After it recently became clear that Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden will fully commit to the Ironman Pro Series this season – opting out of the T100 – Sam Long is now following the same path. The move comes as little surprise, as the American enjoyed an outstanding Ironman season, while his T100 campaign fell well short of expectations.
Last year, Long claimed victory in three of his six Ironman starts and added two second-place finishes to his résumé. The only race where he failed to reach the podium was the Ironman World Championship, where he finished 14th. Those results stand in sharp contrast to his performances in the T100 series. Across four starts, Long managed just one top-ten finish, placing eighth in the season opener in Singapore. His other results saw him finish 11th, 12th, and 15th in London, Vancouver, and the French Riviera respectively.
Despite the disappointing outcomes, Long remains grateful for the opportunity to compete in the T100 series, emphasizing that it helped him grow as an athlete. Still, he is relieved to now refocus his attention on the Ironman Pro Series. That decision is undoubtedly influenced by the PTO’s move away from offering fixed contracts for the T100 series.
“The T100 challenged me, and it made me a better athlete,” Long explained. “But I’ll be pretty much done with it for now. I’m not saying I’ll never race one again, but I’m happy I don’t have to do them all anymore and can fully focus on the Ironman Pro Series.”