I agree...Change is good...new distances are great. I was thinking the triathlon was pretty static. Static is boring. Dynamic is cool...maybe people who left the sport will come back. maybe others who want something a bit less than IM will jump in...and anything that tries to break WTC strangle hold on "World Championships" is a good thing.

I agree. While I think new distances are cool, I think this should be left strictly to the smaller races. WTC really doesn't have a stranglehold on triathlon as alleged above. I mean, how many races are there in the world? Probably thousands in a given year...WTC only runs about 50 of those, a small fraction. I do agree that WTC has a strangle hold on IRonman distance, but they do a good job and I would rather see one definitive world championship than several.

Right now, the way I see it, we have two types of champions, the Ironman champion and the olympic distance champion. Two totally different races and in my mind an almost different sport, somehwat akin to surfing vs. tow in surfing - similar in that both involve a surfboard, but really completely different sports. As further support, Michellie Jones aside, athletes tend not to cross over very well. Thus the two champions so to speak is okay. A problem however arises when you start getting these other series popping up, even the more established 70.3 distance. Then who is the champion? If these series flourish, our sport is going to become a virtual joke like boxing is, or track with all of its ridiculous combinations of distances..

That being said, I don't think a new distance will solve any of the problems that exist in triathlon, it will make it more fun, but it will only create another "body" and cause more confusion and chaos than anything which will affect the pros and elite amateurs more than anything else. I like WTC and think they do a great job, and I will always pay them as I think they provide a good product. However, that aside, the problem that has been created by WTC is that they have essentially branded a distance! I can't think of any other sport that has a branded distance. People love the M-dot logo and want to do M-dot races, not so and so's iron distance race or 140.6 race. There is where the problem lies. Ironman races could pop up all over the place, but it doesn't really matter because they will never be an "Ironman" - TM race. You may want to argue lottery slots is another reason people do WTC races, but I will disagree because most of the people racing, don't have a chance to begin with and aren't there racing for a slot.

My conclusion - Boo to the new series. We and this sport does not need it. The balance of distances is perfect and evenly spread out, maybe even too much with 70.3 and interntaional distance. I think new distances are great for a single, hometown race, but series? no. We need definitive champions in this sport otherwise we risk becoming a splintered dishevled bunch with 20 different belts, then who the hell is the best may I ask?

agree with some changes and not with others.

- I like that there is a new series in one o one. The distance is a little just to separate/distinguish themselves. If they stayed at the 140.6 that would have been cool

- I like that people are giving WTC a run. They do have a strangle hold on the Ironman distance, which is fine, they started it. But from a pro sports perspective they don't really compensate the pros well. Competing distances and series will give pro athletes additional opportunities and hopefully force other RD to up the prize monies to insure they get good pros. Probably won't happen though.

- I disagree with ITU changing there distance for the long course. I liked that they had that distance, one reason I liked one 0 one is because it is more ITU long distance. So what would have been just another series at that distance is now two new distances because ITU changed.

- I agree it may get fragmented from the world championships perspective. Now we'll have (for pros and age groupers) a World champion for ITU distances, 70.3, Ironman, one 0 One, USAT. Ya definitely too many, but everyone wants a piece of the pie.

- I guess we'll see what happens. Good races are good races and hopefully those will filter up regardless of the Brand.

Just a quick not..then I have to go to work...
My comment says "...break the WTC stranglehold on World Championships..." Not triathlon..it's pretty obvious they don't control the majority of the sport. They do however control "World Championships" IM and 70.3...peopel strive for years to get to Kona... and now 70.3 which is a self proclaimed world champs has people all in a tizzy...spending tons of money and time to go to a world champs because someone said they should.
I am all about change...Status quo gets you lazy and fat and into situations you shouldn't be in. (No political overtones intended.)
Running has races of many distances and flavors...but people don't consider them a joke...Are we so stuck up to think our races and sport and IM is the be all and end all? IM is what it is to me...just another race distance.
New races may help get rid of some races that should go by the way side...
New distances? Lay on McDuff!