ITU is now World Triathlon

not so many non-permitted these days, but it’s still a good idea…:wink:

ITU had been using World Triathlon as a name for a couple of years prior to the full change

Grand Final on BBC iPlayer now.

Women’s race with Knibb off the front trying to ride away from Duffy.

Yee v. Blumenfelt for the title to follow.

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Good shout. Knibb s ripping it up

Just staked her claim to dominate women’s triathlon for the next few years!

I dunno about that, but a great performance so far

she’s looking amazing

Biking away from a pack that includes Duffy. Are there any swim-bikers that are stronger bikers than Duffy?
Learmonth?
LCB?

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Duffy looks tired mind. Being outrun by Perriot

As long as she stays in the top 5 she’ll take the title so she can ease off a bit

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Blummenfelt got the jump on Yee and biking away.

Luis and Van Riel working hard to stay away, but looks ominous.

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Unless the 3rd group makes progress then it looks to be game over for Yee

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Blu in beast mode.

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Blu is like that kid at school that no matter how much he’s hurting and suffering and gurning he still won’t let you pass……

If he wins the 70.3 Worlds (I’m guessing he’s racing it esp with no Kona) would that be the best triathlon season ever?

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Great finish

Great chase from Yee

so both male and female World and Olympic champions in the same year - chapeau Duffy and Blu

but also kudos to Alex Yee getting an Olympic individual silver and team relay gold plus a 3rd overall in the World Series - at the start of the season not many would have predicted that. the boy’s done good!

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It would be interesting to see if Yee is selected for the world duathlon champs. Without the swim I’m not sure who could compete bar Blumenfelt

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Hayden Wilde isn’t far off Alex’s running pace and can ride as well. I could see those two being the Brownlee/Gomez battle for the next 10 years

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I think Super League and the mixed team relays are much better as a spectator sport, and frankly that the swim-bike of an Olympic tri could be condensed into 5 minute TV summary, especially for the average casual viewer who the sport wants to attract for money/sponsorship etc.

Watching the elimination race at Edmonton now, and fair enough to them for trying to mix things up but they’ve missed something in the format. It’s still a 2 hour event, that has no major investment until the last 20 minutes as the qualifying races are very unlikely to create surprise eliminations.

Thoughts on possible options:

  • Give world series points for each qualifying race so everyone races, and you follow interest between rounds.
  • Final race to be rolling start with time gaps from the race before. This at least gives interest to the race before/makes athletes race, but creates a likely dull final race time trial with the best having a head start and just pulling further away, other than a couple of better swimmers catching the person infront to work together on bike.
  • Much shorter recoveries between races - to at least shorten the TV show, and challenge the athletes more.
  • Or even a continuous SBR-SBR-SBR with final 10 getting eliminated each time round.

Redirect me if I’ve missed a discussion while avoiding spoilers, or just think I’m everything wrong with modern society and short attention spans :upside_down_face:

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Yes, except they don’t tend to value it…