The way the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) determines its World Ranking – their list of the highest-ranked professional athletes – is set to change slightly. This follows a number of updates to the PTO World Ranking System that were announced today. The most significant adjustment appears to be a greater emphasis on consistency.
According to the PTO, professional athletes are racing more frequently than before. In 2022, athletes ranked in the top ten averaged 5.8 races per year, while last season that number increased to 7.6. In response, the PTO has increased the number of results that count toward an athlete’s World Ranking from three to four races within a rolling 52-week calendar year. These results may come from either Long Distance or Middle Distance events, leaving athletes free to decide how they structure their race schedules.
Another notable change – developed in consultation with the Athlete Board, according to the PTO – is the removal of the 5% bonus that was previously awarded for an athlete’s single best performance in a Gold-tier or lower-ranked event. The PTO argues that eliminating this bonus simplifies the system and prevents ranking scores from being artificially inflated in ways that do not accurately reflect the true strength of a race’s field.
While both changes appear reasonable on the surface, the new rules also risk making lower-tier races even less relevant. As a result, the World Ranking may become increasingly shaped by a small number of high-profile events. This, in turn, could make it more difficult for emerging or less-established athletes to break through. For context, the PTO categorizes races into Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers, with Diamond events carrying the greatest prestige and prize money, and Bronze events the least. These classifications are also influenced by additional criteria that are not always fully transparent – neither to outsiders nor, at times, to race organizers themselves.
Regardless, the updated PTO World Ranking System will play a crucial role in athlete selection for the T100 series. Since this season, the PTO has moved away from issuing fixed contracts. Instead, automatic slots towards the Grand Final in Qatar are awarded to the top ten athletes in the rankings, with an additional eight start positions allocated based on PTO World Ranking standings.