Triathlon News & Notes: Kat Matthews Wins Army Award, Kiwi's Helmet Buckle Penalty Appeal Denied, and More

Kat Matthews named British Army Sportswoman of the Year

Hayden Wilde’s Commonwealth Games appeal denied

Last July, while leading the Commonwealth Games triathlon, New Zealand pro Hayden Wilde was given a controversial 10-second penalty for prematurely unclipping his helmet in transition. The ding ultimately cost him the lead, with British pro Alex Yee ultimately earning gold. A disappointed Wilde, who was the bronze medallist at the Tokyo Summer Olympics, filed an appeal, which World Triathlon dismissed this week. According to the New Zealand Herald, Triathlon NZ, which claimed there was no evidence of Wilde doing what was alleged, “considered whether a further appeal, to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), would be appropriate, but decided not to take the matter further.” For his part, Wilde, who will next compete at the finale of the World Triathlon Championship Series in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 27, told media, “I know what I did and I know what I did wasn’t wrong, but at the end of the day you kind of can’t dwell on the past, you’ve just got to look to the future and I think that is what I’m doing currently. I’ve got my eyes set on being crowned a world champ which I think is a huge opportunity for me and for New Zealand.”

XTERRA Tours revamped with new age-group ranking system

Thanks to a recently-launched ranking system, XTERRA is set to “recognize the fastest age group off-road triathlete in every division across the globe” in 2023. The World Performance Index (WPI) is a tool developed by a team lead by 2005 XTERRA World Champion Nico Lebrun, inspired by similar ranking systems used by trail running and skiing, and gives a score for every finisher based on factors including the strength and depth of field, the difficulty of the course, trail conditions, and weather. The scores are then ranked and presented in an easy-to-navigate database that can be sorted by age-group and country. At the end of the season, the rankings will be used to designate champions among the Americas, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific Tours in each age group.

Melissa Stockwell to go for 2024 Paralympic team

CLASH Daytona pro field announced

The “Daytona distance” is back. The marquee event at Dec. 2’s CLASH Daytona triathlon—featuring a 1-mile swim, 37.5-mile bike, and 8.2-mile run—will feature a slate of pro athletes vying for a $100,000 prize purse. On the women’s side, returning champion Jackie Hering leads the charge, along with other top names including Sara Perez Sala, Rach McBride, Haley Chura, Lesley Smith, and more. The men’s field is highlighted by draft-legal specialist Vincent Luis, Matthew Hanson, Jason West, Jackson Laundry, and Kevin McDowell, among others. Live event coverage will air on CLASH Endurance digital channels including Facebook and YouTube, and the pro race will air on NBC on December 31 at 4p.m. ET.

Ironman 70.3 World Champs economic impact breaks records in St. George

The 2022 Ironman 70.3 World Championships certainly delivered to its host town of St. George, Utah—to the tune of $62.1 million. According to results from an athlete survey conducted by an independent research team and other data analysis, the two-day event’s economic impact is record-setting, “far outpacing [that of] previous Ironman events held in Greater Zion.” Including the most recent results, the three Ironman-branded World Championship events that have occurred in St. George over the  last 13 months have infused more than $121 million of outside money into the local community.

Outspoken Award winners announced

The 2022 Outspoken Awards—which aim to acknowledge the monumental contributions by women in endurance sports—were announced last week during the annual Outspoken Summit. Winners included Kate Veronneau (Outspoken Woman of the Year); Fernanda Tucci (Athlete of the Year; Triathlon); Tenille Hoogland (Coach of the Year; Triathlon); Alex Forte Howell (Race Director of the Year); and Dr. Stacy Sims (Lifetime Achievement Award).

Podcast Notes

• Greg Bennett brings back U.S. star Ben Kanute, this time to talk about his dynamic runner-up performance at Ironman 70.3 Worlds and other aspects of his career and life.
• Ironwomen chats college tri with Hailey Poe and her coach Averi Lewis, of Arizona State, the recently-crowned NCAA champs in triathlon. The hosts also bring on Alex Watt who shares some highs and lows in her recently-launched pro career.
• Pro Tri News teams up with the How They Train podcast for a crossover episode, which breaks down their picks for the  top 10 triathletes of all time.
• How They Train has another episode out this week, featuring Olav Aleksander Bu, coach of Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden. Olav his athlete’s training methods as well as his own philosophies and approaches to training in general.
• Eric and Paula dish on black toenails, split boarding, winter training, and other topics on the latest That Triathlon Life. 
• Kelly O’Mara of Triathlonish checks in with  new USA Triathlon CEO, Vic Brumfield, who shares her vision for triathlon and USAT, and how she hopes to grow the sport from the youth level up.