Daytona-bound Canadians and who they’ll be racing at the PTO Championship

A look at who will, and won't, be on the start line to compete for the sport's richest prize purse

Photo by: Jose Luis Hourcade

Kevin Mackinnon November 4, 2020

There will be nine Canadians at the start line for the US$1.15 million Professional Triathletes Organisation’s Championship at Challenge Daytona on December 6. Here’s a list of the Canadians we’ll see racing in Florida, along with a preliminary list of the expected field set to compete for the sport’s largest prize purse in Florida.

Related: Challenge Daytona to host PTO middle-distance world championships

Canadians:

PTO Qualified:

The top 40 men and women in the PTO standings automatically qualified for the Championship event in Daytona. Canadians on that list include:

**Lionel Sanders** (fourth in the PTO standings) on his way to taking the men’s title at Challenge Daytona last year. Photo: Talbot Cox.

**Cody Beals** (19th in the PTO standings) on the bike at the Canadian Pro Triathlon Championship in September. He’ll be racing at Ironman Florida this weekend. Photo: Kevin Mackinnon

**Paula Findlay** (15th in the PTO standings) is the defending women’s champion at Challenge Daytona. She’s seen here finishing 13th at the 2019 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice. Photo: Kevin Mackinnon

**Jen Annett** (39th in the PTO standings) finishes third at the Ironman European Championship in Frankfurt. Photo: Kevin Mackinnon

The biggest name missing for the men’s race in Daytona is Jan Frodeno, who sits atop the PTO men’s standings. The German Olympic and Ironman world champ announced earlier this year that after a bike injury he would be calling it a season.

There are two big names who won’t be competing in Florida next month – the top two women in the PTO standings: Daniela Ryf and Lucy Charles.

Men’s PTO Qualified tentative start list:

Alistair	Brownlee
Sebastian	Kienle
Lionel	Sanders
Ben	Hoffman
Rudy	von Berg
Cameron	Wurf
Javier	Gomez
Timothy	O’Donnell
Pieter	Heemeryck
Andreas	Dreitz
Michael	Weiss
Bart	Aernouts
Matt	Hanson
Sam	Appleton
Cody	Beals
Maurice	Clavel
Florian	Angert
Daniel	Baekkegard
Patrik	Nilsson
Andrew	Starykowicz
Matt	Trautman
Philipp	Koutny
Matthew	Russell
Igor	Amorelli
Andi	Boecherer
Ben	Kanute
Frederic	Funk
Andy	Potts
Tim	Van Berkel
Bradley	Weiss
Eneko	Llanos
George	Goodwin

Women’s PTO Qualified tentative start list:

Sarah	Crowley
Anne	Haug
Holly	Lawrence
Carrie	Lester
Heather	Jackson
Laura	Philipp
Skye	Moench
Daniela	Bleymehl
Paula	Findlay
Ellie	Salthouse
Amelia	Watkinson
Jackie	Hering
Jeanni	Seymour
Sara	Svensk
Gurutze	Frades
Emma	Pallant
Judith	Corachan
Meredith	Kessler
Agnieszka	Jerzyk
Lesley	Smith
Carolin	Lehrieder
Kimberley	Morrison
Maja	Stage Nielsen
Manon	Genet
Jen	Annett
Michelle	Vesterby

Related: Challenge North America adds second race in Miami

Rolldown:

Two Canadians earned their spots for the race in Daytona thanks through roll down:

**Jackson Laundry** (48th in the PTO standings) on his way to the Canadian Pro Triathlon Championship in September. Photo: Kevin Mackinnon

**Rach McBride** (54th in the PTO standings) on her way to a third-place finish at the Canadian Pro Triathlon Championship. Photo: Kevin Mackinnon

Rolldown qualifiers:

Kristian	Hogenhaug
Adam	Bowden
Jackson	Laundry
Ruedi	Wild
Nils	Frommhold
David	Plese
Thomas	Steger
Joe	Gambles
Lisa	Roberts
India	Lee
Lauren	Brandon
Pamella	Oliveira
Katrina	Matthews
Fenella	Langridge
Kristin	Liepold
Rach	McBride
Lauren	Barnett
Bianca	Steurer
Jennifer	Spieldenner
Elisabetta	Curridori
Meredith	Hill
Jodie	Robertson

PTO Wildcard:

The PTO named 16 “wildcard” entrants to the championship race in Daytona. That list included a number of ITU draft-legal specialists, up and coming athletes who haven’t had a chance to work their way up the standings, and others who may be coming back from injury.

**Angela Naeth** celebrates at the top of the podium with Lisa Roberts (left) and Lenny Ramsay (right) after winning Ironman Chattanooga last year.

PTO Wildcard athletes:

Chris	Leiferman
Sam	Long
Gustav	Iden
Henri	Schoeman
James	Cunnama
Jonny	Brownlee
Kristian	Blummenfelt
Magnus	Elbaek Ditlev
Tim	Don
Vincent	Luis
Angela	Naeth
Lisa	Norden
Lucy	Hall
Danielle	Dingman
Renee	Kiley
Flora	Duffy
Nicola	Spirig
Simone	Mitchell

Challenge invite:

Challenge Daytona added some names to the start list, as well.

**Taylor Reid** finished fourth at the inaugural Challenge Daytona race and ninth last year. Photo: Kevin Mackinnon

2016 Olympian **Amelie Kretz** will make her long-distance debut at the PTO Championship at Challenge Daytona. Photo: Kevin Mackinnon

Invite:

Thomas	Davis
Eric	Lagerstrom
Taylor	Reid
Alissa	Doehla
Nikki	Bartlett
Amelie	Kretz
Anneke	Jenkins
Jodie	Stimpson
Kelsey	Withrow
Justine	Mathieux
Ruth	Astle
Jason	West
Justin	Metzler
Kieran	Lindars
Andrea	Salvisberg