
World Triathlon embrace need for change with ambitious Olympic dream
Their hope comes in the form of the Professional Triathlon Organisation's (PTO) 100km distance.
During its first season, the T100 World Triathlon Tour - which consists of a 2km swim, 80km bike and 18km run - was watched by more than 50 million viewers and has made significant steps forward in professionalising the sport.
It is the latest format in a wave of long-distance triathlon events that are sweeping the globe, with 70.3 and full distance IRONMAN finishers also growing in numbers.
In a bid to keep up with mass participation figures, Arimany feels that now is the time to think big.
"We are in a unique moment and time for long distance triathlon," he said.
"The growth of the T100 event has been special and it has the potential to grow in mass participation and for elite athletes.
The early morning rise!
Athletes took a ride of the bike course this morning ahead of a late afternoon of racing ⚡️
Tune in for #WTCSHamburg on https://t.co/YFY80R4UW2 from 16:45 CEST.#Triathlon pic.twitter.com/ecKSaLf42A — World Triathlon (@worldtriathlon) July 12, 2025
"We need to motivate the PTO to keep investing in their T100 Series so we get to a point where we can hopefully bring it to an Olympic Games.
"The broadcasting of the event needs to be attractive from a TV and spectator point of view to keep them entertained and I think we can succeed on that.
"If we can create a great commercial product, then we can convince the International Olympic Committee and bring an event that offers value to the Olympic programme."
Triathlon made its Olympic debut at Sydney 2000 and the mixed relay event was added at Tokyo 2020, with ambitions for a new long-distance event to run alongside those already on the programme.
Despite the popularity of 70.3 and full distance IRONMAN events, it is in the 100km format that World Triathlon have put their faith in as the future of the sport.
PTO CEO Sam Renouf helped launch the T100 just 18 months ago and is dreaming big with regard to its future.
"We're really happy with the progress and particularly the data around mass participation, social media engagement and TV viewership which are all really important to the Olympic movement,' he said.
"The T100 distance has become the most popular because it is still long and an endurance event, which is has to be as the definition of a triathlon, but it is short enough to be accessible and sustainable.
🚨 NEWS JUST IN - this is going to be WILD!
Wollongong just got even more epic – World Triathlon & T100 are teaming up Down Under!
The World Triathlon Championship Finals AND the T100 World Tour (Pro race only) will now take place on the same week (15-19 October) 🤝
Two… pic.twitter.com/4rXpsQvnoI — World Triathlon (@worldtriathlon) June 27, 2025
"Triathlon is still quite a niche sport and it should be difficult as that is a part of the sport. But as individual sports, nearly a billion people do them, so that market is there.
"It's about how we drive that growth and the Olympics is the best possible thing because it will always be the biggest platform for the sport."
The T100 Tour also saw over 21,000 amateur athletes take part last year, as well as several celebrity endorsements, including McFly's Harry Judd, who raced the T100 London in 2024.
Three-time Olympic swimming champion Adam Peaty and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey, meanwhile, will both be taking on the standard distance event in London this summer.
At the Paris 2024 Olympics last summer, the organising committee introduced a mass participation marathon event 'Marathon Pour Tous', with over 20,000 people running the marathon route the night before the pros took to the stage.
It's an opportunity that Arimany believes the IOC could replicate for triathlon at Brisbane 2032 - should the distance be introduced.
"We want to do something new because we are in a different moment and time," he added.
"The LA Games will bring a new way to watch the sport and participate and so our new era can create a new platform again.
"We want to evolve the sport in the 21st century and keep up with social media to engage spectators."
The next T100 Triathlon World Tour race is in London on 9-10 August. Visit www.t100triathlon.com
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BBC News
18 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Social media aided body anxiety' - England's Bern
England and Bristol Bears prop Sarah Bern said building her social media profile has helped her confidence after struggling with anxiety around body image. Bern has been capped 71 times by the Red Roses and was named in England's 32-player squad on Thursday for the upcoming Rugby World 28-year-old was in conversation with double Olympic gold medal winning boxer Nicola Adams in the latest episode of The LGBT Sport Podcast."My opinions on social media have really changed over the last year and I really struggled with anxiety. I feel a lot more confident now - but [I] really struggled with being myself," Bern said."I was always bigger as a young girl and I never felt like I was good enough or pretty enough or any of those things. I feel like a lot of young girls feel that. "I was really anxious about a lot of things and social media, I was like 'no one really wants to see what I'm doing'." Bern, who won her first England cap in 2016, cited American centre Ilona Maher's spell at Bristol Bears earlier this year with helping her see the value in using her profile online. Maher is the most followed rugby player in the world on social media with more than 8.5 million followers on Instagram and TikTok and has built a profile on messages of body positivity, which has propelled her to global star signed with the Bears for three months from January to March to play in the Premiership Women's Rugby."She [Maher] was with her family and her energy and how she managed to get her social media alongside her being a professional athlete, I found it really cool and like it wasn't a big task," Bern said."Especially for women's rugby, we need more fan engagement. We need more fans. We need to grow our sport - what's the best way to do that? Well, show ourselves."Now I like really love it and I just relish it and I actually think it's really helped me to be less anxious and just be myself." Bern will be appearing in her third World Cup for the Red Roses next month when the tournament kicks off in England, having been part of the squads that finished runners-up in 2017 and going in as one of the favourites to win the trophy, Bern said she feels "less pressure to live up to expectations" this time around and instead feels excited for the wider impact a home World Cup could have with the public. "It's been a learning curve for me to actually just enjoy it and enjoy the experience of it. This World Cup I'm excited for in a different way. I hope we win, but I don't feel like that's the biggest thing that could happen," she said."We're on the brink of hopefully doing what the girls [England women football] did with the Euros and really making the sport blow up across the globe."


The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Transfer news live: Liverpool considering Isak, Gyokeres to finalise Arsenal move, Man United target Watkins
The summer transfer window rolls on as Premier League clubs and those around Europe look to add to their squads ahead of the 2025/26 season. Liverpool have signed Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt in a £79m deal having beaten off interest from Newcastle to secure his signature. The Magpies held firm in their valuation of Alexander Isak who has now requested to 'explore his options' away from the club with a move to Liverpool seemingly slipping away. Manchester United have completed the signing of Bryan Mbeumo who joins Matheus Cunha in Ruben Amorim's new-look attack though the manager is still hopeful of securing a No.9 before the start of the season. Marcus Rashford has completed a loan move to Barcelona while Jadon Sancho is drawing interest from Juventus as the club also focus on outgoings. Elsewhere, Arsenal have finally made a breakthrough in negotiations for Sporting's Viktor Gyokeres, closing out a deal worth £63m for the forward, who is expected in London on Friday to finalise the move before linking up with the sqaud in Singapore. The Gunners have also confirmed the signing of Cristhian Mosquera in defence. X Meanwhile, Chelsea have their sights on a Dutch duo of Xavi Simons and centre-back Jorrel Hato. Arsenal announce signing of Cristhian Mosquera Arsenal have signed centre-back Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia! The Spanish defender, 21, turned pro with the La Liga club in 2021 after coming through their academy. Mosquera then made 90 first-team appearances for Valencia. He is also able to represent Colombia, having only played for Spain at under-21 level – though he won Olympic gold with the Spanish side last summer. Mike Jones25 July 2025 07:27 Gyokeres expected in London Sky Sports News says that Viktor Gyokeres is expected in London tomorrow to sort final details on his move to Arsenal. Gyokeres is then expected to join up with the squad in Singapore, have a medical and complete his transfer from Sporting. The clubs have agreed a deal worth up to £63.8m. £55.1m is guaranteed plus £8.7m in add-ons. Mike Jones25 July 2025 07:25 Alexander Isak eyes Newcastle exit with Liverpool and Chelsea considering situation Alexander Isak wants to explore options at other clubs and a transfer away from Newcastle United, potentially throwing Eddie Howe 's summer plans into chaos. The 25-year-old was not included in last week's friendly defeat to Celtic due to "speculation", and has now not travelled to Singapore for pre-season due to a thigh injury. And Newcastle have been made aware that Isak is keen to consider his future elsewhere. Alexander Isak eyes Newcastle exit with Liverpool monitoring situation The Swedish striker has three years left on his contract at Newcastle, with Liverpool linked last week, before signing Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt for £79m Miguel Delaney25 July 2025 07:25 Good morning! Let's start off with the big news and rumours that surround Newcastle forward Alexander Isak. It has been reported that Isak wants to leave the club and explore his options during this window amid interest from Liverpool who, at one point, were being rumoured to break the British transfer record to bring him in. Since then they've signed striker Hugo Ekitike, one of Newcastle's own targets, and the door to bringing Isak in as well is closing. Isak has been left out of Newcastle's pre-season Asia tour squad, with the club citing a thigh injury as the reason why, but he also did not play in the defeat to Celtic last weekend. Behind the scenes rumblings are that he isn't happy with the situation but with years remaining on his contract and a high asking price from Newcastle, in the region of £150m, there are few clubs who can afford to take him. Mike Jones25 July 2025 07:24


BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
On the Podium Marit Bouwmeester: Perfection and parenthood
Marit Bouwmeester is the most decorated female sailor in Olympic history, winning medals at four consecutive Games, including two golds. She credits her success to the mental strength she amassed over the course of two decades, committing herself to constant improvement, and succeeding where people she regarded as more talented failed. But has becoming a mother changed the way she sees sport and the world? Eliza Skinner and Ed Harry talk to Marit about how she worked to build a champion's mentality, including deliberately using worse equipment in her training to force her to improve her skills, and how difficult it can be to pursue perfection in a sport where so many factors can be out of your control. She also reveals why she doesn't keep her medals at home, and shares her thoughts on the future of sailing - and how her sport has brought her face-to-face with the climate crisis. On the Podium is the podcast that sits down with Olympic and Paralympic medallists to discover the real stories behind their success. Pole vault pioneer Stacy Dragila talks about her battle to get her sport on the Olympic programme, and triathlete Jess Learmonth reveals what led her back to sport after walking away as a teenager. Basketball champion Breanna Stewart and shot-putter Raven Saunders explain why they use the platform sport gives them to act as advocates. Swimmer Anastasia Pagonis and rower Brigit Skarstein share how sport helped them rebuild their futures after life-changing events, while Markus Rogan and Maarten van der Weijden talk about the lives they have found after leaving competition behind. Multi-sport stars like Oksana Masters and Jana Pittman reveal what it's like to compete at both the summer and winter Games. There's stories of memorable victories, like the moment high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi chose to share his gold medal, and Shaunae Miller-Uibo putting everything on the line to reach the top step of the podium. Plus, the triumphs nobody predicted, including Molly Seidel's shock marathon bronze, and the day Anna Kiesenhofer rode away from cycling's biggest names to claim gold in Tokyo.