19 July

Eliminator primer

Eliminator - Survival of the Fastest

Super League Triathlon athletes will face a test of both speed and endurance with The Eliminator.

This format comprises three stages of swim-bike-run, with the slowest athletes eliminated in each stage. Only the fastest will survive.

The countdown to the next stage starts when the first athlete crosses the finish line of a stage, so each successive athlete gets progressively shorter recovery time. After the first stage, only the top 15 athletes go on to the second stage, and only the top 10 athletes from that stage will contest the final stage.

This unique race format will challenge the athletes’ strategies and capabilities, ensuring action-packed racing that grips you from start to finish. This format rewards athletes who can manage their energy output and balance this with how much they will benefit from getting more rest after each stage. An athlete can either push to finish in front so they get more time to recover, or just finish far enough ahead in the field to move into the next stage and have something left for the final stage.

The athlete who plays their cards right and can keep the pedal to the metal til the finish will prove the strongest and fastest of all -- and the winner will only be determined in the final moments.

Eliminator infographic

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19 July

Triple Mix primer

Triple Mix - Mix It Up

How many times have triathlon fans watched a race and accurately predicted that an athlete with a strong swim-bike combo would exit the water first and hold the lead on the bike, only to be chased down by a fleet-footed athlete on the run? The results in a traditional swim-bike-run format is many times a foregone conclusion if you know the strengths of those on the starting line.

Super League Triathlon bucks the traditional order of triathlon with the Triple Mix: three stages of swimming, biking, and running -- but not always in that order. The first stage involves swim-bike-run, second stage run-bike-swim, and third stage bike-swim-run.

Every second matters with the second and third stages starting pursuit-style. Any lead from the previous stage is passed forward into the next stage. So if an athlete finishes ahead of another by ten seconds, that’s how much time they will start ahead in the next stage. Can they hang onto that lead and grow it?

Athletes earn points based on their final stage finish rankings, with those placing 16th and slower earning only one point each. Non-finishers will be penalized with points deducted from their total. Those who fail to start the race get themselves into an even bigger hole, with three points deducted. This puts the pressure on athletes to get over that line whether running, walking, or crawling across it!

Triple Mix throws predictability of results out the window and turns up the action to 11 to reveal the true multisport athlete who can keep the pedal to the metal all the way until the finish line.

Triple Mix infographic

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18 July

Super League Triathlon Coming to Jersey, UK. With a Women's Race!

50 of the world’s leading male and female triathletes, including 25 Olympian’s from around the world, will compete in Jersey, UK, for the Super League Triathlon crown in September 2017.

The men’s line-up will include the Brownlee brothers from the UK, their rivals Javier Gomez Noya and Mario Mola Diaz from Spain, and Richard Murray from South Africa, as well as 20 other leading male triathletes.

The women’s racing will see leading Brits including Vicky Holland, Jodie Stimpson, Lucy Hall and Non Stanford taking on three-times Olympian Flora Duffy from Bermuda, Olympic bronze medallist Erin Densham from Australia and the current American World Triathlon Series leader Katie Zafares, among many other leading female triathletes.

The Super League Triathlon event in Jersey is offering equal prize money of $130,000 for both the men and women triathletes. Super League Triathlon Co-Founder Michael Dhulst commented: “With $130,000 in prize money on offer at Super League Jersey, it’s high-stakes, high-octane racing with huge consequences for any mistakes. This is a sensational race course and an incredible location for spectators.”

As Japan 2020 approaches, national Olympic federations will be keeping a close eye on how their athletes perform in Super League Triathlon in Jersey, because the 2020 Olympic Games will be introducing triathlon mixed relay events, which are very similar to the fast and furious Super League Triathlon format.

Senator Lyndon Farnham, Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture in Jersey, commented: "Jersey is delighted to have been chosen to host the 2017 Super League Triathlon World Series. The natural beauty of our island combined with our strong sporting culture lends itself perfectly to hosting such a prestigious global event. I am sure the whole island will get behind this as we share with the rest of the world our enthusiastic and friendly spirit in welcoming some of the world's greatest athletes and sports fans to our shores. Jersey is beginning to establish itself as one of the leading venues in the world for events and hosting the second race of the 2017 Triathlon Super League World Series is a great example of what we can offer.”

The Men’s Event

Commenting on the men’s rivalries, two-time Ironman world champion and Super League Triathlon Co-founder Chris ‘Macca’ McCormack said: “The Brownlee brothers have been the gold standard, and they respect long-term rival Javier Gomez Noya from Spain. The new wave of rivalry is coming from Richard Murray and Mario Mola Diaz. The new athletes to look for are Jake Birtwhistle and Ben Dijkstra.”

Jonny Brownlee, who was sidelined for the Hamilton Island event due to injury, will debut the number 05 race suit in Jersey in what will be a baptism of fire. Jonny commented “I had to miss Hamilton Island because of injury but I watched the races and know that the Super League Triathlon format will suit me as an athlete. Jersey will be brilliant, with the conditions not as humid as Hamilton Island, and I’m looking forward to racing Super League there for the first time.”

With the Brownlee brothers and Javier Gomez Noya having dominated the triathlon circuit since 2009, triathletes from around the world are looking for every opportunity to take their place in Jersey over the weekend of 23^rd and 24^th September.

Javier Gomez Noya said: “I think Super League Hamilton Island exceeded everyone’s expectations. New engaging formats, amazing setup, great TV coverage & impressive treatment of the athletes. Super League is something great for the sport of triathlon and I’m looking forward to being part of the next race!”

Heir apparent to the male triathlon throne, South African Richard Murray, flourished under the new Super League Triathlon format, winning the title in Australia. Richard is looking forward to Jersey in September in order to try and strengthen his claim for the number one spot on the triathlon circuit, halting the dominance British athletes have enjoyed over the sport in recent years. Richard Murray commented: “Super League Hamilton Island changed triathlon racing and showed fans how exciting it can be when showcased properly. I can’t wait for round two at Super League Jersey. Athletes and fans should expect wild, exciting and full speed racing from the fastest triathletes in the world. It’s big gear, no fear! I’m planning for this event already. My competitors will need to turn up in peak condition. I’m ready for them!"

The Women’s Event

"Super League Jersey will see the world’s finest female triathletes enter the fray of Super League Triathlon for the first time alongside their male counterparts. Like the male professional fields, the best female athletes from short and long course racing will face-off in a best-of-the-best battle. Separate races will be conducted for the male and female fields each day", said Super League Triathlon Co-Founder Leonid Boguslavsky.

25 elite female athletes will be announced soon to take part in Super League Triathlon Jersey, including 2016 World Triathlon Series Champion Flora Duffy from Bermuda, and Rio 2016 Bronze medalist Vicky Holland from the UK. Vicky commented: “Having spent a lot of this season side-lined due to injury, the prospect of being back on a start line to race in Jersey in September is really motivating.”

Jodie Stimpson missed Olympic selection despite being a Dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist. The British women are the world leaders at the moment. Jodie missed out to Non Stanford and Vicky Holland who went on to finish 3rd and 4th at the games. Despite not being true rivals, they have to compete against each other for Commonwealth and Olympic selection for Tokyo and Gold Coast as there is a very high chance of a gold medal for the UK in these events. You also have a young new star in Sophie Coldwell. This is a friendly but tense rivalry because of the depth in UK women’s triathlon.

Race Format

Saturday’s Triple Mix format will see athletes complete three rounds of competition with alternating sequences and a ten-minute break in between rounds. Round one is swim-bike-run, round two is run-bike-swim, and round three is bike-swim-run. The winner of Triple Mix is the athlete with the lowest time across the three rounds.

Sunday’s Eliminator format will again be conducted in three rounds each in a swim-bike-run format with a ten-minute break in between. Eliminator is about speed and strategy with athletes finishing 16th and above in round one being eliminated and do not progress to round two. Athletes finishing 11th and above in round two are eliminated and do not progress to round three. Round three sees the remaining ten athletes battle it out for the Eliminator title.

On both days racing will take place in the afternoon, with racing between 2pm and 6pm each day.

Super League showcases triathletes and the sport in a new and exciting way. Unlike the traditional triathlon format, athletes won’t be able to rely on specialising in one of the three disciplines. The Super League ‘Triple Mix’ format tests the versatility and adaptability of the athletes by mixing up the traditional swim-bike-run sequence into three events split over two days.

Chris McCormack, added: “Super League Hamilton Island changed triathlon forever. The made-for-television racing is exciting, action packed and full of entertainment. It set the stage for the forthcoming season, which comprises four events, all to be held in iconic destinations around the world between September and April.”

Super League Triathlon’s ground-breaking television and digital coverage will continue at Super League Jersey. All racing will be broadcast live with programming distributed across international broadcast partners and digital channels making it easy for any fan, in any time zone to view programming live or on demand. Full programming schedules will be announced prior to the event.

Expanding upon the Championship format, Super League Jersey will also feature a corporate triathlon event, offering the opportunity for corporate participants to race on the Super League Triathlon Championship course prior to racing each day. Corporate racing is open exclusively to official corporate package partners. Spectator travel packages will also soon be announced via Super League Jersey’s travel partner, Nirvana Europe.

The Course

The course for Super League Jersey is nothing short of spectacular. The super-tight and technical layout is located in the Elizabeth Marina precinct in St. Helier. The 300 metre swim course is located among the mega yachts in Elizabeth Marina. The 5-lap bike course is super-technical with hairpin turns, narrow passages through high-rise apartment blocks and a cobblestone surface that will truly test bike handling skills. The high-speed, two-loop run course navigates the foreshore of Elizabeth Marina and will favour athletes with top end speed, versus the more explosive run course of Super League Hamilton Island.

There are dead turns on the bike and run leg and varied surfaces on both. It’s going to test technique, power, speed, endurance and race craft all at once. A unique element to racing is the huge tides in Jersey where the difference between high and low tide is as much as 14m in depth. Our races will be conducted at near low tide and athletes will face a lung-busting run out of the swim course up a ramp that brings athletes up some 12m in vertical height from water level to transition.

There’s a lot that can go wrong for athletes if they are not at the top of their game and the highs and lows will all unfold right in front of huge crowds jam-packed into the marina precinct. Super League Triathlon is all about finding the best swim, bike, runner and there’s nowhere to hide on this course.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors:

Interviews

Two-time Ironman World Champion Chris ‘Macca’ McCormack, co-founder of Super League Triathlon, is available for interviews, as are several of the men’s and women’s triathletes.

Contacts

For further information and to schedule interviews with athletes contact:

Gavin Lunning, [email protected], +44 (0)20 7287 2575 and mobile +44 (0)7940 448 068.

Website: www.superleaguetriathlon.com

Twitter: @SuperLeagueTri

About Super League Triathlon Jersey:

Athletes’ details and biographies

Selected athletes’ factsheets

Video introducing Super League Triathlon Jersey

Video introducing the Super League Triathlon Jersey, Women’s event

If you would like to download a copy of the above videos, please contact:

Stacey Boguslavskaya, [email protected]

About Chris McCormack

Chris McCormack, or Macca as he is affectionately known, is one of endurance sport’s most iconic athletes. Globally regarded as the best triathlete of his generation, Macca rose through the ranks as a winner and fan favourite with his trademark mix of quick wit, piercing intelligence, and the athletic ability to deliver wins in 250 international races and landing on the podium 89% of the time. Macca owns one of the best athletic winning percentage statistics in modern sport, a testament to his discipline and race day execution.

About Leonid Boguslavsky

Leonid fell in love with the sport of triathlon after a distinguished business career. Prior to 2013 he had never trained or participated in any sport, but once started has since been unstoppable. He has accomplished multiple full distance Ironman finishes and 11 podiums, qualifying for the 2015 Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. A former professor with a Ph.D. in computer science, he has published academic books and many papers on applied mathematics for computer networks and systems. Leonid then became an entrepreneur in the IT industry, where he founded and sold several companies. Then he served as a senior partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Leonid then became one of the most important players in the booming IT and Internet investment scene, founding and investing in companies globally, including the USA, Europe, Russia, India and Southeast Asia.

About Michael Dhulst

Michael Dhulst is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Super League Triathlon. With over 10 years’ experience as an executive in purchasing, sales and business development for a multinational automotive industry giant, Michael brings to Super League his commercial acumen and expertise, as well as his passion for triathlon and vision for presenting the sport in an engaging and inspiring format for spectators and participants alike. He has competed in over 70 international races, and qualified for the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii in 2011, having won within his age group in Ironman Korea.

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18 March

A QUICK GUIDE TO THE EQUALIZER FORMAT

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.

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17 March

A QUICK GUIDE TO THE TRIPLE MIX FORMAT

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.

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16 March

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.

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10 March

AUSSIE CONTINGENT TO TAKE ON THE WORLD AT SUPER LEAGUE TRIATHLON HAMILTON ISLAND

AUSTRALIAN CONTINGENT SET TO TAKE ON THE WORLD AT SUPER LEAGUE TRIATHLON HAMILTON ISLAND

Singapore (March 10, 2017) - With the clock counting down to Super League Hamilton Island, a speedy and youthful Australian short-course contingent looks forward to taking on the world in their own back yard.

Two of the young Aussies, Ryan Fisher and Ryan Bailie, were on the country’s Rio Olympics triathlon squad, while a third, Jake Birtwhistle, just narrowly missed selection.

Birtwhistle is the youngest at 22 years of age, but this U23 world champion is out to prove a point. After not being picked for Rio because the selectors thought the hilly race would not suit his strengths, Birtwhistle beat world champions Javier Gomez and Jonathan Brownlee at the French Grand Prix race in Dunkerque and took second behind Mario Mola at the sprint-distance WTS Hamburg, beating Fisher and Bailie across the line. It was the best an Australian man had finished in a World Triathlon Series race since 2011.

“The great thing about Super League Triathlon is that it is totally new for this generation of triathletes,” said Birtwhistle, whose speed on the run is said to take after Jonathan Brownlee.

“To follow in the footsteps of someone like Jonny is something I can take a bit of confidence from and move forward with that. No one has much experience racing events like this. The top guys of ITU or long course won’t necessarily be the top guys of Super League Triathlon.”

Birtwhistle has been preparing based out of New South Wales with the famous Wollongong Wizards squad alongside Bailie.

Bailie has been eyed by fellow competitors as one to watch out for on the Equalizer, a two-stage event which features an opening stage individual cycling time trial whose winner (the “King of the Hill”) can set up a time advantage for the second stage swim-run-swim-bike-run.

Bailie said, “People will probably look at me and think, ‘You’re a slight kind of guy’ and can’t put the power down compared to some of the Ironman guys, but the stage is still quite short. And once we get to the hill I think that’s where I’ll be able to take advantage. I’m not scared to be aggressive on the bike and just go for it.”

Fisher, the younger of the two Ryans, does most of his training on the Gold Coast and may be the best- acclimated of them all. “I haven’t really changed my training structure too much from normal but have added a few more elements of speed than what I would usually do,” he said. “I might throw in a few shorter swim/bike/runs with a short rest before going again just to try and simulate the Super League style of racing a bit more.”

Proving Super League Triathlon’s commitment to helping the sport develop, one of Australia’s most promising juniors has been brought on board. Matt Hauser has won the Australian Junior Triathlon Series twice and the Oceania Junior Championships four times. Named part of the Australian Commonwealth Games NextGen squad, he has set his sights on a Tokyo 2020 Olympic berth -- but first must test his mettle against the big shots. Where better than Super League Triathlon?

“Although I've got major respect for the professionals I'll be up against, I won't be turning up to be intimidated,” said Hauser. “I've got no pressure and no expectations; I just can't wait for some hard honest racing. It's a massive opportunity, a fantastic initiative!”

While Australians make up a sizeable percentage of Super League Triathlon athletes (long-course athlete Josh Amberger is also on board), that doesn’t necessarily mean they will be working together to ensure an Australian finishes on top. They are taking a wait-and-see attitude, especially with the new formats and style of racing. Bailie said, “I’m sure I might have a quick word with Jake, or Fisher to see if we can get some sort of advantage but very much when you start it’s all for yourself.”

Birtwhistle concurred, “I think if the opportunity arises we could work together, but I can’t imagine there being a set plan of attack. I don’t think that would work here, everything is going to be so fast and unexpected. You just have to be there and be ready to go with the moves and pick the right times to take matters into your own hands and take the race up the road.”

Fisher only had two words for his fellow competitors: “Be ready.”

Super League Triathlon Hamilton Island will be broadcast live on www.superleaguetriathlon.com on 17-19 March 2017 from 1630 AEST.

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14 March

BEHIND THE RACE NUMBERS

A LOOK INSIDE SUPER LEAGUE TRIATHLON'S RACE NUMBERS

Hamilton Island, Australia (March 13, 2017) - Race numbers are a unique aspect of Super League Triathlon. Unlike other events that assign numbers only for the duration of a race, Super League Triathlon race numbers serve to identify each athlete across each race throughout the series much like football and basketball stars are identified by and associated with the numbers they wear on their jerseys.

Each athlete racing Super League Triathlon has picked a race number that holds personal significance for them.

Javier Gomez picked the number 1, painting a giant target on his back at which all his competitors will take aim.

In response, Alistair Brownlee picked 23, which is a famous number familiar to many sports fans; the weighty number has been worn by Michael Jordan and David Beckham, two of the greatest sportsmen in the world who transcended their sports to receive general renown. He added, “It is the date of my birthday [23 April], and it is St. George’s Day -- I’m a proud Englishman.”

A few athletes chose numbers worn by their favorite players from other sports. Richard Varga picked 12, the number of his favorite ice hockey player, Peter Bondra, who scored the final goal for Slovakia against Russia to win the world championship in 2002.

Jonathan Brownlee made a football connection when he chose the number 5. “[Zinedine] Zidane wore it at Real Madrid, Lucas Radebe wore it at Leeds United, and it was my number for football,” he said.

Thirteen is normally considered unlucky, but Terenzo Bozzone draws strength from it. “My birthday is the first day (1) of the third month (March), which is 13,” he said. “Also, being a member of the thirteen best triathletes in the world on the Bahrain Endurance 13 team means a lot to me.”

Ryan Bailie and Jake Birtwhistle are numbers 39 and 44 respectively because they are the 39th and 44th male to represent Australia at a triathlon world championship event.

Other number choices reveal whimsy. Brent McMahon’s number 83 is simply a stylized “B” and “M”, his initials.

Siggy Ragnarsson describes his number 57 as seemingly random. He revealed, “I like how it’s made up from two prime numbers 5 and 7 as well as being a product of two prime numbers 3 and 19.”

Ben Shaw picked 73 for similar reasons. “Seventy-three is the 21st prime number. Its mirror 37 is the 12th. Its mirror, 21, is the product of multiplying 7 and 3, and in binary 73 is a palindrome 1001001, which is the same number backwards.” It incidentally was also Super League Triathlon founder Chris McCormack’s race number on his test jersey.

Richard Murray had secret agent James Bond on the brain when he picked his number. He said, “Seven is a lucky number for me. 007 would be better.”

Dmitry Polyanskiy is number 77, thanks to numerology. “The principal importance of 7 is achievement of the goal. And two sevens are considered a happy number.”

His brother Igor also chose another repeating number, saying, “Eleven symbolizes for me two first places -- two more chances of a victory!”

Jorik van Egdom’s number 21 has personal significance. “That’s exactly the number of seconds I finished in front of the runner-up in the U23 World Championships 2016. I am also currently 21 years old.”

Eight is considered a lucky number, and Cameron Dye and Alessandro Fabian are numbers 08 and 88 respectively.

“Eight has been my lucky number since playing little league when I was a kid,” said Dye. “It was my number for swimming in college, and as my kids know if they are picking a number in my head it will have an 8 in it.”

Fabian was born in 1988. He also noted the similarity of the number 8 to the infinity symbol, “Eighty-eight are two infinity symbols on their side.”

Whether the athletes chose their numbers due to personal significance, superstition, or a connection to their sports heroes, one thing’s for sure: you’ll be seeing these numbers again and again.

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17 March

BONUS PRIMES #SUPERLUCKY #SUPERUNLUCKY TO BE AWARDED

BIESTMILCH TO PRESENT AWARDS FOR THE #SUPERLUCKY AND #SUPERUNLUCKY

We're excited to announce two awards based on fan votes. #SUPERLUCKY or #SUPERUNLUCKY

These awards are presented by our sponsor Biestmilch. After each race, post #SUPERLUCKY or #SUPERUNLUCKY and the athlete’s name on Facebook or Twitter. At the end of the weekend, two $1000 awards will be given.

"Luck & Bad Luck are companions athletes know too well. They are always with them. Even the best of training, the best of performance can not control this fluffy something which is with us our whole life.

"This prime is the out-of-band award for the two athletes who have been caught up in this uncontrollable thing we call luck or bad luck. Everybody in the race has the chance to win either award." - Biestmilch

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22 April

Brothers-in-Arms: The Varga-Salvisberg Story

Many of our Super League Triathlon athletes came up through the ITU system together. On Super League Hamilton Island weekend Richard Varga (#12) had a constant shadow in the form of Andrea Salvisberg (#69), and for good reason. The two have been racing each other since 2006 and nearly always alongside each other as their abilities are nearly matched.

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.

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10 March

GOMEZ AND MOLA FACE OFF AT SUPER LEAGUE HAMILTON ISLAND

Singapore (March 10, 2017) - Fresh off the World Triathlon Series race in Abu Dhabi, Javier Gomez Noya and Mario Mola Diaz will once again face off at Super League Hamilton Island to be the fastest not just among Spaniards but among the world’s best in the three-day event.

Gomez needs no introduction: the five-time ITU world champion and Olympic silver medalist was knocked out of contending at the Rio Olympics due to a broken elbow, but his winning performance at the standard-distance WTS Abu Dhabi shows he is back in top form. Can he convert this fitness towards the supersprint distances at Super League Triathlon?

He said, “There is not much time in between races after ITU Abu Dhabi. My plan is to be settled in Sydney before flying to Hamilton for the race. Hopefully I will find some rigorous hill in Sydney to get ready for Hamilton pain in paradise.”

Mola gained the number one ranking and ITU World Champion status last year with a dominating four wins out of seven starts. But the mantle of world champion rests easy on him, and according to him he is going into Super League with no pressure. He said, “It is said that it hardest to keep winning than win for first time. Let’s see how it goes. I would even say that pressure was hardest before... I feel released right now.”

Both athletes are known for a run-dominant race strategy; Super League Triathlon will be a new challenge with its formats that throw the traditional swim-bike-run order out the window. Gomez said, “I try to win most of my races on the last leg of the triathlon. The most exciting thing of Super League Triathlon is the new format. It’s gonna be fun and really tough.”

Mola will get hot off the blocks with the first day’s Triple Mix, a three-stage format where the swim, bike, and run are presented in varying order at each stage, with time bonuses awarded for the fastest swimmer, biker, and runner in each stage. “I will be able to cut off or win time in the run if everything goes well,” said the owner of the fastest run split in the history of the World Triathlon Series.

However, he knows performance must be consistent over the course of the event. “Even if the races are short, endurance will be even more important than being very fast over three days of racing.”

Gomez noted the unpredictability of each of Super League Triathlon’s unique formats. “To be honest I do not know which of the formats will play to my strengths. Maybe the Equalizer as it might be the hardest of the three, but it will not be known until we race for the first time,” he said. Still, he looks forward to

competing head-to-head with his fellow competitors, knowing he has a target on his back. “I want to demonstrate that Number 01 on my race kit is a well-deserved number.”

Super League Hamilton Island will be broadcast live on www.superleaguetriathlon.com on 17-19 March 2017 from 1630 AEST.

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10 March

HOW AND WHERE TO WATCH SUPER LEAGUE TRIATHLON HAMILTON ISLAND

Excitement is building around the first Super League Triathlon race on Hamilton Island on 17-19 March 2017. 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. We’re committed to setting the gold standard experience for age groupers, professional athletes, and fans alike.

Super League Triathlon offers incredible TV and digital content output with our live race day television broadcasts, live race day digital streaming, and Video on Demand content. Super League Triathlon catapults triathlon into the hearts, minds, and living rooms of triathlon and sports fans worldwide.

Here’s how to watch Super League Triathlon wherever you are in the world.

ONLINE STREAMING

International

The Live shows will be repeated throughout the day on www.superleaguetriathlon.com for all three days of racing. Each day’s live program will repeat all day long at www.superleaguetriathlon.com, so you can watch it again and again and at a time convenient to you!

Date	Time (*AEST)	Live/Repeat	Episode	Format
Friday, 17 March	1630	Live	Day 1	Triple Mix
Friday, 17 March	1930	Repeat (on loop)	Day 1	Triple Mix
Saturday, 18 March	1630	Live	Day 2	Equalizer
Saturday, 18 March	1930	Repeat (on loop)	Day 2	Equalizer
Sunday, 19 March	1630	Live	Day 3	Eliminator
Sunday, 19 March	1930	Repeat (on loop)	Day 3	Eliminator

* Australian Eastern Standard Time

Europe

Each day’s episode will be available On Demand on Eurosport Player beginning with the commencement of live broadcasts on Eurosport.

Date	Available on (CET)	Episode	Format
Friday, 17 March	0730 onwards	Day 1	Triple Mix
Saturday, 18 March	0730 onwards	Day 2	Equalizer
Sunday, 19 March	0730 onwards	Day 3	Eliminator

TELEVISION

Catch the action on television through the following providers in their corresponding regions.

Australia

On race weekend, Fox Sports Australia will air live and repeat broadcasts from Hamilton Island. Repeat air dates and channels are also shown in the complete listings below.

Date	Time (AEST)	Live/Repeat	Channel	Episode	Format
Friday, 17 March	1730	Live	FOX 3	Day 1	Triple Mix
Friday, 17 March	2300	Repeat	FOX 4	Day 1	Triple Mix
Saturday, 18 March	1630	Repeat	FOX 3	Day 1	Triple Mix
	1730	Live	FOX 3	Day 2	Equalizer
	2330	Repeat	FOX 4	Day 2	Equalizer
Sunday, 19 March	1630	Repeat	FOX 3	Day 2	Equalizer
	1730	Live	FOX 3	Day 3	Eliminator
	2300	Repeat	FOX 1	Day 3	Eliminator
Wednesday, 22 March	0400	Repeat	FOX 2/FOX 4	Day 1	Triple Mix
	0500	Repeat	FOX 4	Day 2	Equalizer
	0600	Repeat	FOX 4	Day 3	Eliminator
Thursday, 23 March	0500	Repeat	FOX 3	Day 2	Equalizer
Friday, 24 March	0600	Repeat	FOX 4	Day 3	Eliminator
Saturday, 25 March	0200	Repeat	FOX 4	Day 1	Triple Mix
	0300	Repeat	FOX 4	Day 2	Equalizer
	0400	Repeat	FOX 4	Day 3	Eliminator

* Australian Eastern Standard Time

New Zealand

Sky New Zealand has exclusive airing rights for Super League Triathlon. Catch the live and repeat broadcasts over race weekend and the highlights show on these dates and times.

Date	Time (NZST)	Live/Repeat	Channel	Episode	Format
Friday, 17 March	1930	Live	Sky Sport 5	Day 1	Triple Mix
Saturday, 18 March	1730	Repeat	Sky Sport 5	Day 1	Triple Mix
Saturday, 18 March	1930	Live	Sky Sport 5	Day 2	Equalizer
Sunday, 19 March	1930	Live	Sky Sport 1	Day 3	Eliminator
Monday, 20 March	0600	Repeat	Sky Sport 1	Day 3	Eliminator
Thursday, 23 March	2030	Highlights	Sky Sport 4	Highlights	Highlights
Friday, 24 March	0230	Highlights	Sky Sport 2	Highlights	Highlights
Friday, 24 March	1605	Highlights	Sky Sport 4	Highlights	Highlights
Saturday, 25 March	0000	Highlights	Sky Sport 3	Highlights	Highlights

Europe

Eurosport will carry Super League Triathlon live on Eurosport 1 on all three days.

Each day’s episode will also be available On Demand on Eurosport Player beginning with the commencement of live broadcasts on Eurosport.

Date	Time (CET)	Live/On Demand	Channel	Episode	Format
Friday, 17 March	0730	Live	Eurosport 1	Day 1	Triple Mix
Friday, 17 March	0730 onwards	On Demand	Eurosport Player	Day 1	Triple Mix
Saturday, 18 March	0730	Live	Eurosport 1	Day 2	Equalizer
Saturday, 18 March	0730 onwards	On Demand	Eurosport Player	Day 2	Equalizer
Sunday, 19 March	0730	Live	Eurosport 1	Day 3	Eliminator
Sunday, 19 March	0730 onwards	On Demand	Eurosport Player	Day 3	Eliminator

Iceland

With Iceland’s first professional triathlete Siggy Ragnarsson competing, Iceland’s triathlon fans are in for a treat. Siminn will broadcast live and repeat coverage.

Date	Time (GMT)	Live/Repeat	Episode	Format
Friday, 17 March	0630	Live	Day 1	Triple Mix
Friday, 17 March	1100	Repeat	Day 1	Triple Mix
Saturday, 18 March	0630	Live	Day 2	Equalizer
Saturday, 18 March	1100	Repeat	Day 2	Equalizer
Sunday, 19 March	0630	Live	Day 3	Eliminator
Sunday, 19 March	1100	Repeat	Day 3	Eliminator
Friday, 24 March	1900	Highlights	Highlights	Highlights

Asia

Fox Sports Asia will air Super League Triathlon live on Fox Sports and Star Sports China. A highlights show will also be available.

Cambodia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia, Myanmar,

Papua New Guinea, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

Date	Time (HKT/ICT)	Live/Repeat	Channel	Episode	Format
Friday, 17 March	1430/1330	Live	Fox Sports 2 NPL	Day 1	Triple Mix
Saturday, 18 March	1430/1330	Live	Fox Sports 2 NPL	Day 2	Equalizer
Sunday, 19 March	1430/1330	Live	Fox Sports 2 NPL	Day 3	Eliminator

Malaysia and Brunei

Date	Time (SGT)	Live/Highlights	Channel	Episode	Format
Friday, 17 March	1430	Live	Fox Sports 2 Malaysia	Day 1	Triple Mix
Saturday, 18 March	1430	Live	Fox Sports 2 Malaysia	Day 2	Equalizer
Sunday, 19 March	1430	Live	Fox Sports 2 Malaysia	Day 3	Eliminator
Wednesday, 29 March	2230	Highlights	Fox Sports 2 Malaysia	Highlights	Highlights

China and Korea

Date	Time (SGT)	Live/Highlights	Channel	Episode	Format
Friday, 17 March	1430	Live	Star Sports China	Day 1	Triple Mix
Saturday, 18 March	1430	Live	Star Sports China	Day 2	Equalizer
Sunday, 19 March	1430	Live	Star Sports China	Day 3	Eliminator
Friday, 31 March	1300	Highlights	Star Sports China	Highlights	Highlights
Saturday, 1 April	0500	Highlights	Star Sports China	Highlights	Highlights

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19 April

New Kid on the Block: Matt Hauser

When Super League Hamilton Island first aired, there were plenty of questions about the athletes wearing white suits in contrast to the yellow suits the others wore. These were junior athletes invited to compete alongside the best in the world to expose them to world-class racing. One of them, Matt Hauser, would race against them for his first World Triathlon Series race on the Gold Coast a month later.

“I'd only just heard about the competition on Hamilton Island and my Coach Dan Atkins and I were saying to ourselves just how awesome it would be to experience this revolutionary genre of racing,” he said. “I got off the plane after traveling to Perth to defend my Oceania Junior Title and the phone rang with [Super League Triathlon co-founder] Chris McCormack on the other line. The idea of racing some of my idols didn't really sink in until I touched down on the island.”

Having been named to the Australian Commonwealth Games NextGen squad, Hauser is one of Australia’s best emerging talents. He has won the Australian Junior Triathlon Series twice and the Oceania Junior Triathlon Championships four times. As Australian junior champion he automatically qualified for the ITU Grand Final in Cozumel, where he finished fifth junior in the world.

At Super League Hamilton Island, Hauser finished 13th in the field beating out more experienced competitors. The performance exceeded his own expectations. He said, “I came into the weekend knowing that it was going to be one of the toughest weekends I would face. I was aiming to get at least a top 15 and get contracted for the series. To get 13th made me proud. I felt like I got stronger mentally and physically as the weekend wore on.”

Racing against athletes he looked up to also prepared him for his debut on the WTS circuit. “I simply learnt that the triathletes I've watched on TV from a young age sweat and suffer just like I do. They are human,” he said. “The thing that Super League Triathlon has done for me has certainly granted me more confidence and taught me to feel comfortable amongst world-class company. It's almost fast-forwarded the process for me.”

Hauser is working toward a berth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and will be racing more, even while juggling a degree in Business at Griffith University. “Next up for me is Chengdu World Cup, followed by a small break. Then I'll hope to chase a few more WTS starts later on in the year before lining up for the Junior World Championships in September. I also hope to continue racing the Super League Triathlon series from October through to next year.”

photo by Delly Carr

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24 March

SUCCESSFUL DEBUT FOR SUPER LEAGUE TRIATHLON

A SUCCESSFUL DEBUT FOR SUPER LEAGUE TRIATHLON

Singapore (March 24, 2017) - The world marked a new era in triathlon history with the debut of Super League Triathlon on Hamilton Island, Australia last weekend. Super League Hamilton Island broke new ground by pitting 24 of the world’s best athletes against each other across super-sprint distances of 300-meter swims, 6-kilometer cycle legs, and 2-kilometer runs in action-packed and television-friendly formats.

Simultaneous live broadcasts, as well as live streaming, brought unprecedented exposure. Super League Triathlon’s official live broadcast partners included Eurosport (UK and Europe), Siminn (Iceland), Fox Sports in Asia and Australia, SuperSport (South Africa), beIN Sports (USA and Canada), the Bike Channel (Italy), Tencent (China) and Sky Sports (New Zealand), which resulted in 110 airings of live programs and replays across the event weekend reaching millions across the globe. A 49-minute event highlights program is being distributed to 43 networks, reaching 388 million households, for airing from March 25, 2017.

Super League Triathlon also innovated with interactive live coverage between races with Facebook Live, Instagram stories, live race streaming on Facebook and the Super League Triathlon website, and uploaded highlights and full race coverage to YouTube to reach close to one million combined views and still counting.

New viewers and hardcore fanatics found themselves glued to their screens over the three days of racing that resulted in South Africa’s Richard Murray (#07) taking the overall win.

Day 1 of racing featured the Triple Mix format in which competitors faced each other across three stages of swimming, cycling, and running in different orders, with a bonus of five seconds off their total times for the stage winners as well as for the first finishers of the swim in Stage 1, the run in Stage 2, and the cycle in Stage 3. Australian Jake Birtwhistle (#44), the 2015 Under-23 triathlon world champion, claimed Stage 1’s swim-bike-run, with Richard Varga (#12) of Slovakia claiming the swim prime. Varga then swam his way to victory in the final leg of Stage 2’s run-bike-swim, although it was Birtwhistle who claimed the run prime. Stage 3 saw Andrea Salvisberg (#69) of Switzerland claim the bike prime. Murray (#07) stayed in contention coming onto the run in eighth place, then unleashed his foot speed to overtake eventual second placed Varga and third placed Ryan Bailie (#39) of Australia.

Despite Varga’s total bonus of ten seconds, Murray’s total time of 1:05:31 was still 12 seconds faster than Varga’s adjusted time of 1:05:43. Bailie logged a total time of 1:05:44. Murray gained the maximum number of 20 points for his Triple Mix win, with Varga and Bailie logging 18 points and 16 points respectively.

Day 2 began early for the two-stage Equalizer format. The Stage 1 six-kilometer cycling time trial in the morning would determine the start order for the afternoon’s swim-run-swim-bike-run sequence. Cameron Dye (#08) of the USA was King of the Hill, setting the fastest time from the runway of Hamilton Island Airport all the way up the island’s highest road on One Tree Hill. Dye started with an advantage over the field, however, Murray bridged the time deficit in the first half of Stage 2 and once again tore through on the run to take the Equalizer win. Birtwhistle placed second and Mola third. This result allowed Mola to move up the overall leaderboard to second with 31 points, and relegated Varga to third overall with 30 points. Murray still led comfortably with 40 points.

Day 3 saw action over the three-stage Eliminator format. The goal was simple: swim, bike, run, and avoid getting eliminated. Only the top 15 finishers of Stage 1 went into Stage 2, and only the top 10 finishers of Stage 2 had the opportunity to battle it out for the day’s win in Stage 3. Kristian Blummenfelt (#02) of Norway went full-gas and topped Stage 1 and 2, with Bailie, Birtwhistle, Murray, South African Henri Schoeman (#04), Mola, Gomez, Polyansky, Ryan Fisher (#10), and Varga making up the final field of ten for Stage 3. Here Birtwhistle shone through with a powerful sprint on the final lap of the run leaving Murray and Mola in his wake to win the Eliminator and log a total of 48 points to edge Varga out of the overall top three. Mola took second and ended Day 3 with 49 points. However, Murray was the big winner of day three, with his third-place finish in the Eliminator securing the overall win and the AUD $100,000 first prize purse.

Post-race, Murray said, “Wow. Just wow. The most enjoyable, refreshing, and energizing racing I've done ever. Super League Triathlon has raised the game in triathlon. Chris McCormack, sir, you rock. And to your team, thanks to everyone who contributed and helped.”

Gomez, who had been a pre-race favorite but finished in sixth overall, had the same sentiments. “Athletes were treated like true professionals and organizers did an amazing job, taking our sport to a different level,” he said.

Super League Hamilton Island was attended by a veritable who’s who of world sport, including Australian sports icon, super swimmer and five-time Olympic champion Ian Thorpe, Formula One driver Marcus Ericsson, and Paris Roubaix champion and Olympic gold medalist Stuart O’Grady. Triathlon greats Spencer Smith and Brad Bevan were given a special role to lead the Triple Mix Stage 2 opening run through the neutral zone. Beijing Olympic triathlon gold medalist Emma Snowsill-Frodeno was part of the studio commentating team, and three-time Tour de France green jersey winner Robbie McEwen acted as on-course commentator and led Triple Mix Stage 3’s opening bike leg through its first lap. Multiple Ironman 70.3 champion Sarah Crowley flew in from her base in Brisbane just to watch a new era dawn in triathlon.

Hamilton Island’s climate and topography played a major role in the race weekend’s dynamics with athletes coming from cooler climes struggling in the heat and humidity, and Ireland’s Ben Shaw (#73) crashing twice on the technical bike course. Its native wildlife also came to join the action, with a wallaby bounding up One Tree Hill in the middle of the Equalizer individual time trial.

In all, Super League Hamilton Island was deemed a smashing success, with future races in the series already in the works. Super League Triathlon co-founders Chris McCormack, Michael D’Hulst, and Leonid Boguslavsky were extremely pleased with the positive reception.

Boguslavsky praised the race organization team headed by Shane Smith and the media content team led by Trent Taylor. “All athletes appreciated how they were treated, including consultation on aspects of the event, and audiences loved what they saw on TV and online,” he said.

D’Hulst added, “I’m excited to see our vision come to life and this wouldn’t have been possible without the support of a very passionate and committed team and partners. Super League Hamilton Island put us on the map to begin a revolution of the sport from athletes for athletes!”

McCormack concluded, “We want triathlon to be exciting, innovative, and entertaining -- this is critical for any sport’s survival in this era. I believe Super League Triathlon will lead the way for professional triathlon racing in this capacity. That is what we set out to do with Super League Triathlon, we accomplished that on Hamilton Island, and this is only the beginning.”

**photo by Delly Carr

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18 March

Super League Hamilton Island Day 1 Colour Reel

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18 March

Super League Hamilton Island Day 1: THRILLS AND SPILLS AS MURRAY TOPS TRIPLE MIX

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.

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17 March

Super League Hamilton Island Day 1 Triple Mix [FULL SHOW]

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18 March

Super League Hamilton Island Day 1 Triple Mix Official Results

SUPER LEAGUE HAMILTON ISLAND TRIPLE MIX RESULTS

Stage 1 - Swim Bike Run

Race #	NAME	SWIM	T1	BIKE	T2	RUN	STATUS	Gun time	Finish time	Overall position
44	Jake Birtwhistle	00:03:32	00:00:23	00:11:15	00:00:16	00:06:15	Finished	16:50:00	00:21:44	1
3	Mario Mola Diaz	00:03:31	00:00:26	00:11:13	00:00:16	00:06:17	Finished	16:50:00	00:21:45	2
7	Richard Murray	00:03:36	00:00:23	00:11:12	00:00:16	00:06:19	Finished	16:50:00	00:21:47	3
2	Kristian Blummenfelt	00:03:33	00:00:25	00:11:09	00:00:17	00:06:22	Finished	16:50:00	00:21:48	4
1	Javier Gomez	00:03:34	00:00:25	00:11:10	00:00:15	00:06:22	Finished	16:50:00	00:21:49	5
39	Ryan Bailie	00:03:36	00:00:24	00:11:09	00:00:17	00:06:25	Finished	16:50:00	00:21:54	6
10	Ryan Fisher	00:03:30	00:00:26	00:11:12	00:00:14	00:06:36	Finished	16:50:00	00:22:00	7
12	Richard Varga	00:03:21	00:00:28	00:11:20	00:00:18	00:06:37	Finished	16:50:00	00:22:05	8
88	Alessandro Fabian	00:03:33	00:00:25	00:11:11	00:00:15	00:06:40	Finished	16:50:00	00:22:07	9
69	Andrea Salvisberg	00:03:29	00:00:28	00:11:14	00:00:14	00:06:43	Finished	16:50:00	00:22:10	10
6	Crisanto Grajales	00:03:33	00:00:23	00:11:15	00:00:16	00:06:47	Finished	16:50:00	00:22:16	11
4	Henri Schoeman	00:03:26	00:00:25	00:11:20	00:00:15	00:06:52	Finished	16:50:00	00:22:20	12
83	Brent McMahon	00:03:36	00:00:24	00:11:23	00:00:24	00:06:42	Finished	16:50:00	00:22:31	13
33	Matthew Hauser	00:03:32	00:00:24	00:11:38	00:00:14	00:06:55	Finished	16:50:00	00:22:46	14
27	Josh Amberger	00:03:30	00:00:26	00:11:13	00:00:17	00:07:22	Finished	16:50:00	00:22:50	15
11	Igor Polyanskiy	00:03:29	00:00:25	00:11:19	00:00:18	00:07:23	Finished	16:50:00	00:22:56	16
73	Ben Shaw	00:03:31	00:00:22	00:11:39	00:00:17	00:07:10	Finished	16:50:00	00:23:01	17
22	Daniel Hoy	00:03:37	00:00:25	00:11:32	00:00:19	00:07:11	Finished	16:50:00	00:23:06	18
23	Alistair Brownlee	00:03:35	00:00:24	00:11:14	00:00:20	00:07:34	Finished	16:50:00	00:23:08	19
13	Terenzo Bozzone	00:03:35	00:00:25	00:11:50	00:00:18	00:07:17	Finished	16:50:00	00:23:27	20
8	Cameron Dye	00:03:36	00:00:26	00:11:42	00:00:18	00:07:28	Finished	16:50:00	00:23:31	21
77	Dmitry Polyanskiy	00:03:27	00:00:25	00:12:02	00:00:15	00:07:23	Finished	16:50:00	00:23:34	22
57	Sigurdur Orn Ragnarsson	00:03:33	00:00:28				Withdrawn during race	16:50:00
21	Jorik Van Egdom						Pre-race withdrawal	16:50:00

Stage 2 - Run Bike Swim

Race #	Name	RUN	T1	BIKE	T2	SWIM	STATUS	Gun time	Finish time	Overall position
12	Richard Varga	00:06:39	00:00:14	00:11:22	00:00:12	00:04:10	Finished	17:22:46	00:22:37	1
69	Andrea Salvisberg	00:06:38	00:00:17	00:11:19	00:00:12	00:04:11	Finished	17:22:46	00:22:39	2
11	Igor Polyanskiy	00:06:43	00:00:16	00:11:18	00:00:13	00:04:13	Finished	17:22:46	00:22:45	3
39	Ryan Bailie	00:06:38	00:00:16	00:11:10	00:00:15	00:04:24	Finished	17:22:46	00:22:45	4
10	Ryan Fisher	00:06:37	00:00:15	00:11:10	00:00:12	00:04:29	Finished	17:22:46	00:22:46	5
88	Alessandro Fabian	00:06:39	00:00:16	00:11:19	00:00:14	00:04:18	Finished	17:22:46	00:22:48	6
7	Richard Murray	00:06:38	00:00:18	00:11:20	00:00:16	00:04:16	Finished	17:22:46	00:22:49	7
83	Brent McMahon	00:06:38	00:00:16	00:11:20	00:00:13	00:04:23	Finished	17:22:46	00:22:52	8
1	Javier Gomez	00:06:37	00:00:15	00:11:23	00:00:14	00:04:24	Finished	17:22:46	00:22:54	9
6	Crisanto Grajales	00:06:37	00:00:15	00:11:24	00:00:14	00:04:30	Finished	17:22:46	00:23:02	10
3	Mario Mola	00:06:37	00:00:18	00:11:21	00:00:14	00:04:30	Finished	17:22:46	00:23:02	11
73	Ben Shaw	00:06:30	00:00:19	00:11:17	00:00:14	00:04:44	Finished	17:22:46	00:23:06	12
44	Jake Birtwhistle	00:06:30	00:00:14	00:11:33	00:00:14	00:04:36	Finished	17:22:46	00:23:09	13
2	Kristian Blummenfelt	00:06:36	00:00:17	00:11:23	00:00:13	00:04:39	Finished	17:22:46	00:23:11	14
33	Matthew Hauser	00:06:41	00:00:15	00:11:39	00:00:13	00:04:26	Finished	17:22:46	00:23:16	15
27	Josh Amberger	00:06:57	00:00:17	00:11:21	00:00:16	00:04:38	Finished	17:22:46	00:23:31	16
4	Henri Schoeman	00:06:39	00:00:18	00:11:53	00:00:13	00:04:40	Finished	17:22:46	00:23:45	17
23	Alistair Brownlee	00:06:45	00:00:16	00:12:02	00:00:12	00:05:02	Finished	17:22:46	00:24:20	18
8	Cameron Dye	00:07:16	00:00:17	00:12:03	00:00:14	00:04:36	Finished	17:22:46	00:24:27	19
22	Daniel Hoy	00:06:55	00:00:17	00:12:09	00:00:15	00:04:50	Finished	17:22:46	00:24:28	20
13	Terenzo Bozzone	00:07:24	00:00:17				Withdrawn during race	17:22:46
77	Dmitry Polyanskiy	00:07:22	00:00:17				Withdrawn during race	17:22:46
21	Jorik Van Egdom						Pre-race withdrawal	17:22:46
57	Sigurdur Orn Ragnarsson						Pre-race withdrawal	17:22:46

Stage 3 - Bike Swim Run

Race #	Name	BIKE	T1	SWIM	T2	RUN	STATUS	Gun time	Finish time	Overall position
7	Richard Murray	00:11:23	00:00:12	00:04:01	00:00:10	00:06:51	Finished	17:53:26	00:22:39	1
12	Richard Varga	00:11:22	00:00:11	00:03:53	00:00:11	00:07:09	Finished	17:53:26	00:22:48	2
39	Ryan Bailie	00:11:07	00:00:13	00:04:11	00:00:12	00:07:04	Finished	17:53:26	00:22:49	3
11	Igor Polyanskiy	00:11:22	00:00:11	00:03:55	00:00:11	00:07:11	Finished	17:53:26	00:22:52	4
3	Mario Mola	00:11:25	00:00:12	00:04:10	00:00:11	00:06:59	Finished	17:53:26	00:22:59	5
88	Alessandro Fabian	00:11:21	00:00:12	00:04:05	00:00:12	00:07:13	Finished	17:53:26	00:23:05	6
33	Matthew Hauser	00:11:26	00:00:12	00:04:07	00:00:11	00:07:11	Finished	17:53:26	00:23:08	7
83	Brent McMahon	00:11:18	00:00:12	00:04:17	00:00:11	00:07:09	Finished	17:53:26	00:23:10	8
77	Dmitry Polyanskiy	00:11:28	00:00:12	00:04:13	00:00:13	00:07:03	Finished	17:53:26	00:23:11	9
6	Crisanto Grajales	00:11:25	00:00:13	00:04:22	00:00:12	00:06:59	Finished	17:53:26	00:23:14	10
10	Ryan Fisher	00:11:25	00:00:12	00:04:06	00:00:11	00:07:19	Finished	17:53:26	00:23:15	11
1	Javier Gomez	00:11:24	00:00:13	00:04:15	00:00:12	00:07:11	Finished	17:53:26	00:23:17	12
69	Andrea Salvisberg	00:11:05	00:00:12	00:04:10	00:00:12	00:07:35	Finished	17:53:26	00:23:17	13
13	Terenzo Bozzone	00:11:26	00:00:13	00:04:09	00:00:12	00:07:26	Finished	17:53:26	00:23:28	14
22	Daniel Hoy	00:11:25	00:00:14	00:04:20	00:00:11	00:07:21	Finished	17:53:26	00:23:34	15
27	Josh Amberger	00:11:07	00:00:15	00:04:18	00:00:12	00:07:44	Finished	17:53:26	00:23:38	16
44	Jake Birtwhistle	00:11:28	00:00:13	00:04:17	00:00:12	00:07:30	Finished	17:53:26	00:23:41	17
4	Henri Schoeman	00:11:26	00:00:11	00:04:12	00:00:15	00:08:14	Finished	17:53:26	00:24:20	18
8	Cameron Dye	00:11:28	00:00:13	00:04:10	00:00:13	00:08:14	Finished	17:53:26	00:24:20	19
2	Kristian Blummenfelt	00:11:23	00:00:13	00:04:19	00:00:12	00:08:22	Finished	17:53:26	00:24:32	20
23	Alistair Brownlee	00:11:50	00:00:14	00:04:38	00:00:13	00:10:14	Finished	17:53:26	00:27:10	21
73	Ben Shaw						Withdrawn during race	17:53:26
21	Jorik Van Egdom						Pre-race withdrawal	17:53:26
57	Sigurdur Orn Ragnarsson						Pre-race withdrawal	17:53:26

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18 March

Super League Hamilton Island Day 2: DYE GAINS POLE POSITION WITH EQUALIZER STAGE 1 WIN

Dye Gains Pole Position with Equalizer Stage 1 Win

Hamilton Island, Australia (March 18, 2017) - Athletes scorched the tarmac this morning in the Stage 1 individual time trial of the Equalizer at Super League Hamilton Island. Cameron Dye (#08) laid down the fastest bike split, with a provisional time of 9 minutes and 40 seconds over the six-kilometer bike course starting from Hamilton Island Airport all the way up to One Tree Hill.

In the final 1.4 kilometres of the Equalizer time trial course, athletes were grinding uphill on ascents with a maximum gradient of 24.4 percent, gaining 121 metres in elevation.

While Dye finished in 18th place yesterday in the Triple Mix format, thanks to his stage win in the Equalizer he will now go first in this afternoon’s Stage 2 swim-run-swim-bike-run. The rest of the athletes will follow according to their finish times in a pursuit format. Yesterday’s overall leader Richard Murray (#07) will start 20 seconds back in seventh position. Mario Mola (#03) and Javier Gomez (#01) are separated by just one second in tenth and 11th place respectively. Alistair Brownlee (#23) is way back in 17th place. Dmitry Polyanskiy (#77) will have his work cut out for him as he will start last.

Once the first swimmer out of the second swim has mounted his bike, a 60-second countdown will begin. Any athletes who have not mounted their bikes when that time runs out are eliminated. There is one minute and six seconds separating the fastest and slowest athletes, so there is a chance a few athletes could be pulled out of the race after the second swim in Stage 2.

Legendary Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe has been present to watch all the racing action unfold, and he watched the time trial keenly.

He said, “Yesterday’s race was exciting and somewhat unpredictable, and I think because of this morning’s time trial it’s helped to even things up.”

The five-time Olympic gold medalist continued, “Super League Triathlon has its advantages that it’s kind of entertainment sport with its origins in triathlon. I think it’s a great way for new audiences to engage with triathlon.”

Stage 2 of the Equalizer broadcasts live on www.superleaguetriathlon.com on March 18 at 1630 AEST.

Official stage results may be downloaded from the attached file.

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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.

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18 March

Super League Hamilton Island Day 2 Teaser

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20 March

Super League Hamilton Island Day 3: BIRTWHISTLE, MURRAY THE BIG WINNERS

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]

###

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.

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8 May

Super League Triathlon's Epic Undertaking

Super League Hamilton Island pushed the envelope not just for triathlon race operations, but also set a new standard against which triathlon television coverage will now be compared. Behind the slick exterior were many moving parts that had to come together in a well-oiled machine to give the world the three-day spectacle millions tuned into.

“Across the team we have some very significant experience and I will go as far as saying collectively the Super League Triathlon team is the most talented, credible, innovative and skilled team in all of triathlon,” said Super League Triathlon chief marketing officer Trent Taylor.

Apart from the executive team, there were also those involved in the execution of the race and its coverage. Ninety-three individuals comprised the on-site event staff working in coordination with Hamilton Island staff, Triathlon Australia officials, and members of local triathlon clubs from Airlie Beach and Mackay.

Creating a world-class television product was key to Super League Hamilton Island’s success. From nothing more than a strategy and a vision, Taylor and team designed the look and feel of the show, integrated event timing and data programming into the graphics, conducted four production surveys on Hamilton Island, negotiated broadcast partners, coordinated international satellite feeds, and did rehearsals in Sydney before even landing on the Island for event week. The television team also included renowned director Gary Deans, who is also the director for The Voice, Australian Ninja Warrior, global broadcast director for Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix, and is the director of global broadcast for the Sydney New Year’s Eve celebrations.

“We had fantastic ingredients: the world’s best athletes, three unique and action-packed race formats, an idyllic tropical paradise that hid a beast of a course, and temperatures that pushed athletes to breaking point,” said Taylor. “Television, and digital content is one of the key drivers of what makes Super League Triathlon stand out from the pack and we only had one chance to get it right from the get go.”

Executive event director Shane Smith agreed. Speaking from his over 22 years of experience in all aspects of the sport from being a professional athlete to operating large-scale events, Smith said the live television aspect of Super League Hamilton Island was a game-changer. “Everything we did operationally had to compliment TV and as a team we had to constantly think how things would look to the viewer.”

Yet television coverage would be for nought without holding the races -- and each day’s race needed to go off without a hitch. Smith pulled together a team composed of professionals who had been involved in the sport for many years, and who he had worked with before on large projects. He said, “As a leader, you are only as good as the team members around you. I knew the event was going to be very tough logistically and at times I would have to ask the team to work ‘above and beyond’ which every one of them did.”

Staging an event of this scale on an island off mainland Australia posed logistical challenges. Equipment needed to be transported across via barge, including metal barriers, banners, and other event paraphernalia as well as HD4 broadcast trucks, satellite and links trucks, camera motorbikes, and production vehicles. “Working closely with Hamilton Island’s barge company made it easier but the worry of items not arriving on time was always a concern for us, but it all worked out well in the end,” said Smith.

They also needed to ensure race operations would not impact Hamilton Island’s normal operations as a holiday destination, which meant moving barriers twice a day to open and close roads, and deploying crew to redirect traffic. Even the design of the finish arch was meant to cause minimal pedestrian obstruction outside of race hours.

While Smith was on-course to ensure each day’s race went off smoothly, Taylor was in the broadcast booth overseeing how they would look to the rest of the world. “It was long days for all crew as we produced a highly stylised live show each day and a raft of highlights packages during live programming across the Super League Triathlon website and social media platforms. The quick turnaround of the commercial hour highlights package was another element of the process on-island that kept the wheels turning into the small hours each night.”

Both television coverage and race execution centered around the stars of the show, the athletes. Taylor said, “In the lead up to the event we were open with athletes about what we were trying to achieve with our television programming. Whether it was having a microphone put under their nose while transitioning from swim to bike, being interviewed straight after being eliminated, or having recovery times adjusted to suit television timing, our athletes took it all in their stride and showed the world how professional, talented and charismatic they are.”

Smith added, “I really wanted them to feel a part of this production and I wasn’t afraid to ask them for their opinions on aspects of the event and then make any necessary changes. This created a great atmosphere between the staff, the television presenters, and the athletes.” The addition of an ice pool and inclusion of preferred beverages and food in the recovery area, and even the continuation of the third day’s racing despite torrential rains earlier in the day all resulted from consulting the athletes.

With more Super League Triathlon races on the horizon in locations around the world, the task is now how to replicate and improve on the inaugural event’s success.

From the operations side, Smith said key staff members in place at each event will help immensely. “That way the event will always maintain the standard we set from the beginning. Ideally, we would work with local organizers and provide expert advice and support to deliver the best sporting experience possible for the athletes competing.”

Taylor envisions pushing the envelope even more to produce a compelling and engaging show. “Super League Hamilton Island has now set the benchmark and we need to continue to strive to be even better,” he said. “There’s lots more to do with further graphics integration and live data from athletes, social media interaction from fans and viewers, POV cameras on bikes, underwater cameras, Spidercam and other new innovations. The proliferation of television content and television highlights across social and digital platforms is also of paramount importance so that no matter where you are, or on what screen you are, you can experience world-class content from Super League Triathlon.”

(featured photo by Clint Barter)

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17 March

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.

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28 March

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH SUPER LEAGUE TRIATHLON'S FIRST CHAMPION

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.

CROWN OUR QUEEN

It's Time to Crown Our Queen

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16 March

HIGHLIGHTS SHOW

Hamilton Island Highlights Show

50 of the world’s leading male and female triathletes, including 25 Olympian’s from around the world, will compete in Jersey, UK, for the Super League Triathlon crown in September 2017.

The men’s line-up will include the Brownlee brothers from the UK, their rivals Javier Gomez Noya and Mario Mola Diaz from Spain, and Richard Murray from South Africa, as well as 20 other leading male triathletes.

The women’s racing will see leading Brits including Vicky Holland, Jodie Stimpson, Lucy Hall and Non Stanford taking on three-times Olympian Flora Duffy from Bermuda, Olympic bronze medallist Erin Densham from Australia and the current American World Triathlon Series leader Katie Zafares, among many other leading female triathletes.

The Super League Triathlon event in Jersey is offering equal prize money of $130,000 for both the men and women triathletes. Super League Triathlon Co-Founder Michael Dhulst commented: “With $130,000 in prize money on offer at Super League Jersey, it’s high-stakes, high-octane racing with huge consequences for any mistakes. This is a sensational race course and an incredible location for spectators.”

As Japan 2020 approaches, national Olympic federations will be keeping a close eye on how their athletes perform in Super League Triathlon in Jersey, because the 2020 Olympic Games will be introducing triathlon mixed relay events, which are very similar to the fast and furious Super League Triathlon format.

Senator Lyndon Farnham, Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture in Jersey, commented: "Jersey is delighted to have been chosen to host the 2017 Super League Triathlon World Series. The natural beauty of our island combined with our strong sporting culture lends itself perfectly to hosting such a prestigious global event. I am sure the whole island will get behind this as we share with the rest of the world our enthusiastic and friendly spirit in welcoming some of the world's greatest athletes and sports fans to our shores. Jersey is beginning to establish itself as one of the leading venues in the world for events and hosting the second race of the 2017 Triathlon Super League World Series is a great example of what we can offer.”

The Men’s Event

Commenting on the men’s rivalries, two-time Ironman world champion and Super League Triathlon Co-founder Chris ‘Macca’ McCormack said: “The Brownlee brothers have been the gold standard, and they respect long-term rival Javier Gomez Noya from Spain. The new wave of rivalry is coming from Richard Murray and Mario Mola Diaz. The new athletes to look for are Jake Birtwhistle and Ben Dijkstra.”

Jonny Brownlee, who was sidelined for the Hamilton Island event due to injury, will debut the number 05 race suit in Jersey in what will be a baptism of fire. Jonny commented “I had to miss Hamilton Island because of injury but I watched the races and know that the Super League Triathlon format will suit me as an athlete. Jersey will be brilliant, with the conditions not as humid as Hamilton Island, and I’m looking forward to racing Super League there for the first time.”

With the Brownlee brothers and Javier Gomez Noya having dominated the triathlon circuit since 2009, triathletes from around the world are looking for every opportunity to take their place in Jersey over the weekend of 23^rd and 24^th September.

Javier Gomez Noya said: “I think Super League Hamilton Island exceeded everyone’s expectations. New engaging formats, amazing setup, great TV coverage & impressive treatment of the athletes. Super League is something great for the sport of triathlon and I’m looking forward to being part of the next race!”

Heir apparent to the male triathlon throne, South African Richard Murray, flourished under the new Super League Triathlon format, winning the title in Australia. Richard is looking forward to Jersey in September in order to try and strengthen his claim for the number one spot on the triathlon circuit, halting the dominance British athletes have enjoyed over the sport in recent years. Richard Murray commented: “Super League Hamilton Island changed triathlon racing and showed fans how exciting it can be when showcased properly. I can’t wait for round two at Super League Jersey. Athletes and fans should expect wild, exciting and full speed racing from the fastest triathletes in the world. It’s big gear, no fear! I’m planning for this event already. My competitors will need to turn up in peak condition. I’m ready for them!"

The Women’s Event

"Super League Jersey will see the world’s finest female triathletes enter the fray of Super League Triathlon for the first time alongside their male counterparts. Like the male professional fields, the best female athletes from short and long course racing will face-off in a best-of-the-best battle. Separate races will be conducted for the male and female fields each day", said Super League Triathlon Co-Founder Leonid Boguslavsky.

25 elite female athletes will be announced soon to take part in Super League Triathlon Jersey, including 2016 World Triathlon Series Champion Flora Duffy from Bermuda, and Rio 2016 Bronze medalist Vicky Holland from the UK. Vicky commented: “Having spent a lot of this season side-lined due to injury, the prospect of being back on a start line to race in Jersey in September is really motivating.”

Jodie Stimpson missed Olympic selection despite being a Dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist. The British women are the world leaders at the moment. Jodie missed out to Non Stanford and Vicky Holland who went on to finish 3rd and 4th at the games. Despite not being true rivals, they have to compete against each other for Commonwealth and Olympic selection for Tokyo and Gold Coast as there is a very high chance of a gold medal for the UK in these events. You also have a young new star in Sophie Coldwell. This is a friendly but tense rivalry because of the depth in UK women’s triathlon.

Race Format

Saturday’s Triple Mix format will see athletes complete three rounds of competition with alternating sequences and a ten-minute break in between rounds. Round one is swim-bike-run, round two is run-bike-swim, and round three is bike-swim-run. The winner of Triple Mix is the athlete with the lowest time across the three rounds.

Sunday’s Eliminator format will again be conducted in three rounds each in a swim-bike-run format with a ten-minute break in between. Eliminator is about speed and strategy with athletes finishing 16th and above in round one being eliminated and do not progress to round two. Athletes finishing 11th and above in round two are eliminated and do not progress to round three. Round three sees the remaining ten athletes battle it out for the Eliminator title.

On both days racing will take place in the afternoon, with racing between 2pm and 6pm each day.

Super League showcases triathletes and the sport in a new and exciting way. Unlike the traditional triathlon format, athletes won’t be able to rely on specialising in one of the three disciplines. The Super League ‘Triple Mix’ format tests the versatility and adaptability of the athletes by mixing up the traditional swim-bike-run sequence into three events split over two days.

Chris McCormack, added: “Super League Hamilton Island changed triathlon forever. The made-for-television racing is exciting, action packed and full of entertainment. It set the stage for the forthcoming season, which comprises four events, all to be held in iconic destinations around the world between September and April.”

Super League Triathlon’s ground-breaking television and digital coverage will continue at Super League Jersey. All racing will be broadcast live with programming distributed across international broadcast partners and digital channels making it easy for any fan, in any time zone to view programming live or on demand. Full programming schedules will be announced prior to the event.

Expanding upon the Championship format, Super League Jersey will also feature a corporate triathlon event, offering the opportunity for corporate participants to race on the Super League Triathlon Championship course prior to racing each day. Corporate racing is open exclusively to official corporate package partners. Spectator travel packages will also soon be announced via Super League Jersey’s travel partner, Nirvana Europe.

The Course

The course for Super League Jersey is nothing short of spectacular. The super-tight and technical layout is located in the Elizabeth Marina precinct in St. Helier. The 300 metre swim course is located among the mega yachts in Elizabeth Marina. The 5-lap bike course is super-technical with hairpin turns, narrow passages through high-rise apartment blocks and a cobblestone surface that will truly test bike handling skills. The high-speed, two-loop run course navigates the foreshore of Elizabeth Marina and will favour athletes with top end speed, versus the more explosive run course of Super League Hamilton Island.

There are dead turns on the bike and run leg and varied surfaces on both. It’s going to test technique, power, speed, endurance and race craft all at once. A unique element to racing is the huge tides in Jersey where the difference between high and low tide is as much as 14m in depth. Our races will be conducted at near low tide and athletes will face a lung-busting run out of the swim course up a ramp that brings athletes up some 12m in vertical height from water level to transition.

There’s a lot that can go wrong for athletes if they are not at the top of their game and the highs and lows will all unfold right in front of huge crowds jam-packed into the marina precinct. Super League Triathlon is all about finding the best swim, bike, runner and there’s nowhere to hide on this course.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors:

Interviews

Two-time Ironman World Champion Chris ‘Macca’ McCormack, co-founder of Super League Triathlon, is available for interviews, as are several of the men’s and women’s triathletes.

Contacts

For further information and to schedule interviews with athletes contact:

Gavin Lunning, [email protected], +44 (0)20 7287 2575 and mobile +44 (0)7940 448 068.

Website: www.superleaguetriathlon.com

Twitter: @SuperLeagueTri

If you would like to download a copy of the above videos, please contact:

Stacey Boguslavskaya, [email protected]

About Chris McCormack

Chris McCormack, or Macca as he is affectionately known, is one of endurance sport’s most iconic athletes. Globally regarded as the best triathlete of his generation, Macca rose through the ranks as a winner and fan favourite with his trademark mix of quick wit, piercing intelligence, and the athletic ability to deliver wins in 250 international races and landing on the podium 89% of the time. Macca owns one of the best athletic winning percentage statistics in modern sport, a testament to his discipline and race day execution.

About Leonid Boguslavsky

Leonid fell in love with the sport of triathlon after a distinguished business career. Prior to 2013 he had never trained or participated in any sport, but once started has since been unstoppable. He has accomplished multiple full distance Ironman finishes and 11 podiums, qualifying for the 2015 Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. A former professor with a Ph.D. in computer science, he has published academic books and many papers on applied mathematics for computer networks and systems. Leonid then became an entrepreneur in the IT industry, where he founded and sold several companies. Then he served as a senior partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Leonid then became one of the most important players in the booming IT and Internet investment scene, founding and investing in companies globally, including the USA, Europe, Russia, India and Southeast Asia.

About Michael Dhulst

Michael Dhulst is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Super League Triathlon. With over 10 years’ experience as an executive in purchasing, sales and business development for a multinational automotive industry giant, Michael brings to Super League his commercial acumen and expertise, as well as his passion for triathlon and vision for presenting the sport in an engaging and inspiring format for spectators and participants alike. He has competed in over 70 international races, and qualified for the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii in 2011, having won within his age group in Ironman Korea.

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