Kona World Championships! (Page 3)

I think it's unlikely anytime soon but you never know.  Notice that the guy that ran the 2:44 also only biked 4:58.  The guys at the front of the race bike so hard now that a 2:40 would be pretty unlikely IMO.

Having done some research today I’m pretty disgusted with Ironman’s anti-doping policy.  It’s statistically irrelevant.  They conducted a few hundred in competition tests and a couple of hundred out of competition tests in 2012 (latest publicly available information).  There are pro’s publicly calling for more testing – Jodie Swallow and Brandon Marsh for example are both big race winners that have hardly been tested at all – something neither of them are happy about.

 I know the Ironman brand is a commercial entity and Kona isn’t a real World Championship but the sport has got its head in the sand if they think the sports credibility won’t be tarnished by the lack of testing.

 I’m not directly accusing anyone in the most recent race or any other but it’s a real shame that no credible testing programme is in place.

Well.... he was right.  

Doesn't mean he can't win next year!

There's always Alcatraz

In fairness...this year's conditions for the run were ideal for bigger athletes.  Lots of cloud cover to minimize the heat.  I was out there on Alii Drive at the mile 1 and 9 aid station prepared to get roasted from noon till 5 pm.  It was actually rather pleasant standing there in the middle of the road.

Also, the statement was made BEFORE the race. And is it too much to just ask how thoughts like that may have changed after the fact?

The story of the race is Hoffman and hardly a single word about him anywhere on these kinds of boards.   I'd guess even if he had won there wouldn't be near as much talk about him winning as there would be about how other's messed up their race/training or couldn't get it done.  I'm looking forward to the new faces that are coming. 

Way to go Ben Hoffman!!!

Gomez.  He was in Kona last week checking things out.  Also interviewed further confirming he's targeting Kona after Rio.

You can start with  Gomez, Brownlee's (if they want to play), Pereria, even Mola in time, and work your way through the group of WTS racers who consistently go under 1:48 Oly distance.....speed kills...and it will at the IM level as well.  And yeah, they aren'[t exactly new faces to triathlon to anyone that follows.....but most people who do triathlon can MAYBE name Potts from the U.S. and Alexander or Macca......I'm ready for a changing  of the guard.....it's boring as it is.  Most of the story lines are the same.  Hoffman wrote a different one this time......very enjoyable to see.

He wrote the story of the guy nobody saw coming while they watched the same tired names.....again, I look forward to the changing of the guard at Kona, and a change in triathlon in general as more DL, Grand Prix, and Mixed Relay gets thrown in and becomes more popular..  It will up the number of young athletes who get to compete on a bigger stage and get access to the training that makes them faster.

The future of triathlon hasn't got much to do with the current "stars" of Kona.  I like that.

The talent development programs here in the U.S. are light years from where they were 10 years ago.  That's not predicting the future, that's just a fact. 

I agree that it's impossible to tell what willo come down the road, but I know what direction triathlon is taking with ITU, and DL, Grand Prix, and Mixed Team relay are the future of the sport at the Olympic level, and it's already filtered down to the Jr. level.  There are hundreds and hundreds of kids now competing in DL racing here and there really isn't enough races to cover all of the interest.  Jrs. are better coached now than at any time in the history of triathlon in the U.S.  It will take another 10 years, obviously, but you will see some wicked fast people eventually enter the ranks of long course racing.....Gomez will be the first.

Thew swim argument is basically a red herring.  Yeah, I know what Potts said, but he's talking about a fast swim vs. other poeple who also have relatively fast swims.  Go to an AG race with an average "triathlon" swim time and a decent bike and run and see where it gets you.  Even when you look at the top AG raceres and see that they came in 100th or 150th on the swim and were able to bike and run themselves into a respectable race.....they are still in the top 10% of sweim times in those big races. Not exactly unimportant.  If you can't swim, you can't play.

Nice work on your swim.

I'm looking at a bigger picture than you are.....10-15 years down the road.  There will be quite a group  of  25-30 year olds who were brought up very carefully and are very well trained in triathlon.  They will be exceptionally balanced, and very fast in all three disciplines as compared to many in the sport today.  The narrative will be changed.....that's where your b) will no longer hold water.

Olympic distance is a little better for the good swimmers, I agree.  But ITU is not.

If you throw someone like Potts in a draft legal race, he's better off loafing to stay with the "lead" swimmers.  Getting ahead a couple minutes is just going to cause you to bike alone and you probably won't stay off the front for long.

Swimming is MORE marginalized in an IM by being such a small component.  But it takes on less importance in all triathons simply because it is first.

Except that if you can't swim you really aren't in the race. 

Let me rephrase: swimming with your peers is good.  Swimming exceptionally is discouraged