STATE OF PLAY
When it comes to competition, a good sporting rivalry can both captivate an audience and spur the best to even greater heights - and triathlon is no different
Rivalry has existed in sport as long as sport itself. England played seven matches in Euro 2020, but in terms of one upmanship, the two most hyped contests were between the Auld Enemy of Scotland, and those arch nemeses, the Germans. There was that extra, almost intangible edge to those two matches.
It’s something the Professional Triathletes Organisation will, all being Covid-well, try to harness and bottle later this month [28 August in Samorin, Slovakia] when the longawaited Collins Cup finally pits USA v Europe v Internationals in head-tohead match-ups over a middledistance course.
Of course there have long-been rivalries in triathlon: the famous Iron War between Mark Allen and Dave Scott perhaps the most visceral;
Australian Chris McCormack versus just about every German the most vocal. In years to come we’ll reflect how we were spoiled with Spain’s Javier Gomez racing the Brownlee brothers for an entire decade. They can turn toxic, though. McCormack claimed he received an email from the mother of Germany’s Faris Al Sultan asking him to lay off her son, but a common thread is that they drive performance to a higher level. And the PTO hopes the Collins Cup will do just that.
The organisation has secured broadcast deals with Eurosport and BT Sport, and needs viewers to care enough about both the flag and the individual to succeed. Over seven hours of live broadcast it’ll also be helpful if the inaugural competition is close… but then when Europe’s women possess the might of Daniela Ryf, Lucy Charles-Barclay, Anne Haug, Holly Lawrence and Nicola Spirig, there’s no guarantee.
The three-way match-ups are yet to be decided, and as the PTO are finding, it’s hard to manufacture rivalries, which is why one that’s already underway could be the fairy dust the competition needs.
Jan Frodeno (Europe), Sam Long (USA) and Lionel Sanders (Internationals) are already drawing a crowd. Frodeno beat Sanders in Miami. Sanders defeated Long in Utah where they ran the final 5km stride-for-stride. Long gained revenge in Idaho over the full distance. By the time you read this, Sanders and Frodeno will have gone head-to-head again in the two-man, iron-distance Tri Battle Royale in Germany [18 July].
All three are big characters: Olympic and three-time Ironman world champion Frodeno exudes excellence; Sanders, having emerged from an adolescence of substance abuse, adds brutal intensity; Long, the young pretender nicknamed the Big Unit, has heart to match the lungs and legs.
If rivalries are to be the catalyst to widen tri’s appeal, then come 28 August these three could make the headline match. The captains get to pick. They just need to do the right thing.
“Rivalries drive performance up a level – the PTO hopes the Collins Cup will do just that”