The Professional Triathletes Organization (PTO) announced the names of the six Team Captains that will be in charge of managing Team Europe, Team International and Team US during this year’s Collins Cup. That Team Europe had a strong set-up last year, was not only proven with a big win, but also with Team Captains Norman Stadler (GER) and Natascha Badmann (SWI) returning as Team Captains, whereas the other teams have new coaches on board.
Last year, in August, the first edition of the PTO’s Collins Cup took place in Samorin, Slovakia. In this new triathlon concept, the best athletes in the world battle each other in three different teams: Team Europe, Team International and Team US. Per team, the best twelve athletes – six men and six women – individually race against the best triathletes of the other teams. The selection of the teams is not only decided on by the PTO World Ranking, but also by the Team Captains. That gives them an important role: not only do they put their teams together, they also decide which athlete is racing which of the other team’s athletes.
While Stadler and Badmann – both star athletes and multiple Ironman world champions – remain on their position in Team Europe, Team International and Team US appointed new coaches. No other than America’s triathlon pioneer Julie Moss – known for her crawling finish at Ironman Hawaii 1982 – and America’s six-time Ironman world champion Dave Scott will be in charge of Team US. Team International has also appointed some big names: New Zealand’s two-time Ironman world champion Erin Baker and Australia’s three-time Ironman world champion Craig Alexander.
