World Triathlon embrace need for change with ambitious Olympic dream

South Wales Argus

12-07-2025

During a presentation on 'The Future of World Triathlon', on the eve of the Hamburg World Triathlon Championship Series race, the sport's chiefs came together to discuss how to grow the sport further following the success of the Olympic distance and relay formats at Paris 2024.
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