This is what Ironman have announced regarding global age-group ranking. I'm very supportive of it and wonder if it is only a matter of time before this becomes the selection process for Kona just like the Pro field or whether they'll keep the qualifying as it is to help races attract entries.
Personally I think a global ranking system is by far the fairest as some races can be hit and miss - i.e. a weak field in one race can see weak athletes qualifying, or if some superstars turn up on the day strong athletes can miss out on a slot that they might otherwise have achieved. I get that it's the same for everyone but the point is that the best in each age-group should be going to Kona, there should be no element of luck involved.
On the other side of the coin it would mean that anyone aiming for ranking or Kona qualifying would have to do multiple Ironman races each year, so I wouldn't put it past WTC to introduce this. Even so, I'd support this option if this were the way it went. As for the system as a whole I love it, it's always fun to see where you rank and helps to push the limits to improve. Thumbs up WTC (Did I just say that??? I must be going soft in my old age haha)
Building upon the success of last season’s pilot program in Europe, IRONMAN announced today the global expansion of the Age Group Ranking (AGR) program for amateur triathletes. In extension of last year’s model, the program will now include all IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 races in 2013. Beginning with last month’s IRONMAN 70.3 Pucon and ending with the IRONMAN 70.3 Canberra event on December 15, 2013, all athletes will be automatically entered into the program and receive points based on their finish times.
“After receiving such positive feedback from the triathlete community on the pilot phase, it is a natural progression to further expand the Age Group Ranking program to include all IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 events,” said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer of World Triathlon Corporation. “Our athletes from around the world have a competitive spirit and we are excited to offer them an opportunity to track their racing, while rewarding their accomplishments.”
The global program will offer age-group athletes a way to earn points based off of their race finishes and measure their race performances against their fellow competitors regionally, as well as from around the world, in one cumulative system. Athletes who compete in any IRONMAN or IRONMAN 70.3 event in 2013 will earn Age Group Ranking (AGR) points. In each IRONMAN event, Age Group Champions will earn 5,000 points, while first-place finishers of IRONMAN 70.3 events will earn 3,500 points toward their ranking. Points will then be calculated on a sliding scale based upon each subsequent athlete’s finish time, with a minimum of 1,000 points for an IRONMAN race and 700 points for an IRONMAN 70.3 race, as long as they complete the event.
Points and rankings will be updated weekly at www.ironman.com/ranking, starting in early spring.
Although athletes may compete in as many 2013 IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 events as they choose, only their top three race performances will be calculated toward their AGR. At the end of the 2013 season, all athletes will receive a special certificate and acknowledgement from IRONMAN, recognizing their achievement. Competitors who finish in the top 10 percent globally in either IRONMAN, IRONMAN 70.3 or a combination of IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 events, will be designated as IRONMAN All World.
For more information or to see a list of frequently asked questions about the IRONMAN Age Group Ranking Program, go to www.ironman.com/ranking. Inquiries about the program may be directed to AGR@ironman.com. For media-related inquiries, contact Media@ironman.com.
Originally from: http://www.ironman.com/triathlon-news/articles/2013/02/age-group-rankings.aspx#ixzz2KlM4sTHd
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