2010 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING STANDARDS

[JamesCunnama]

In an effort to maintain a quality professional field at the World Championship events, the following standards are in place for 2010.  To earn a qualifying slot for Kona or Clearwater, an athlete must finish within 5 % of the winner’s time:

as published in new Pro rules 2010 (http://www.ironmancenter.com/pros/)

I don't want to be the one to rain on the parade, but in terms of the new rules, is Hiro to be the first victim of these new rules as set out by WTC this year? In order for him to qualify, given Vanhoenacker's 8h22:33, Hiro would have needed to finish in under 8h47:36, leaving him about 3mins too late!

Now I understand that WTC wants a more professional field at Kona, but given the conditions in Malaysia, and the fact that these rules were implemented with little or no input from Pro athletes, one has to ask: Is this a fair rule?

Also, Prize money in Malaysia will go only to the top 4 men, as all the others were outside the 8% cut-off. In the ladies race in Malaysia, only the top 2 ladies will get prize money!

Are these rules doing anything to help our sport grow, by decreasing the number of athletes making money and qualifying for World Champs?

[Donna]

I agree with you James. These new rules seem to be stunting the growth of triathlon rather than encouraging pros to stay in the sport.

There is very little money in the sport to begin with...for pros that is. The irony is that the age group numbers keep increasing each year along with the hefty cost that age groupers pay for IM entry fees. Where's the money going??

[dexter_ding]

That is Soo sad and disappointing to hear. Hiro, i think did an awesome job today and to be denied all this... really sucks big time! im with you on this but sadly.. rules are rules.(

[doc]

nothing will change till the age group contingent , start to support the pros .
the divide and conquor makes it hard for the pros
but to  put yourself thru  8 an 9 hrs of hell to be denied  any prizemoney after they have paid airfares hotels in good faith that 50 , 000 us is prize money
to then pay now in some cases only 5 and then 8% rule for money , should not be accepted by the age groupers as well
then to run 2nd and not got to the show , is really going to hurt their brand long term .

[andrej]

I don't like this new rules either. You can't expect professional side of the sport to grow if you take the money from it. If something doesn't change professional long distance racing could die off. In Malaysia only 18 pros finished (male + female).   
No money no competition.
Maybe the future of professional racing lies in professional triathlon teams. If we had more athletes that could concentrate solely on training we could see more competitive fields. This is based on assumption that athletes get some kind of salary to be part of the team. The teams started to pop up, Specialized is about to announce its team also.
 

[Huggy Bear]

How do you mean support the pros, doc? I think this new rule sucks. To finish 3rd in an IM and get no prize money yet fill the pages of the magazines, one of which they own?

[Keegan Williams - "kiwiman"]

What was the drug testing at the race?
As the way I understand it, the new membership fee was to carry out testing etc

[Jocelyn Wong - "Wongstar"]

no prize money for me    no Kona slot for Hiro    our best finishes ever too!

I wasn't drug tested either, don't know about anyone else.

[BellaBayliss]

its absolutley outrageous.  When I get the oppertunity I will tell that Ben Furtic so.
Those guys out there yesterday did their absolute best.  What is wrong with paying them?
Ironman are a bunch of greedy bastards who will keep that money for themselves.

This rule is killing the sport.  and who ever thought of this rule is an idiot.

As for drug testing, The "new thing" for 2010 is that they do out of competition drug testing.  I dont know if they do in competition drug testing still. 
I am one of the random ones picked for out of competition drug testing.  I say random because I speak to others who race pro like I do, and they are not being asked to do it!?!
This is another thing, this form I have to do (to let them know where I am every day and absolutely make sure I am where I said for 1 hour) the form thyx gave me is CRAZY.  I am getting to grips with it now, but its like they are trying to catch me out as the form is so complicated.  Nightmare.

[Huggy Bear]

Top 5 finishers - agree to sit and wait in the chute. When you are all in, cross the line in the right order. Silly idea I know but silly rules too. 

[BellaBayliss]

hahaa!!  yeah that is a way around it!  Good thinking.

[Sugar]

paula newby fraser in the one in charge of drug testing for WTC.

read her slowtwitch article and you can see, she's more concerned with her hourly wage than about the sport. shameful  

[Brandon Marsh - "-Tex"]

I thought I posted, I guess not?

The EliteBeat list in the US indicated that the drug testing was a year away, so 2011 is most likely for any real testing.  So, I do not know what the $750/athlete goes for this year.  It sounded like the WTC did not feel like it could implement the entire new program in 1 year, so the drug testing appears to be the last one to go into effect.  Oddly enough, that is the one that most of the athletes are in support of.

If you are an elite, the list is a yahoo group.  It 'may' only be for US pros, but it would not hurt to try to join.  Search Yahoo Groups for e-litebeat if you are interested in joining.

[StephenBayliss]

Good idea Huggy bear, I would like to do that.  When it comes to it  I'll be concerned about winning, but I would like to think I could do that as a protest.

It makes me so angry that they are not going to pay if you are 8% slower than the winner.  So in a hot race like Malaysia they will be paying only top 4men and top 2 women.

The WTC should be ashamed of themselves, especially all those who voted for this decision.

This is a great way to make our sport a big important sport!!!

[Donna]

I can't see many top age groupers wanting to become pros now. How could they afford it? Give up their jobs, pay to travel around the world to races, yet not make any prize money, and not have a chance of going to Hawaii? Sounds like survival of the richest to me.