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A Single "Open" World Championship

Tad_MTad_M Member, Rooster Endurance Member, Level 2 Supporter, POTM
Remember the days when the single day world champs was not so divided between racing types and distance specialists? For a couple years it was exciting to see folks stake so much on the single race.
Both Kona, through qualifying and distance specialization, and certainly ITU now represent exclusive events.
I know it's unlikely, maybe even unwanted or unneeded, but could there ever really be a one day, true world champs, which is even open to amateur Cinderella stories that may have to win regional races?
What say you experts?
visit Michigan July 19th to 24th 2023 - The Sworry Trials Impossibleman and Ode to Laz
https://www.facebook.com/sworrytrials/
https://www.facebook.com/OdetoLaz/
Aaron WebsteyMartin

Comments

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    Aaron WebsteyAaron Webstey Administrator, Rooster Endurance Member, Rooster Endurance Officers
    I don't know about the racing format, but one thing we can all agree on is that @bbculp will write an award-winning article on why that format is wrong and how it should be fixed.
    kjrunninMartin
    #KOAT
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    bbculpbbculp Member, Rooster Endurance Member
    But there's the Collins Cup!

    It's coming. In Roth in 2019. Or Maybe in France in 2020. Who knows? It's like Halley's Comet. No one knows exactly when or where it will appear, but when it does, it's going to be more spectacular than an open world champs.

    Wait, we know exactly when and where Halley's Comet will appear? Nevermind.
    Aaron WebsteyTad_Mellsworth53tkjrunninwchevronMartinmaggieruidking90
  • Options
    MartinMartin Member, Rooster Endurance Member
    Bring back Nice. And the real Nice distance, not some lame IM distance that underweights the swim.
    Aaron WebsteybbculpMattfyrehaarTad_M
  • Options
    bbculpbbculp Member, Rooster Endurance Member
    Alcatraz could be a true open world champs course. Maybe just make the bike a little longer to give the stronger cyclists a real shot.

    Would love to see Flora vs Daniela or Javi vs Ali on a course like that (or the old Nice course, like @Martin said).
    Aaron WebsteyTad_MKelly O'Mara
  • Options
    doyoueventribrodoyoueventribro Member, Rooster Endurance Member, POTM
    I get that people want one championship event, but it's kind of like saying that there should be one championship event for runners.

    As much as I'd like to see Usain Bolt race against Galen Rupp in a 800m race to see who the fastest runner is, it's just not realistic.

    We should be proud that triathlon has evolved into a sport with so many disciplines. My only gripe is the amount of world championships for similar distance races. Let's just get rid of 70.3 world champions and promote Long-Course world championships more. Of course, if we did that, then we'd have to actually have pro fields at ITU long course events and apart from Chatanooga 2016 and Penticton 2017 I bet a lot of people can't even name a single ITU long course event.
    Aaron WebsteyJames LangeTad_MMartinGranpa Chookmbrekk44Kelly O'Mara
  • Options
    @doyoueventribro Do you mean Oklahoma City 2016?

    It was a great event. Jodie Swallow got arrested for checking out the lake a couple days early. On race day, the 4k "swim" turned into a 5k Swimrun. Oklahoma!
    doyoueventribroAaron Webstey
  • Options
    Tad_MTad_M Member, Rooster Endurance Member, Level 2 Supporter, POTM
    edited March 2018
    Good point @doyoueventribro . Distance specificity would be OK for me if they still could entice athletes to put it all out there for one day. Not be a possible deciding race for the season points total. And no drafting. I love the ITU series, keep it the same.
    Give me an Olympic non draft world championship. I'd watch!
    Heck, have a 3 day series, non draft.
    Sprint/Oly/Half. Score everyone against the winner. Total it up.
    Long course athletes shine as the fatigue sets in, short course athletes blow up the Sprint and hang on for day 3.
    Aaron WebsteyMartin
    visit Michigan July 19th to 24th 2023 - The Sworry Trials Impossibleman and Ode to Laz
    https://www.facebook.com/sworrytrials/
    https://www.facebook.com/OdetoLaz/
  • Options
    doyoueventribrodoyoueventribro Member, Rooster Endurance Member, POTM
    jamoozle said:

    @doyoueventribro Do you mean Oklahoma City 2016?

    It was a great event. Jodie Swallow got arrested for checking out the lake a couple days early. On race day, the 4k "swim" turned into a 5k Swimrun. Oklahoma!

    I guess that proves my point regarding how popular ITU long course world champs are.
    Martin
  • Options
    MartinMartin Member, Rooster Endurance Member

    jamoozle said:

    @doyoueventribro Do you mean Oklahoma City 2016?

    It was a great event. Jodie Swallow got arrested for checking out the lake a couple days early. On race day, the 4k "swim" turned into a 5k Swimrun. Oklahoma!

    I guess that proves my point regarding how popular ITU long course world champs are.
    Back in the day, this event actually pulled some big names. The winners list on the women's side is damn impressive: Smyers (my hero), Mouthon-Michellys, Chrissie, Cave, MBE, Steffen, Swallow, Comerford, Joyce, Pedersen...

    Past men's winners include Simon Lessing, LVL, Welchie, Sandvang and Sindballe. Then for a few years it looks like the race package was only released in French, before guys like TO and Rapp won it. (I did a double take when I saw that Rapp had won this.)

    Hmmm. Maybe it's a bigger deal in Europe than the North America. Like Professional Handball.
    Tad_MAaron Webstey
  • Options
    Tad_MTad_M Member, Rooster Endurance Member, Level 2 Supporter, POTM
    Well I think that settles it. A race must return the world champs glory.... and there are about 5 of us that will tune in to the coverage in North America.
    Aaron WebsteyMartin
    visit Michigan July 19th to 24th 2023 - The Sworry Trials Impossibleman and Ode to Laz
    https://www.facebook.com/sworrytrials/
    https://www.facebook.com/OdetoLaz/
  • Options
    Granpa ChookGranpa Chook Member
    edited March 2018
    If the professional sport keeps disappearing you will have your wish soon enough. All that will remain will be the ITU feeding the olympic dream, and a bunch of pseudo-pros doing the one professional long course race a year, Kona. Triathlon dark ages.
    Martinidking90Aaron Webstey
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    MartinMartin Member, Rooster Endurance Member

    Triathlon dark ages.

    Or you would have a smaller pool of pros competing for deeper prize purses at the big races, interspersed with some local "elites".

    The way it's going now, we have ITU, Kona, and racing for second place to Terrenzo Bozzone at all of the other events.
    M_WareAaron WebsteyCraig_D
  • Options
    Tad_MTad_M Member, Rooster Endurance Member, Level 2 Supporter, POTM

    If the professional sport keeps disappearing you will have your wish soon enough. All that will remain will be the ITU feeding the olympic dream, and a bunch of pseudo-pros doing the one professional long course race a year, Kona. Triathlon dark ages.

    That would be truly sad @Granpa Chook
    I want the opposite for sure, hoping a compelling worlds would add to those two polar opposites. Not saying I know how, but I want it to happen.
    I think I'll invent an event where beer drinking and food eating are just as critical as the multisporting..........
    MartinAaron WebsteyKenElPescadoPeladoGranpa Chook
    visit Michigan July 19th to 24th 2023 - The Sworry Trials Impossibleman and Ode to Laz
    https://www.facebook.com/sworrytrials/
    https://www.facebook.com/OdetoLaz/
  • Options
    idking90idking90 Member, Pro Triathlete
    I've kinda always thought that non-draft Olympic served as a good middle ground for all parts of triathlon, even including us off-road weirdos to a degree. Personally, had the format not gone all but extinct at the elite level 3-4 years ago, I'd probably be focusing mostly on that now. Hopefully the Escape series can stick around a bit.
    Aaron WebsteyKenElPescadoPeladoMartinTad_MGranpa Chook
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    KenElPescadoPeladoKenElPescadoPelado Member, Rooster Endurance Member

    I think I'll invent an event where beer drinking and food eating are just as critical as the multisporting..........

    Too bad the Big Man Run is now extinct. An amazing New England event for 20 years, I was lucky to get in on it a couple of times.

    http://www.baevents.com/bigmanrun/information.html
    Aaron Webstey
    Sometimes I tweet... Follow PescadoPelado
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    Tad_MTad_M Member, Rooster Endurance Member, Level 2 Supporter, POTM
    @KenElPescadoPelado , if you attend the 2018 #Sworry Trials, I will add an event to match this!
    M_WareKenElPescadoPeladoAaron WebsteyCraig_D
    visit Michigan July 19th to 24th 2023 - The Sworry Trials Impossibleman and Ode to Laz
    https://www.facebook.com/sworrytrials/
    https://www.facebook.com/OdetoLaz/
  • Options
    KMRyanTriKMRyanTri Member, Pro Triathlete
    idking90 said:

    I've kinda always thought that non-draft Olympic served as a good middle ground for all parts of triathlon, even including us off-road weirdos to a degree. Personally, had the format not gone all but extinct at the elite level 3-4 years ago, I'd probably be focusing mostly on that now. Hopefully the Escape series can stick around a bit.

    Samsies
    Tad_MAaron Webstey

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