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What’s Old is New Again (Pro Qualifying for World Champs)

Coach PatrickCoach Patrick
in Community Forum 🏠
Seems like WTC regrets the change to the points system...and are back to the “win and you are in” approach from years past. There are some nuances, or course, but curious to hear what you think!!

http://www.triathlete.com/2017/12/ironman/ironman-overhauls-pro-qualification-system_309698
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Comments

  • tim cronktim cronk
    Makes sense to me to go back.... It also removes the chances of a points system for AG'ers which was feared to be coming next...
  • Paul HoughPaul Hough
    I think it's a good move for pros.  A lot of people thought the KPR would be a precursor to a similar system for age groupers, but that never happened.  However, I don't see them getting rid of the AWA system which could still serve as a means of points-based qualification.  I need to ask my inside contact if he knows where that is going. 
  • Al TruscottAl Truscott
    I no longer follow the pros much at all, but I can appreciate the damage done by the points system. I nearly burned myself out, both physically and mentally, doing ~ 2 IMs a year 2000-2016. I can't imagine the carnage to one's system of a "journeyman" pro trying to qualify thru 2-3 IMs, with maybe 1-2 70.3s thrown in during a given year, at their effort level.

    However, this new system doesn't necessarily reduce the amount of racing one of those journeymen might end up doing. It's basically "win or go home", with 2nd or 3rd qualifying in *some* races. So a lot of pros will still find themselves in a game of Kona musical chairs, trying to pick the right race, and gearing up for another within a month if they fail at the first one.
  • Scott AlexanderScott Alexander
    It's also fulfilling the goal of professional women to have equal number of slots for them. So that's a win!
  • Paul HoughPaul Hough
    @Scott Alexander  - I don't think so.  Women are only guaranteed an equal number of BASE slots.  Additional slots will be awarded based on the number of professional starters.  Since there are so few women pros compared to the men (same thing in the AGs), we should see a lot more male pros actually start Kona than female pros.  I don't expect to see similar depth in the female pro ranks until women's age group participation starts to approach that of men.  The U.S. seems to be a lot further ahead in that regard because when I race internationally I am always struck by how many fewer women there are racing that what I see back home.

  • Paul CurtinPaul Curtin
    The points system was silly.  Nobody follows the pros closely enough to ever care about points

    But why create separate qualifying systems for IM and 70.3?  That seems like a compromise to appease the main arguments on gender equality.  You want an equal ratio of slots?  70.3 has 85 fixed slots for each gender.  You want a system that better reflects the actual pro numbers?  IM has fixed and floater slots.  I suppose if the main goal is to protect your brand, then WTC tried to find middle ground

    I'm surprised by the lack of reaction from the pros though; haven't seen much on Twitter or other media; journalists should have included their comments in the articles.  There's clearly an outspoken side of TriEqual/5Q that isn't happy with this change because it doesn't give them the one thing they want.  Maybe that keeps pros from commenting.  I'd really like to know what they think
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