Round 4 of PTO Championship wildcard focuses on “rising stars”

The Professional Triathletes Organisation’s latest list of wildcard selections for the upcoming PTO Championship that will be part of Challenge Daytona in December includes Americans Sam Long and Daneille Dingman, Denmark’s Magnus Ditlev and Australia’s Renee Kiley.

“In Sam Long and Magus Ditlev we see the young guns of the sport, rightfully stepping up to a championship calibre competition,” the PTO announced in its release. “Both in their early 20’s, their recent performances have announced the arrival of what may be the new guard for the PTO and professional triathlon and the pair could well be battling it out for the next decade.”

Last year Long claimed his first Ironman title in Chattanooga (pictured) and has taken both races he’s entered in 2020 – the PTO supported Bear Lake triathlon and Ironman 70.3 Cozumel. Ditlev is coming off a big win at Ironman 70.3 Gdynia, where he bested two-time Ironman world champion Patrick Lange, who finished third behind Ditlev and Thomas Davis.

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“Danielle Dingman and Renee Kiley represent the unique time-honoured tradition of age-groupers progressing to the professional ranks,” the release continued. “Both were on their way to breakout seasons and poised to move up the PTO World Rankings for 2020 when COVID-19 struck, eliminating all opportunities to advance up the rankings into automatic qualifying spots.  Kiley’s performance at Cairns [third] was at the level of an automatic qualifier, while Dingman’s victory at the PTO supported Bear Lake triathlon, besting the PTO World No. 10, clearly indicated she was in good enough form to be awarded a wildcard spot.”