Here’s why we should have been paying more attention to the pro race in Xiamen, China last weekend

While most triathlon fans are aware of both the Ironman Pro Tour and the T100 World Triathlon Tour, there is another long-distance “tour” opportunity for pro triathletes – the Challenge Family World Bonus. Even though there are two more pro events in the Challenge Family series this year (in Canberra and Florianopolis), the world bonus standings were all finalized at this weekend’s Challenge Xiamen in China.

Heading into the race, New Zealand’s Jack Moody led the standings thanks to wins at Challenge events in Quebec, Gunsan, and Taiwan. All the Kiwi had to do to stay at the top of the standings was to finish in the top five if Serbia’s Ognjen Stojanović took the win. The Serb did just that, but Moody was able to nail the final spot on the podium, which was enough to ensure he’d finish at the top of the World Bonus standings.

Stojanovic’s win (pictured above), his first Challenge Family title, ensured he remained second in the standings, with runner-up Will Draper (GBR) moving into the top five. Jesper Svensson (SWE) managed a fifth-place finish after speedy bike (and then struggling on the run), which was enough to get him to third in the standings ahead of Germany’s Tom Hug.

Here’s how the final standings played out for the men:

Siffert wins the day and the World Bonus

Switzerland’s Alanis Siffert added the Xiamen win to her Challenge win in Peguera Mallorca (she also won in Gerardmer and Ape D’Huez), and Challenge runner-up finishes in Almere, Walchsee and Taiwan. Her impressive season also included a runner-up finish at Ironman 70.3 Switzerland. The tireless Els Visser, who has competed in 14 events this season including a third-place finish at Challenge Roth, a runner-up finish at Ironman Vittoria-Gasteiz and a third-place finish at T100 Singapore, managed a runner-up finish in Xiamen, which was almost enough to move her to second in the World Bonus standings, but France’s Aurelia Boulanger, who took three Challenge Family wins this year in Cesenatico, Salou and Cagnes-Sur-Mer, was able to hang tough for third and eked out the runner-up finish in the bonus.

Here’s the final women’s standings:

The bonus pays the top five in the standings, with the winner taking home US$22,000, second $14,000, third $8,000, fourth $4,000 and fifth $2,000.