Bermuda Triathlete Tyler Smith shared his thoughts on the recent announcement of the Triathlon Eliminator Format.
Recently the World Triathlon Championship Series announced the Eliminator, the intense new format takes place across two days and over a super-sprint course: 300m Swim, 6km Bike, 1.5km Run, it will also feature in Bermuda.
Smith said, “This new format isn’t really that innovative and won’t be that exciting to watch. To the average viewer, it makes an already complex sport to follow even more complex.
Logistically it requires greater resources and longer road closures for the LOC. In my view, the ITU, (for some reason terribly rebranded to world triathlon?) should invest more into race coverage (challenge Daytona, great example) building up stars of the sport (see world athletics I for example), and designing dynamic courses to captivate audiences and make the racing interesting.
Part of the lure of triathlon is the attritional part of it being an ENDURANCE sport. This is what attracts and inspires fans. I sat and watched the last 3 hours of the 5:45’ long Gent-Wevelgem. Would it be more enthralling if it were changed to a 45’ crit race? DEFINITELY NO! should the marathon become 3x3km elimination? Sunday’s F1 Bahrain Grand Prix was 1h 30m and millions including myself were glued to their television for the entire duration. My opinion is to stop copping out and leaning on shortening the duration of events as a catch-all way to develop the sport.
Read the latest comments on world triathlon IG… fans aren’t even that pleased. It does have a place, but leave the premier WTS circuit to showcasing premier racing over the Olympic distance.
Obviously bigger things happening in the world! But these are my thought as an aspiring athlete.”
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