There’s always been debate around triathlon rankings – how they’re built, whether they’re fair, and whether they truly reflect athletic greatness. The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) has never shied away from its ambition to professionalize the sport, but its ranking system continues to raise eyebrows. After this past weekend, it’s more than just a raised eyebrow – it’s a full-on furrowed brow.
The case in point? A stunning performance by Germany’s Laura Philipp at the Ironman European Championship in Hamburg, and the puzzlingly low PTO points she earned for what many are calling a historic race. Philipp not only took the win in dominant fashion against a top-tier field but also shattered the Ironman record books with a 2:38 marathon and a finishing time of 8:03:13 – the fastest ever for a woman in an Ironman-branded race. Her reward? 95.48 PTO points.
Now contrast that with the T100 Triathlon in San Francisco – a much shorter race (less than half the distance), with fewer top-tier participants. Kate Waugh finished third in that event, over four minutes behind winner Julie Derron and trailing runner-up Taylor Knibb by a significant margin. Yet somehow, Waugh earned more PTO points than Philipp.
It gets even more baffling the further you dig. Holly Lawrence and Paula Findlay, finishing fourth and fifth respectively at T100 San Francisco – both well off the winning pace – also banked more PTO points than Kat Matthews, who was just two minutes behind Philipp in Hamburg in what was one of the fastest Full Distance races the sport has ever seen.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t a knock on Waugh, Findlay, or Lawrence, all of whom are phenomenal athletes. But the current PTO ranking algorithm looks likes failing to align with the sport’s narrative. If it continues this way, it risks devaluing performances that should define careers, not be buried under a mountain of algorithmic inconsistencies.
At a time when triathlon is evolving and reaching new audiences, the integrity of its ranking systems matters more than ever. The PTO has the opportunity – and the responsibility – to ensure its system reflects not just participation, but true, extraordinary performance.
Until then, we’re left with a riddle that’s frustratingly simple: how does the fastest Ironman in history not earn the biggest reward?
