The Equalizer is one of the featured formats in Super League Triathlon’s inaugural event on Hamilton Island. It is a two-stage race comprising an individual cycling time trial in Stage One in the morning, and a swim-run-swim-bike-run sequence as Stage Two in the afternoon. To make it really interesting, athletes must serve a time penalty in Stage Two that is equivalent to any time lost to the winner of Stage One.

Stage One of Equalizer, an individual cycling time trial of some 6km, took place 6am AEST on Saturday March 18, 2017. The individual time trial started on the tarmac of Hamilton Island airport for a flat out and back section and then went uphill. The climb to the finish line at One Tree Hill is a brutally steep ascent where athletes were tested to the limit.

In the last 1.4 kilometres of the Equalizer time trial course, athletes gained 121 metres in elevation with a maximum gradient of 24.4 percent.

“The time trial course may be only six kilometres but the last kilometres are as tough as I’ve seen in triathlon. Athletes will need to put it all on the line here to minimize any time losses. They’ve already raced Triple Mix the afternoon before and some will have tired legs. We’re going to see some real damage done here and the stronger bikers are going to have a huge advantage and an opportunity to really set up the win leading into Equalizer Part Two,” said McCormack.

At 1700 AEST athletes will begin Equalizer Stage Two which is a continuous swim-run-swim-bike-run sequence. Athletes will pay the penalty for any time losses in Equalizer Stage One on the start pontoon of Stage Two. The winner of Stage One will start Stage Two first and all other athletes will start at the equivalent to the time lost to the winner in Stage One.

Each swim, bike and run section of Stage Two is 300 metres, 6 kilometres and 2 kilometres respectively. The winner of Equalizer is the first athlete to cross the finish line in Part Two.

Who will be the King of the Hill, and will their lead on the bike be enough to stay in front all the way to the Equalizer finish line? You can see for yourself. The Equalizer race at Super League Hamilton Island will be broadcast live on www.superleaguetriathlon.com from 1630 AEST on Saturday March 18 including a highlights package of the Stage One time trial.

The first format to be raced at Super League Hamilton Island is Triple Mix, which tests the versatility and adaptability of athletes by challenging them to complete three stages of all three disciplines with a maximum ten-minute break between stages. 

“When this sport was born it was about who can swim, who can bike and who can run the fastest and it was never discussed in any order,” said Super League Triathlon co-founder Chris McCormack.

Triple Mix will require athletes to complete three stages, as follows:

● Stage 1 - Swim (300m), Bike (6km), Run (2km)

● Stage 2 - Run (2km), Bike (6km), Swim (300m)

● Stage 3 - Bike (6km), Swim (300m), Run (2km)

A ten minute countdown to the start of the next stage will commence from the time that the first athlete crosses the finish line in the previous stage. Athletes finishing behind the first athlete in each stage will have less than ten minutes until the start of the next stage.

For some extra spice, athletes will also compete for time bonuses in each stage of Triple Mix. In Stage 1, athletes will compete for a 5-second time bonus for the first athlete out of the swim leg. In Stage 2, the first athlete to finish the run course will be awarded a 5-second time bonus and for Stage 3 the first athlete to start the last lap will receive a 5-second time bonus. These time bonuses are deducted from an athlete’s cumulative time across all three stages of Triple Mix. A single athlete can win more than one time bonus, if they are able to! The winner of Triple Mix is determined by the athlete’s cumulative time, including any time bonuses awarded, across Stages 1, 2, and 3.

The Run start in Stage 2 and the bike start in Stage 3 are conducted in a controlled start with an athlete’s athlete’s starting position on course for each stage reflecting their finish position from the previous stage. For example, the first place finisher from Stage 1 starts in the “1” position for Stage 2, while the second place finisher from Stage 1 starts Stage 2 in position two and so on. Start positions for Stage 1 will be randomly drawn prior to race start.

“You can’t approach Triple Mix like a normal triathlon,” said Super League Triathlon Co-Founder Chris McCormack.

“For instance, in Stage Two of Triple Mix athletes will have to finish with the swim after completing the run and bike prior. It’s an entirely different prospect than starting with the swim. Lungs and legs are already screaming and then you have to hit the water. And can a strong swimmer like Richard Varga come from behind to take the lead in the swim leg after a run and bike? We’re going to see that it is the true multisport athlete that will win this event,” explained McCormack.

Triple Mix will reveal the true multisport athlete. You can see for yourself who that athlete is. The Triple Mix race at Super League Hamilton Island will be broadcast live on www.superleaguetriathlon.com from 1630 AEST on Friday March 17, 2017.

ATHLETES SIZE EACH OTHER UP AT SUPER LEAGUE HAMILTON ISLAND

Hamilton Island, Australia (March 16, 2017) - On the eve of the inaugural Super League Triathlon event on Hamilton Island, athletes have all had a chance to look at the course, size up their competitors, and set their eyes on the first prize of $100,000.

Super League Triathlon yesterday assembled its roster of champion athletes in Hamilton Island in one room for the first time for the race technical briefing and slot draw for starting positions.

While the atmosphere was light-hearted with plenty of chatting, one could also see alliances and strategies forming. Alistair Brownlee sat with training partner Richard Varga; Javier Gomez had his coach and Mario Mola on either side. Brownlee and Gomez have not raced each other since WTS Leeds in June of last year, with Brownlee coming out on top.

Positions on the starting pontoon and in transition will be determined by finish order for Days 2 and 3 of Super League Hamilton Island, but for Day 1 they are assigned by slot draw. Each athlete was called to the front by their jersey number, where they then picked another athlete’s number out of a jar and assigned a slot on the pontoon to them.

Due to the current in the Hamilton Island Marina where the swim will be held, the best position is slot #24 where the outside current gives assistance. The worst is slot #1 because the athlete will be fighting the current. But who you’re standing next to on the pontoon may be just as important because you can draft off them and conserve energy.

The younger athletes seemed more inclined to give other athletes a disadvantage. Henri Schoeman put aquathlon champion Ben Shaw in #3. Siggy Ragnarsson put Gomez in #11, which is right in the middle of the fray where he will more likely be bogged down. Jorik van Egdom bucked the trend and awarded Olympic bronze medalist Henri Schoeman slot #21, saying, “I’m in a good mood.”

Super League Triathlon expert commentator Emma Frodeno said, “I think we’re going to see some of the young kids come out of the woodwork and sort of give these ones that we know a run for their money. We’re going to see some of the lesser names in bright lights.”

Kristian Blummenfelt put speedy swimmer Dmitri Polyansky in slot #1, while Mola put Jake Birtwhistle in #2.

Birtwhistle said, “It’s not ideal, but I think I’m around a couple of good swimmers so I’m going to jump on and get towed around for a little bit. [Mario and I] have not spoken since he picked that slot for me.”

Mola had been given slot #5 by Gomez, which explains why he put Birtwhistle in a poorer position. He added that had he been in Gomez’s place he would also have put him in a similar spot. “We are used to picking out our own spots and not doing someone else’s but I guess it’s part of the game,” said the Spaniard. “I was not trying to make anything of it but I thought Jake’s going to be on my left so it’s good.”

Gomez said pontoon position would not matter anyway. “We’ll all swim fast to the first buoy, and we are not too many anyway so number 5 could have been any other.” While slot #5 should put Mola at a disadvantage, strong swimmers Igor Polyanskiy and Josh Amberger are in slots #4 and #6 respectively which will give him the benefit of a draft if he can stay with them.

Brownlee got the luck of the draw, picking himself out of the jar. He took advantage and put himself in slot #24 right beside Varga.

The Englishman is looking forward not just to the racing, but also the unprecedented sports entertainment approach Super League Triathlon has taken. “We’ve been pushing for a long time for our world series to be more like this. I’ve been talking for a long time about the need for triathlon to be more consumer-friendly, more interesting and different for the athletes to race, more about creating entertainment and interesting content. And Super League Triathlon is definitely leading the way.”

Richard Murray’s name has come up quite often when the athletes talk about who to watch out for. But the South African has a pretty relaxed approach to the coming racing. He said, “If you push the boundaries here on the island it’s gonna swallow you up. You need to save energy for the last 20 or 30 minutes on Sunday. If there’s nothing left, then you’ll be in big trouble.” He claimed to be at only 85% of his season’s fitness, but believes his 85% can still beat someone’s 100%.

One athlete who has gone under the radar is Schoeman, but this climate and this course are right in his wheelhouse. “I’m very fortunate that I come from Durban, South Africa, it’s not as humid but it’s hot like this. I’m a small guy, I might handle it better than the other guys.” He is also a good climber on the bike, and would have preferred more of the race to be uphill.”

Super League Triathlon co-founder Chris McCormack has been speaking with the athletes all week and says they’re all excited but apprehensive. “They’ve never done this type of stuff before -- talking about recovering between the three days, how the formats are going to work work, how they’re going to lose or gain time in certain areas,” he said. ”It’s going to be very dynamic racing. For the triathlon lover, it’s very different from anything they’ve ever seen before, and for the person who’s never seen triathlon before, it will be absolutely epic.”

With racing commencing tomorrow, Super League Hamilton Island is bound to deliver plenty of drama and action.

Super League Hamilton Island will be broadcast live on ​www.superleaguetriathlon.com​ on 17-19 March 2017 from 1700 AEST.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF SUPER LEAGUE TRIATHLON HAMILTON ISLAND RACE COURSE

Hamilton Island, Australia (March 14, 2017) - The world’s best athletes have started to make their way to Hamilton Island, Australia in preparation for Super League Triathlon happening on 17-19 March 2017.

The days leading into the race weekend will be full of training swims, rides, and runs to help the athletes acclimatize to the tropical heat and consider their strategies in tackling the different formats.

The first of them to set foot on the island, Richard Varga has already been here four days and has swum the waters and ridden the roads, including the now infamous One Tree Hill to be used during the individual time trial for the Equalizer format.

“I think you would be much faster on a road bike,” said the Slovakian, noting how some other athletes were considering bringing time-trial bikes. “You need to be able to use bike tactics, because there are only three kilometers on the flats, and then you’re on the hills.”

Newer arrivals like Alistair Brownlee and Richard Murray were given a tour of the bike course on a golf cart fresh off the plane.

Brownlee commented, “It’s quite tough, man.” But when presented with an option to change his bike’s rear cassette to a 28-toothed gear to make the climb easier, the lad who trains daily on the hills of Yorkshire demurred and said he would use a tough 21-toothed gear all the way.

Murray noted how the golf cart was struggling to get up the hill, but marveled at the sight from the scenic lookout atop One Tree Hill. “We can have a picnic here afterwards,” he joked.

The South African believes Super League Triathlon racing is right in his wheelhouse. He said, “I think it’s pretty cool, something different, something short, my pace.”

Super League Triathlon’s regional director for sales and entertainment Carter Jackson tested the swim course alongside founder Chris McCormack and reported how warm the water was. “It’s about 28 degrees Celsius, which is almost warmer than the air temperature,” he revealed. “Some of these kids have come from places like Leeds or Iceland and they’re gonna have a hard time.”

Jackson also saw a few athletes take their bikes for a spin after their long flights. “I saw their faces going up One Tree Hill for the first time, and it looked like they were thinking to themselves, ‘What have I gotten into?’”

Russian athletes Dmitri and Igor Polyanskiy were two of those athletes. Dmitri said, “It’s so hot here like you’re on the equator. We rode up to the very top of the mountain where the race will be. We’re gonna have to sweat to make it up.”

Brownlee believes the racing will be relatively conservative the first two days, with athletes sizing each other up. He said, “I think people will make the championship moves on the third day.”

Javier Gomez Noya, Mario Mola Diaz, Terenzo Bozzone, and more athletes are scheduled to arrive at Hamilton Island today.

Can these athletes adapt fast enough to the conditions and use their strengths to implement winning strategies on race weekend? In a few days, we will finally find out. Super League Triathlon Hamilton Island will be broadcast live on ​www.superleaguetriathlon.com​ on 17-19 March 2017 from 1700 AEST.

Super League Triathlon expert commentators Chris McCormack and Emma Frodeno (Beijing Olympic Games gold medallist) dropped in to the Fox Sports Australia studios to chat with the Fox Sports News team about the upcoming Super League Hamilton Island event.

Thrills and Spills as Murray Tops at Super League Hamilton Island Triple Mix

Hamilton Island, Australia (March 17, 2017) - Versatility and adaptability reigned supreme as Richard Murray (#07) swam, biked, and ran three times in different orders to take the overall win on Day 1 of racing at Super League Hamilton Island.

The Triple Mix format saw athletes racing three stages, with ten minutes of rest counting down between each stage starting when the first finisher crosses the line. Stage 1 was swim-bike-run, Stage 2 run-bike-swim, and Stage 3 bike-swim-run.

Murray finished Stage 1 in third place after hanging off the back on the bike and making up time on the run. Richard Varga (#12) led the swim through the first turn buoy with a clear lead through the 300-meter course. But once on the bike, the lead switched several times throughout the six laps to make up the 6-kilometer cycle course. Siggy Ragnarsson (#57) dropped out, leaving only 23 competitors who all stayed close on the last lap. Ryan Fisher (#10) led through the first lap of 250 meters, but in the end it was compatriot Jake Birtwhistle (#44) followed by Mario Mola (#03) and Murray who finished in the top three spots for Stage 1.

Stage 2 began with a run led out by triathlon greats Spencer Smith and Brad Bevan through a neutral zone. Athletes took position behind him according to their finish order from Stage 1. Ben Shaw (#73) and Birtwhistle led the rest of the field through all four run laps, running shoulder-to-shoulder into transition to get on their bikes. Fisher and Birtwhistle took the lead on the bike, with Alistair Brownlee dropped from the pack. However, Shaw crept up on Fisher and the two were first to hop off the bike and into the water. Varga’s swim prowess again took him into the lead but this time to take the Stage 2 victory, with Andrea Salvisberg (69) and Igor Polyanskiy (#77) in third.

The final stage of Triple Mix began on the bike with Robbie McEwen leading the athletes out through the neutral zone. Josh Amberger (#27) and Salvisberg made an early move and steadily built a 15-second gap through four laps. Brent McMahon (#83) led the chase pack, and Ryan Bailie (#39) made a huge effort to bridge the gap and entered the top three by the last lap. It was game over for Shaw as he overcooked the turn out of transition to crash out.

Salvisberg was first to the dismount line and made a flying leap off the pontoon and led through to the first can. Varga once again surged through the water to take the lead, with Bailie on his shoulder. But in fifth place, Murray was waiting to strike. And strike he did, taking the lead, lapping a struggling Alistair Brownlee (#23) who was more than a minute back out of the swim, and chatting to the camera as he came down the finish chute. Varga and Bailie sprinted for second place, with the former edging the latter by a shoulder and then collapsing past the finish line.

Not only did Murray take the stage win, but also the overall win. Varga placed second even with the five-second bonuses he won for being first out of the water in Stage 1 and winning Stage 2. Bailie picked up the final spot on the podium.

“I planned to take it pretty easy on the first day, but then on the last run I noticed the favorites were behind me, so I knew it was my moment to go,” said Murray. The South African was reluctant to take full credit for beating Brownlee, saying, “I don’t think he was in the best shape ever when he came here. I can’t say it wasn’t great, I’ve done it once before but I think he had an injury, maybe the heat got to him or something. It’s definitely not the usual Alistair Brownlee that you’d see every single day. I don’t feel awesome from lapping someone who’s probably going 50 percent or 70 percent.”

Murray will now focus on getting ready for the Eliminator format for Day 2 of Super League Hamilton Island, which will involve a time trial in the morning and more swimming, biking, and running in the afternoon. “I’m very happy with how it turned out and I’ll try to recover now and get ready through the next ten hours, because in ten hours’ time we’re doing the time trials. I hope I can get a good starting position for the afternoon out of that.”

Watch Day 2 of Super League Hamilton Island live on superleaguetriathlon.com on March 18 at 1630 AEST.

Murray Tops Equalizer, Remains Overall Leader

Hamilton Island, Australia (March 18, 2017) - Richard Murray once again ran to the win on Day 2 of Super League Hamilton Island, not only taking the Stage 2 win of the Equalizer format but also retaining overall leader standing in the field of 24 competitors.

The Equalizer is one of the featured formats in Super League Triathlon’s inaugural event. It is a two-stage race comprising an individual cycling time trial in Stage 1 in the morning, and a swim-run-swim-bike-run sequence as Stage 2 in the afternoon. Athletes are released onto the course in a pursuit format, with gaps between each athlete corresponding to the time lost to the Stage 1 winner.

The South African racing in the number 07 jersey started the afternoon with a 20-second deficit to Cameron Dye (#08), who had been fastest cyclist in the morning’s individual time trial.

The first swim belonged to Australian Jake Birtwhistle (#44), who overhauled his deficit to Dye and took control on the first run. Fellow Australian Ryan Fisher (#10) attacked out of the water to hang onto Birtwhistle’s shoulder. Murray emerged from the water in eighth place.

The two Aussies pushed the pace to drop Dye, while Murray picked up the pace with his chase group to bridge the gap. Eventually at the end of the first run the athletes formed a large lead group, and Javier Gomez (#01) took the front going into the run-to-swim transition.

Kristian Blummenfelt (#02) led into the water for the second swim, but Igor Polyanskiy (#11) showed his swim prowess, churning through to head into swim-to-bike transition first. His strong swim created a gap large enough to eliminate Brent McMahon (#83), Terenzo Bozzone (#13), and Siggy Ragnarsson (#57) as the three were unable to mount their bikes within a minute after Polyanskiy had headed onto the cycle course.

“Unfortunately, the time difference this morning was too big to bridge,” said Ragnarsson. “The guys out front were putting on a really strong pace. I was hoping I could maybe catch up, at least get on the bike and finish the bike course, but it is how it is.”

Ryan Bailie (#39) attacked up Mango Tree Hill into the second lap of the bike leg, with Gomez going with him into the front. Gomez attempted to press the pace but on Lap 5, it was Bailie and Birtwhistle who went on the offensive this time up the hill. Their joint effort was enough to build more than a ten-second gap into the bike-to-run transition.

Murray stayed right inside the chase group and hit the run in third place. Again he chased down the race leaders, but this time asserted his ownership of the run right in Lap 1, overtaking Birtwhistle for first place. The blistering speed from the man who owns the triathlon 10-kilometer run record was enough to lap Josh Amberger (#27), Dmitri Polyansky (#77), Crisanto Grajales Valencia (#06), Dye, Dan Hoy (#22), and Alessandro Fabian (#88).

Birtwhistle’s second place went unchallenged, but Mario Mola (#03) pipped Gomez to be the first Spaniard across the finish line.

Murray’s win gives him another 20 points to add to his initial 20 points from yesterday to give him a clear overall lead. Mola moves up the leaderboard to second overall, while Richard Varga (#12) has been relegated to third.

“It was not easy,” said Murray. “That was hard, man. Each day is getting harder and harder, and Bailie and Birtwhistle, those kids can run. Give it to them. They can swim as well! I’m very stoked, but I’m going to pay tomorrow for sure.”

Murray said he turned on the gas after overtaking the two Aussies to break them psychologically. He went so hard that he had difficulty remembering how many laps he had left to run. “Two kilometers is really long after the last few days. It wasn’t as hot as yesterday, but it was definitely hard out there.”

While Alistair Brownlee (#23) managed to stay in contact throughout Stage 2 of the Equalizer, he was not able to gain any traction on the leaderboard, staying in 19th place.

Watch Day 3 of Super League Hamilton Island live on superleaguetriathlon.com on March 19 at 1630 AEST.

BIRTWHISTLE, MURRAY THE BIG WINNERS ON DAY 3 OF SUPER LEAGUE HAMILTON ISLAND

(Hamilton Island, March 19, 2017) - Two days of searing heat and humidity were replaced with torrential rain early in the afternoon of Day 3 of Super League Hamilton Island. The temperature may have been cooler but athletes were still feeling the heat with the pressure-cooker Eliminator format being unveiled. The three-stage race saw athletes eliminated in each stage, with race tactics playing as much a part as pure speed. Dual Olympic Champion Alistair Brownlee was a pre-race casualty, withdrawing from Eliminator as a result of illness.
 
In Eliminator Stage 1, athletes vied for a top 15 finish position to progress through to Stage 2. In familiar fashion, Richard Varga (#12) was first out of the water before athletes made their first ascent up a wet Mango Tree Corner on the bike leg. Following the afternoon downpour the slippery roads required strong bike handling skills. Ireland’s Ben Shaw hit the deck on the first hairpin turn of the bike course and was forced to withdraw from the race. He was the first to be out of the race but it was Cameron Dye (#08) who was the first athlete to feel the wrath of Super League Triathlon’s Eliminator format as he finished in 16th place following the Stage 1 run leg. He was joined on the sidelines for Stage 2 by Josh Amberger (#27), Dmitry Polyanskiy (#77), long course supremos Brent McMahon (#83) and Terenzo Bozzone (#13), New Zealand’s Daniel Hoy (#22) and Icelandic wildcard Sigurdur Orn Ragnarsson (#57).
 
Richard Murray (#07), in the hot seat for a $100,000 winner’s cheque, raced smartly in Stage 1 remaining well within the front pack but did not push the pace. Mid-run Murray was in 14th place and visibly seen counting the 13 athletes in front of him at the run turn to ensure he was in the optimal position to finish inside the top 15 in Stage 1 without expending any more than he had to.
 
Stage 2 saw athletes battling for a top 10 position to progress through to the final stage of Eliminator.   In what had been a relatively quiet week, Rio bronze medallist Henri Schoeman (#04) came out to play early on the bike leg of Stage 2 and pushed the pace, but it was Ryan Fisher (#10) who led out on the run and eyed a stage 3 berth. A group of ten quickly formed at the front of the race before Norway’s Kristian Blummenfelt (#02) led them across the line to claim his second stage win of the day.
 
18-year-old Matt Hauser (#33) announced himself on the world-stage at Super League Hamilton Island but was the first athlete to miss the cut in 11th place finish after a valiant run leg. He was joined on the elimination list by Andrea Salvisberg (#69), Alessandro Fabian (#88), Crisanto Grajales Valencia (#06) and Jorik van Egdom (#21).
 
Following the completion of Stage 2, Richard Murray was interviewed in the recovery zone and appeared confident of a title win claiming he would attack the bike course – “big gear, no fear”, he said and predicted a 2:50 min/kilometer pace on the Stage 3 run.
 
With 14 of the world’s finest athletes sidelined they became enthusiastic spectators as their fellow warriors took to the pontoon for Stage 3 start in a race that would decide who would take home the Eliminator title and the winners cheque of $100,000. At the start of Stage 3 Murray stood atop the overall series leader board on 40 points with Mola his closest rival on 31 points. A seventh place or above finish would guarantee Murray the title.
 
Stage 3 would crown the winner of Eliminator. Following a tight swim Australia’s Ryan Fisher went out hard on the bike to set up a 16-second lead into T2, knowing that he if were to claim Eliminator he had to gap the stronger runners. Fisher held on until lap two of the run. However, the run came down to the three dominant runners of Super League Hamilton Island with Murray, Mario Mola (#03) and Australian superstar Jake Birtwhistle (#44) quickly bridging the gap to Fisher and subsequently setting an incredible pace at the front. It was Mola who made the first break among the lead pack, dropping Murray in the process, but it was Birtwhistle who looked cool and calm as he sat on the Spaniard’s heels before unleashing a devastating sprint to claim the win and the Eliminator title from Mola and Murray.

But it was Murray, with a third-place finish in Eliminator and victories in Triple Mix and Equalizer, who was the big winner on the day amassing a total of 56 out of 60 points across the three days of racing to take home $100,000 and the Leonid Boguslavsky Champions Trophy as the overall winner of Super League Hamilton Island.

 
The top three finishers of Eliminator also made up the overall podium finishers for Super League Hamilton Island with Mario Mola in second place (49 points) taking home the second place cheque for $50,000 and Birtwhistle capping off an incredible race week with third place overall (48 points) and receiving $30,000.

Facebook LIVE hosted by co-founder Chris McCormack and our #IAMSUPERLEAGUE athletes Terenzo Bozzone Cameron Dye and Brent McMahon.

Facebook LIVE Episode 2: Sigurður Örn Ragnarsson, Igor Polyanskiy and Richard Varga

Facebook Live with Ryan Bailie, Ben Shaw and Jake Birtwhistle
Sponsored by Bollox Energy

Facebook LIVE with Josh Amberger, Kristian Blummenfelt, Chris McCormack and special guest Robbie McEwen. Sponsored by Biestmilch Learn more at https://www.biestmilch.com

Facebook LIVE sponsored by Bollox​ www.bolloxenergy.com with Ryan Fisher​, Andrea Nicolas Salvisberg​, Jorik van Egdom​, Robbie McEwen,​ Chris McCormack​

Hamilton Island, Australia (March 16, 2017) - Super League Triathlon is set to pit the best of the best against each other and inspire a new generation to take up triathlon with its inaugural event on Hamilton Island happening from tomorrow 17 March through to 19 March.

Super League Triathlon was co-founded by Chris McCormack, Michael D’Hulst and Leonid Boguslavsky, three successful businessmen and passionate triathletes brought together by a common desire to break new ground in the sport of triathlon.

Growing up competing in short distance racing of various formats, including surf lifesaving, on the beaches of Australia, Chris McCormack always wanted a professional racing series to highlight to millions around the world the sport that gave him his life and career.

“As a former athlete I was constantly frustrated with the events and the brands being the pillar and these athletes being a side note,” said McCormack, whose 20-year professional career produced four world titles and countless race wins. A self-confessed triathlon “geek”, McCormack is an ardent student and observer of the sport whose command of factoids about past and present triathletes can rival a baseball card collector’s mastery of MLB.

“I think when you look at the big sports around the world -- football, UFC -- it’s athlete first. You know, creating characters, creating stars, using the media to showcase the athletic abilities of the best in that sport. And that trickles down to support the sport. So I wanted to reverse how triathlon is currently done.”

McCormack is looking forward to the racing. “Spills, racing, competitiveness, aggression, you’re gonna see everything. People who know triathlon have never seen anything like this before.”

As a latecomer to the sport with an outsider perspective on building triathlon events from the ground up, D’Hulst envisioned a better way of going about the sport. He believes Super League Triathlon has the potential to go the way of UFC and Formula 1 racing as a viscerally engaging and life-inspiring sport for spectators as well as participants.

He said, “We take this sport of triathlon which is very much a mass participation model and add a whole new business model to it which is the spectator-friendliness of sports entertainment. We believe that triathlon as a sport now is ready to do that.”

D’Hulst revealed that pain and suffering were definitely part of the consideration when selecting Hamilton Island as the inaugural race venue. He said, “Pain defines the ultimate athlete. Who’s able to take it, and who’s able to strategize. It’s not just about going flat out and seeing where I’ll end up. You have to be smart about this. How do I play my cards in the different rounds in specific events. It’s not only the fittest athlete, it’s also the athlete who takes the risk, who is able to deliver on that risk, and who is smart enough to strategize around it.”

Establishing Super League Triathlon as a new model for triathlon will reshape the landscape of the sport and allow it to break new ground worldwide -- this is what Leonid Boguslavsky desires as his legacy.

A former professor with a Ph.D. in computer science, Boguslavsky also served as a senior partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers and as investor became one of the most important players in booming IT and Internet scene. He fell in love with the sport of triathlon later in his life when a friend gifted him a copy of McCormack’s autobiography, “I’m Here to Win” in 2013. Boguslavsky was inspired to do his first triathlon and was hooked. Never being trained in sport before, he got his first age group podium in 8 months and in one and a half years from the first day of training he qualified for the Ironman World Championship in Kona. Then he met McCormack in person.

“I met Chris at an Endurance conference; we started talking about what can be new with triathlon. I was dreaming to create a new format, and we just jumped on this idea. What are the key factors to make it successful? Three things: signing up the top athletes in the world, making it awesome from a TV prospective, and creating a big prize fund,” Boguslavsky said.

Super League Triathlon’s closed-league championship concept elevates triathlon to the level of mainstream professional sport, while the roll-out of age-group participation in future races stays true to triathlon’s roots and values while inspiring new generations to take up the sport.

Boguslavsky expounded on this further, saying, “The key concept which we are developing is ‘league’. As a league there will be athletes who are climbing to the higher league from a lower one.”

All three men share the same dream of bringing triathlon to a wider audience and sharing what is special about the sport with the world. McCormack said, “Everyone’s always talking about triathlon as the fastest-growing sport in the world; there’s more people now participating in triathlon than ever before. We haven’t seen that growth into the media and that growth on television, so with Super League Triathlon it’s that repackaging, rebranding of the sport but staying true to the values of the sport is what’s really, really exciting.”

He concluded, “In ten years I’d love to see people talking about athletes like Alistair Brownlee or say young Jake Birtwhistle in the same way as we’re talking about Roger Federer.”

High-resolutions images may be downloaded from the links below:
Will McCloy interviews co-founders Leonid Boguslavsky, Michael D'Hulst, and Chris McCormack
Super League Triathlon founders (L-R): Leonid Boguslavsky, Michael D'Hulst, Chris McCormack
(PHOTOS CREDIT: Clint Barter)

More information about Super League Triathlon and interview requests with Super League Triathlon founders and contracted athletes is available by contacting Trent Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer via email [email protected]

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About Super League Triathlon

Pitting the world’s best triathletes across unique short course formats for big prize money in a closed league series, Super League Triathlon provides pulse-pounding action, superstars to root for, and a spectator experience without parallel. Super League Triathlon catapults triathlon into the hearts, minds, and living rooms of triathlon and sports fans worldwide. By offering incredible TV and digital content output with live race day television broadcasts, live race day digital streaming and Video on Demand content, we’ll be showcasing our Championship athletes and the sport of triathlon like never before. Super League Triathlon features action-packed racing formats in dramatic locations and fan-friendly courses across Asia-Pacific and the Gulf. We’re committed to setting the gold standard experience for age groupers, professional athletes, and fans alike. Super League Triathlon was co-founded by two-time Ironman and two-time ITU World Champion Chris McCormack, and Michael D’Hulst and Leonid Boguslavsky, three successful businessmen and passionate triathletes brought together by a common desire to break new ground in the sport of triathlon.

TRIPLE MIX SLOT DRAW

Positions on the starting pontoon and in transition will be determined by finish order for Days 2 and 3 of Super League Hamilton Island, but for Day 1 they are assigned by slot draw. Each of the athletes was called to the front by their jersey number, where they then picked another athlete’s number out of a jar and assigned a slot on the pontoon to them.

Due to the current in the Hamilton Island Marina where the swim will be held, the best position is slot #24 where the outside current gives assistance. The worst is slot #1 because the athlete will be fighting the current. But who you’re standing next to on the pontoon may be just as important because you can draft off them and conserve energy.

Singapore (March 28, 2017) - When Richard Murray hoisted the solid bronze champions trophy above his head two Sundays ago, its weight was symbolic of what he had achieved: he had triumphed over the best in the world across three days of intense super-sprint racing to become the first Super League Triathlon champion.

This was a man who had five-to-one odds against even being on the podium, yet those who were keen observers of the sport, like Super League Triathlon co-founder Chris McCormack, knew he was very capable of walking away with the $100,000 AUD top prize. The South African rated himself more modestly, though.

“I knew where my body was at, but after only a few events and about four speed running sessions this year I was not very sure,” said Murray of his confidence leading into Super League Hamilton Island. Once racing had commenced, though, he had a better idea of his chances. “On the first day, I noticed that this type of format really does suit me: I raced road cycling and was a 800/1500-meter runner.” The experience definitely showed.

It wasn’t all wine and roses, however. Behind the scenes, Murray managed ankle and Achilles pain throughout the weekend with the help of Super League Triathlon’s team of physiotherapists, including Gold Coast-based Brad Beer of Pogo Physios with whom he continues to work after the race. Yet once the start gun fired on each day, Murray showed no sign of weakness with his poker face and piercing glare. “Three days of racing is tactical. I’m a very good couch surfer and staying low when I need to,” Murray revealed.

Murray knew exactly how to play the game with his secret recipe of patience, consistency, and being in the right place at the right time. For most of each day’s racing he stayed within striking distance of the front and only unleashed hard for the front in the final minutes.

His closest competitors were 2016 ITU world champion Mario Mola and young up-and-comer Jake Birtwhistle, the 2015 Under-23 world champion, who finished second and third overall respectively. All the other athletes on the start list were nothing to sneeze at, either. “The quality was there: world champions, Olympic champions, you name it.” But Murray relished the challenge. “High-octane, flat-out, and no fear racing -- that’s what I love.”

Even with the high points of winning both Day 1 and Day 2 of racing, Day 3 where Murray finished third was the most memorable to him. The past two days of heat had broken to bring on torrential downpours, bringing temperatures down and soaking the bike course. It was also the day athletes needed to go fast enough through the first two stages of the Eliminator in order to make the final stage and race for the win. “Swimming behind the Polyanskiy brothers, next to Henri Schoeman, and counting how many people there were in each stage -- that was really cool,” Murray recalled.

“Also some of the team crew cheering for us when we were warming up in the rain before the final day’s racing was quite special. Kudos to the team in the rain and caring for the athletes first. This should be seen by all other triathlon event organizers.” 

Athlete profile: Aaron Royle

Athlete profile: Alistair Brownlee

Athlete profile: Ben Shaw

Athlete profile: Brent McMahon

Athlete profile: Cameron Dye

Athlete profile: Crisanto Grajales Valencia

Athlete profile: Dmitry Polyanskiy

Athlete profile: Henri Schoeman

Athlete profile: Igor Polyanskiy

Athlete profile: Jake Birtwhistle

Athlete profile: Javier Gomez Noya

Athlete profile: Jonathan Brownlee

Athlete profile: Jorik van Egdom

Athlete profile: Kristian Blummenfelt

Athlete profile: Richard Murray

Athlete profile: Richard Varga

Athlete profile: Ryan Bailie

Athlete profile: Ryan Fisher

Athlete profile: Sigurdur Orn Ragnarsson

Athlete profile: Terenzo Bozzone

Format: The Triple Mix

Format: The Equalizer

Format: The Eliminator

Interview with Leonid Boguslavsky

Interview with Michael D'Hulst

Interview with Chris McCormack

Hamilton Island Destination