembled, and the British superstar is relishing the challenge.

He gave a fascinating insight into a mindset which has produced enduring greatness as he appeared in the PTO’s ‘Unbreakable’ documentary series, which airs in the countdown to Daytona.

An opportunity for triathlon to shine

“The PTO 2020 Championship I think is a massive deal and it’s the most important race in triathlon of any distance in 2020, and it’s great to see in the men’s field, with all the best athletes from pretty much all the different forms of the sport are coming together in one race.

“I think from the wider perspective I’d really like the PTO to be able to show and demonstrate what a fantastic sport triathlon is to watch and be part of, so fans around the world can see a great race.

“There’s going to be a lot of strong competitors. I want to try and beat them anyway.

“I’m focusing on trying to win the race. That is what you’ve trained hard for, it’s what you’ve prepared for, it’s what you’ve made those sacrifices for. It’s going to be a fantastic race and I want to try and beat everyone else.

Alistair has a target on his back

“I think almost every other athlete in the field would be aiming for me in the PTO 2020 Championship, and yeah, I mean I’m trying to beat them as well so it’s all fair.

“People really revel in being the person who’s watched and the person who’s under pressure, and I think that for some people that brings the best out of them.

“It’s a tough sport that requires a lot of training. I think it gives ultra-athletes a bit of a name for being a bit mad sometimes.”

Pandemic brings a positive reset

The 2020 triathlon calendar has been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the extra time to think resulted in a positive impact for Alistair. It brought a welcome reset in reminding him how much he loves the sport.

“I think one of the big things this year has taught me is how much I love training, and love competing in sport, in triathlon.

“It seems a bit sad sometimes that I needed reminding of that, but I’ve obviously done triathlon for a long time and that has highs and lows, and I think I’m probably enjoying the sport more than I ever have in lots of ways.

“Not being able to race and not being able to compete, and having those goals kind of removed from my life, was definitely something I had to think about quite a lot.

“The big impact has made me realise how much I love it and, you know, want to keep competing and racing to the best of my ability.”

Alistair’s career has brought him medal after medal and victory after victory to stamp a glittering CV. A mix of the pandemic and injury though have caused him to miss the simpler things in 2020.

“I’ve had a few struggles this year, mostly in my training, I had actually quite a significant injury that I had to overcome.

“So that was a bit of a challenge, not training with other people like my brother and my friends that I train with every day. That was tough.

“And no competitions for a long time. I’ve always looked forward and trained hard to the next goal and obviously for a long time during the year they didn’t exist at all.”

Alistair and more than 100 other elite triathletes will form the strongest field ever assembled in the PTO 2020 Championship on Sunday December 6. You can watch every second of the epic action along with a global audience as the best meet the best with a landmark purse of $1,150,000 up for grabs.

The post Unbreakable: Alistair Brownlee excited for ‘massive deal’ at Daytona appeared first on PTO.

Follow @professionaltriathletesorg to watch more and get tune in info for the race!

We join Lisa at her home in Sweden during her final weeks of training before flying out to Florida to take part in the gruelling 100km race against some of the world’s best athletes. Lisa invites us into her home life to share some of the secrets of what it takes to become a professional fighting for the win as she sets her sights on a prize purse worth $1,150,000 at Daytona International Speedway®.

The post Unbreakable || Lisa Norden appeared first on PTO.

Follow @professionaltriathletesorg to watch more and get tune in info for the race!

We join Jonny at his home in Yorkshire during this final weeks of training before flying out to Florida to take part in the gruelling 100km race at the Daytona International Speedway® against some of the world’s best athletes, including his brother Alistair Brownlee, who Jonny admits he has in his sights to beat as each athlete battles for a share of a $1,150,000 prize purse.

The post Unbreakable || Jonny Brownlee appeared first on PTO.

The 30-year-old Canadian star didn’t steer clear of the sport’s biggest events because he doubted his own ability. He literally could not afford to compete.

Cody has spent recent years shining a light on the financial struggles professional triathletes go through to test themselves at the highest level, even publishing detailed annual reports on his personal website.

There is no person better placed to give an educated take on the PTO’s decision to pay all 120 qualifiers (60 men and 60 women) who will take part in the PTO 2020 Championship at CHALLENGEDAYTONA® on December 6.

He described it as “nothing short of a revolutionary development for our sport,” adding: “All qualifiers are taking home at least $2,500. To put this into perspective, the margin between my triathlon-related revenue and expenses in my rookie pro season was barely $1,000.”

The decision to pay all qualifiers further boosts a landmark purse, which now totals $1,150,000. It also backs up the PTO’s desire to have the best race the best and elevate the sport to new levels. For the benefit of the athletes taking part.

Incentive to compete

“It gives all qualifiers an incentive to race, leading to one of the deepest elite fields ever assembled,” said Cody.

“This, in turn, elevates the profile of triathlon and the opportunities available to professional triathletes.”

This is all a far cry from the challenges he, and many others like him, have been forced to make during their careers. In Cody’s specific case, those early days included borrowing a car from his parents, arranging homestays instead of paying for hotels, and buying used equipment.

Not forgetting, of course, avoiding those Championship races…

“Early in my triathlon career, my first World Championship netted me nothing but expenses. I understood the risks when I signed up, but it was still disappointing and influenced my strategy going forward.

“I deliberately avoided Championship races for years. I worked instead on building my profile and making my living with more consistent results at lower-calibre races while missing out on some

valuable development opportunities.

“This story is all too common among the pro ranks.”

The PTO has made a concerted effort to boost prize pools throughout a COVID-ravaged 2020 season. And the showdown in Florida in December ramps that up a further level.

All-star field brings multiple benefits

Cody believes the all-star field will not only provide an enthralling spectacle for a global TV audience, he says it can also bring other positive spin-offs for the sport.

“Epic showdowns featuring deep fields are more exciting for fans, more enticing to business partners and media and more conducive to athlete development.”

This brave new world for triathlon, still in its infancy, is a seismic change from the very recent past. A point emphasised by Beals.

“When selecting race schedules, professional triathletes weigh the risks and rewards of various races.
“The amount and distribution of prize money is a critical variable. Typical prize purses at Championship races makes them extremely risky financial endeavours.

“Consequently, pros are often compelled to make unfortunate but pragmatic decisions to forego these larger events in favour of more dependable income.

“This is evidenced by relatively weak fields at some so-called ‘Championship’ races and significant rolldown of qualification slots.”

The PTO’s latest move is clearly having the desired impact already – it has made one of those previously difficult decisions a no-brainer for the man currently ranked 19 by the body.

He said: “Policies like this aren’t just charity for athletes; they ensure the long-term viability and development of our professional sport. I’m grateful to have such a forward-thinking organisation looking out for our interests.

“Before this announcement, I was even thinking twice about extending my season another month to gamble on an insanely competitive race at Daytona.”

The post ‘Revolutionary’: PTO’s funding boost is the dream ticket for Beals appeared first on PTO.

A galaxy of 100+ of the sports elite will assemble on the starting line in Daytona to do battle for a game changing purse of $1,150,000.

The showdown promises to be unmissable and will play out in front of a global audience as the best meet the best on the biggest stage of all.

Female Start list

[table id=3 /]

Male Start list

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The post PTO 2020 Championship Lineup appeared first on PTO.

The world’s current middle-distance elite will battle it out for a landmark $1,150,000 purse at CHALLENGEDAYTONA®, along with some of the sport’s most exciting newcomers.

New crop adds star power

The likes of Vincent Luis, likely to start favourite for Olympic gold in Tokyo next summer, will look to transition their peerless prowess over shorter distances to the new challenge Daytona will pose. Providing fresh star power with the raw brilliance to challenge the established status quo.

For Canadian star Lionel Sanders, currently number 4 in the PTO World Rankings, this is

what really elevates the event into a gripping spectacle which will be must-watch for a global audience.

He said: “This will be my first test against the ITU guys, the new crop of ITU guys. You know these guys are next level, truly next level.

“Kristian Blummenfelt – truly next level. Vincent Luis – truly next level. Stuff I’ve never seen, stuff I can’t even wrap my head around, run times, swim times.”

Beware the march of Iden

Lionel has already noted from afar the stunning impact which this new crop of short-course specialists can have when they step up in distance.

He watched with a mixture of shock and awe as 24-year-old Norwegian prodigy Gustav Iden simply ran away with the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice last year. The exciting Blummenfelt meanwhile was also prominent in fourth.

“I mean Gustav Iden, 70.3 world champion, really unchallenged for the most part. He ran away, came off the bike and ran away. We gave him no run, no shot.

“He came to a long-distance event and there was no long-course guy really able to give him a run for his money. He even said it himself, ‘hopefully the long-course guys have improved this year’.

“I don’t know if I’ll be the guy. He’s the guy who motivates me to be the guy.”

Mind over money

There has been much hype surrounding the record purse for the PTO 2020 Championship. It was recently boosted with all competitors each to receive a minimum of $2500.

Despite the positive impact this will undoubtedly bring for the sport, money is not what makes the relentless competitor in Sanders tick.

Instead, he is driven by the burning desire to push himself to insane levels against the very best in the world. He lives for events like this, fuelled by the desire to compete, and ultimately the desire to win.

“Money brings competition to that level and to this event. If I knew what’s driving me, I’d probably have fixed it and I’d stop driving places.”

“But I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that if you’re racing for money you will be destroyed.”

Right now, the 32-year-old Canadian is concentrating on his final meticulous preparation for December, as he looks to peak at exactly the right time for the massive challenge which awaits him.

The latest stage of that preparation came in late October as he smashed the Canadian track cycling hour record by more than 2.8km. The gladiator, it appears, is almost ready for the arena.

He said afterwards: “I know I can have my first hour pretty good in the bike. I think it’s going to probably go around an hour 45 for the bike, so need to extend the power, being able to hold the position and the power for another 45 minutes and I’ve got about a month to do it.”

“It was always a method to the madness, and I needed to get my run speed back up, I needed to get my bike speed back up, my ability to hold a TT position.

“And so I did that with this event, and now I’ve kept my swimming up. Now I just need to get the speed work back in, get my takeout speed good and for my ability I’m going to be in good shape for that race.”

“I think it shows I’m going to be in good bike and run shape.”

Given the competition he will face in December, Lionel knows only the highest of levels will be sufficient to challenge at the business end of this unprecedented showpiece event. He has no illusions.

“The only way for me to be competitive is to be a world class bike-runner and so that’s what I train to do.

“We’ve got about six weeks that I can extend the endurance now for the Daytona event.”

You can keep up to date with all the latest news ahead of the PTO 2020 Championship, including star athlete interviews and details of how to watch the race, by signing up to receive exclusive content direct to your mailbox.

The post Next level: Lionel Sanders relishing fresh challengers appeared first on PTO.

CHALLENGEDAYTONA® is set for Dec. 4-6 at Daytona International Speedway®. The weekend includes races for age-group athletes, paratriathletes and youth, ending with the marquee event of the weekend, the $1,150,000 PTO 2020 Championship, scheduled for Dec. 6.

World famous triathletes from past and present including Jan Frodeno, Dave Scott, Daniela Ryf, Mark Allen and Lucy Charles-Barclay are donating their time and merchandise in a global prize draw called “10 Days to DAYTONA®,” which will offer over fifty triathlon prizes between Nov 23rd – Dec 2nd in aid of the COVID-19 Triathlon Relief Fund. Every day for ten days leading up to the PTO 2020 Championship, five unique prizes will be up for grabs with the five lucky winners of each day’s prize draw selected at random. In addition to once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to engage directly with legends like Frodeno, Scott and Ryf, tens of thousands of dollars of unique prizes—from Normatec Recovery Boots to VIP Race experiences—have been donated by PTO Professionals, sponsors, USA Triathlon, British Triathlon, Challenge Family, Challenged Athletes Foundation, Active.com and many more.

Fans will also have the opportunity to donate to the COVID-19 Triathlon Relief Fund as part of the live stream broadcast. Since triathlon is truly a global sport, but lives at the grassroots level, use of the donations will be targeted to the countries or regions designated by the donor. Proceeds from U.S. donors will be routed to the USA Triathlon Foundation, which will then distribute grants to eligible members of the U.S. multisport community who have experienced financial strain during COVID-19. Funds raised in the UK will be distributed to eligible members of the multisport community in the UK and similarly, funds will be distributed to eligible members of the multisport community in the country where the donation was received. To learn more about the USA Triathlon Foundation’s ongoing COVID-19 relief efforts, visit usatriathlonfoundation.org.

Charles Adamo, Executive Chairman of PTO commented, “The PTO and our PTO Professionals have united around the world to support our global triathlon community in these difficult times. We have worked with National Governing Bodies as well as race organisers to find ways to help. With many races cancelled, the PTO has reached out and supported 14 local races in 11 different countries. Many sports rely on major events like the US Open or Wimbledon to fund grassroots activity. While that is the long-term vision of the PTO, given the impact of the pandemic on our triathlon community, we wanted to use the PTO 2020 Championship as a platform to provide much needed assistance. The PTO 2020 Championship is a great opportunity to bring our worldwide triathlon family together and support one another.”

Tim O’Donnell, PTO Board Member and Co-President, commented “2020 has been a difficult year for everyone. Thankfully, PTO Professionals have been able to weather the storm better than most by the support they received when the PTO paid out over $2,500,000 to 200 professionals earlier in the year. Many in our community have not had this type of support, so PTO Professionals wanted to find a way to “pay it forward.” The PTO 2020 Championship is a great opportunity for PTO Professionals to engage the triathlon community and provide a platform for people to lend a helping hand to those in need. The PTO 2020 Championship will be the race of a lifetime. While we will all be competing furiously, it is good to know that at the same time we are providing some help to others.”

Dave Deschenes, Executive Director, USA Triathlon Foundation stated, “We are thankful to the PTO and their Professionals for their support. Professional athletes are “paying it forward” by doing what they do best — delivering incredible race performances that inspire through their athleticism and talent. By harnessing the promotion of this major event, the PTO, the PTO Professionals and the team at CHALLENGEDAYTONA®, will create much needed funds to support triathlon related causes all over the world.”

William Christy, CHALLENGENORTHAMERICA® CEO, added “the PTO 2020 Championship at CHALLENGEDAYTONA® is set to be THE racing spectacle of 2020 with the most competitive field assembled in the history of the sport. We are thrilled that in partnering with the PTO and USA Triathlon Foundation, we harness the ever growing popularity to support those in need.”

The prize draw will open on Nov. 23rd at championship.staging-ptowebsitelivewp.kinsta.cloud

The PTO 2020 Championship CHALLENGEDAYTONA® will be the highlight of the year and will see the world’s top triathletes competing for a $1,150,000 prize purse. The race will be available for viewing on a number of worldwide broadcast platforms, which the PTO will be announcing shortly.

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