PTO announces the winners of its $2 million world rankings
Anne Haug and Kristian Blummenfelt earn $100,000 for finishing at the top of the standings
Photo by:
Kevin Mackinnon
Neither won in Kona, but their consistent racing throughout the year was enough to put them at the top of the 2022 Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) World Rankings. Germany’s Anne Haug and Norway’s Kristian Blummenfelt earned US$100,000 each for finishing at the top of the standings that rewards the top 100 men and women (see chart below).
Here’s a look at the top 10 in the standings:
| Men | Points | Rank | Points | Women |
| Kristian Blummenfelt | 118.79 | #1 | 117.06 | Anne Haug |
| Gustav Iden | 116.41 | #2 | 115.32 | Daniela Ryf |
| Magnus Elbæk Ditlev | 114.97 | #3 | 113.54 | Ashleigh Gentle |
| Max Neumann | 109.65 | #4 | 112.95 | Taylor Knibb |
| Sam Laidlow | 109.34 | #5 | 109.61 | Lucy Charles-Barclay |
| Lionel Sanders | 105.60 | #6 | 109.38 | Laura Philipp |
| Patrick Lange | 105.01 | #7 | 108.72 | Chelsea Sodaro |
| Alistair Brownlee | 103.74 | #8 | 106.12 | Paula Findlay |
| Joe Skipper | 103.43 | #9 | 105.08 | Kat Matthews |
| Sam Long | 103.40 | #10 | 101.48 | Sarah True |
The full women’s 2022 results can be found here and the men’s here.
“The PTO World Rankings were introduced to identify and rank the world’s best professional triathletes who participate in non-drafting triathlon events,” according to a release from the organization. “Any athlete who holds a professional license and is a PTO Professional member is eligible. The leading athletes share out an end of season bonus pool of $2 million split equally between women and men, with a cool $100,000 going to the top ranked athletes.”
The rankings are based on a points system designed by the PTO that determines strong performances compared to an “Estimated Ideal Time” (EIT) for a race. Each athletes top three scores determine their final ranking.
Consistency key for Haug
“I’m really overwhelmed to be on top of the PTO World Rankings after the challenging Covid years,” Haug said. “Although I didn’t have the one outstanding race I would have wished for, I was able to be very consistent in my performance throughout the season, thanks to my amazing team behind me. They kept me fit and healthy.”
Haug’s three counting scores in 2022 included her winning effort at Challenge Roth (131.41 points), along with her third-place finishe at the Ironman World Championship (110.20 pts) and the Ironman World Championship in St. George (109.56 pts).
“This year we saw some absolutely outstanding performances, for example Daniela at the Ironman Worlds in Utah, Chelsea in Kona or Taylor at the 70.3 Worlds. That inspires me, shows how fantastic our sport is and that if you don’t go up a level each year, you’ll fall behind.”
Two world titles seal the deal for Blummenfelt
While he took third behind countryman Gustav Iden in Kona, Blummenfelt enjoyed another spectacular year in 2022 to go along with his Olympic win in Tokyo in 2021.
“It was a strong year for me, winning the Ironman World Championships and 70.3 World Championships in St George, among other performances,” said Blummenfelt. “Finishing top of the 2022 PTO World Rankings is something I’m very proud of and I’ll be trying to do the same again in 2023.”
Blummenfelt’s three counting scores included: the Ironman World Championship in Kona (128.26 pts), the Ironman World Championship St. George (114.98 pts) and the Ironman 70.3 World Championship (113.14 pts).
According to today’s release there will be an updated PTO World Rankings system announced next month for the 2023 season.
