No Love For The Ironman World Championships

by Liz Hichens

If an incredible moment in sports history takes place and no one hears about it, does it really happen?

Written by: Jim Gourley

Saturday, October 10.  Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

Chrissie Wellington posted a new course record of 8:54:02. Photo: Jay Prasuhn

Chrissie Wellington posted a new course record of 8:54:02. Photo: Jay Prasuhn

Chrissie Wellington breaks the women’s course record and takes a stunning third straight win at the Ironman World Championships.  Combined with Craig Alexander becoming only the fourth man ever to win the event in consecutive years, it was an incredible moment in sports history.

Sunday, October 11.  Everywhere else in the world.

If an incredible moment in sports history takes place and no one hears about it, does it really happen?

The front page of ESPN’s website was all football and baseball— not really a surprise.  But clicking on their “All Sports” category brought up the same Associated Press story that was posted two days earlier about Golf and Rugby making a comeback in the 2010 Olympics.  Typing “Ironman” into the site’s search engine found nothing.  Searching “Wellington” finally uncovered an Associated Press story about her victory—in 2008.

Yahoo sports ran a story on Raiders coach Tom Cable attacking Randy Hanson.  The next biggest thing was the brew-ha-ha over Michael Jordan smoking a cigar on a public golf course.  Fox Sports?  Under their “other” column there are links for Air Racing and Formula One, but nothing for triathlon or anything remotely similar.  Finally, an article on Wellington popped up.  It was on the BBC website, in the sports section, at the bottom of the page.  There was an interesting tie for most ignominious aspect of the coverage; that they used an old photo of Chrissie for the article or if the lackluster Argentinean soccer team’s recent victory was made the lead story.

After 140.6 miles, what more does a sport need to do to get some attention around here?  Apparently, encourage more people to take part in the underwear run.  Posted on October 9, a video discussing the event on CNN’s “iReport” website had just under 51,000 views by mid-day Sunday.  Of course, that’s 51,000 people who got to see Dave Scott give a negative view of the run during an interview and also say that he’d endorse it if “more women would run around in their underwear.”  While controversy is sometimes good for business, one of the six viewer comments demonstrated triathlon’s recognition in the world.  User “JonBon” posted “that grumpy guy in the beginning should lighten up.”  So much for being ‘The Man’.

By Monday afternoon, it was apparent that even the return of mainstream media reporters from the weekend break wouldn’t give the event or its winners their due.  Ironically, the most attention garnered from the major news outlets at the 2009 race will most likely come months later and be given to a man who didn’t even participate.

Lance Armstrong used the occasion to announce that he’ll compete in the 2011 race.  In a video posted by Everymantri.com, Armstrong’s long-time coach Chris Carmichael announced that Armstrong has set his sights on Kona in 2011, and he “plans to do more than win his age group.”  There’s as much triumph as tragedy in that irony, though.

Ironman (and triathlon in general) now have the most incredible media opportunity since Julie Moss’ epic 1982 crawl to the finish, perhaps better.  Moss was a perfect fluke, one of those moments that would have been squandered if not for the good fortune of a camera at the right spot at the right time.  With Armstrong, the mass appeal is already there.  WTC and USAT have two years to get everything in place.  Consider the possibilities—the front page of ESPN, kids putting posters of Stadler and Potts up beside those of Michael Phelps in their rooms, even Nike Triathlon!

That kind of benefit doesn’t come without its challenges.  The US Soccer team recently qualified for its sixth consecutive berth in the World Cup (another story that went ahead of Wellington and Alexander).  Many observers in that community cite the achievement as a direct benefit of the country hosting the 1994 Cup.  However, if US Soccer hadn’t had the programs and resources in place to capitalize on the surge in popularity all those years ago, America might still be struggling against teams like Trinidad and Tobago today.  Here’s hoping that USAT and Ironman are ready to move our sport center stage.

  • JC
    Kona doesn't make the same day sports news with its winners because it doesn't want to. They have decided long ago that the TV show will give them a much better forum to tell their stories and expose their sponsors than anything they would get with race day coverage.

    And, as commented below, they do not see mainstream media really caring enough about thee sport (as shown by other championships) to risk "giving away the story" by pushing real time coverage over their meticulously crafted show 6 weeks later.

    Remember - Ironman is owned by the people who own Yankee Entertainment Studios and Universal Studios (and I believe an interest in Universal Sports Channel). If they thought it would increase the value of the property to feature same day coverage, they would. But since they already sell out, and the commercial value is in sponsorship and "content" provided by the show, it is unlikely to change.

    But, since Julie crawled the last 50 feet, it has ever been thus.
  • Chris
    American's are content to sit on the couch on Sunday and spend all day watching football and eating nachos. What more can you expect.
  • Broke Josh
    Triathlon will NEVER be popular until the races become substantially more affordable. I can run a 5k for $15 or less any weekend or sign my kids up for a 8 wk season of soccer for only $40, but tris of any challenging distance are always pushing $75 or more. Even sprints are almost impossible to be found for less than $40. Add in the cost of all the gear and 80% of us are financially out of reach even though we are extremely interested in the sport.

    It is a sport for the financially elite and I am not convinced that the governing bodies of the sport care.
  • I am very surprised about that. I thought you were (in the US) at the top of the information on the Internet, and triathlon was a "big" sport, very mediated.
    In France we have the same problem, which is very very very bigger than yours. The French Federation is part of the ITU progress, so we never hear about the performances of our athletes when the do Ironman races. They are not helped, like us, in Xtriathlon...
  • Thomas J. Vonach
    One of the best articles I have read in the past about where we are standing with the "media-importance" of our sport. Being involved myself in professional triathlon-sport I face the reality nearly every day as part of work. No coverage or an article without actively sending press-releases, photos or organising footage for TV-stations back home so they maybe will show 30 seconds in the evening sport, 30 sec. of a whole Ironman! It´s far time that we take bold steps towards professionalism.
    The professional athletes in our sports are long ready for it, are working actively on all kinds of PR- and marketing-levels, social networks and websites. Are there for press-conferences, interviews just hours before they perform on highest level.
    It´s a complex problem that will exist as long as the professionals are not on center-stage and build up as role-models and stars of their profession. As long as it is a random luck if a pro in the top-ranks makes it the race-coverage or not, even if they fail or have a bad day, it won´t get better. People out there want to see it all, and see it all live in action!
    The pros are the stars that are there today and tomorrow, and they have to make a living.
    Most of them deserve much more air-time, price-money and support.
    And as soon as we all realise that and make the changes, we´ll step out of the shadow...!
  • Ruckus
    The sport is too often marketed by targeting human interest stories, including overcoming impossible odds, diseases, and physical disabilities. Perhaps, the sport of triathlon would be taken more seriously if the sport was marketed using the professionals, who make a living competing and traveling. TV airings spend more than 50% of their coverage spotlighting people other than professionals. All other major sports coverage, contains content relative to the final outcome, i.e. who wins, how they won, who lost, was hurt and so on.

    NOTE* I don't want to take away from those accomplishments of the disabled, or challenged, but those athletes do not have what you might call "staying power" in the sport, and the faces change every race. With professionals, they are the same (for the most part) across an entire season, and become identifiable athletes. Take a lesson from the NBA or NHL, who have marketed the sports superstars to grow the brand.
  • LJB
    Perhaps an American needs to win Kona next? or could it be possible that there are now too many ironman events that to the lay person distinguishing between Kona and any other Ironman race doesn't cross their mind?

    As for the Long Course Champs in Perth, I think that claim could be laid at any city when an event is on. Although it was bloody infuriating trying to find a coffee on saturday morning (day before the race) as all the cafes seemed shut for the weekend!
  • IM fan in Cali
    In my opinion, Ironman has done a VERY poor job of using social networking and traditional means to promote their races- especially the race in Kona. It can't be they are understaffed. Perhaps it is those who are running it?

    They need to stop trying to control access and what people can broadcast during the event. They want to preserve the ratings on their precious IM show on NBC. Guess what? People are going to watch it regardless.
  • this is the best story ever written on the current state of pro triathlon. well said. Craig Alexander seems to have stepped up his marketing this year. Chrissie - well....she needs help. big time help.
  • Sammibrown
    This is not suprising, unfortunately. The ITU world Olympic Distance Championship was held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia....it was an Aussie woman who won...and still no coverage on the local or national news..?..even worse was the ITU Long Course Championships held in Perth Western Australia...the locals were wondering why the roads were closed??? The ITU and Triathlon Australia hadn't advertised it enough!! It's one thing to blame the mainstream media, its another thing for the sports governing bodies to not promote the sport...something HAS to change!
  • trichronicles
    Down here in Australia, Craig Alexander's win got a little bit of media but it was few and far between. Some TV interviews and a few mentions at the end of sports bulletins. No live coverage except online and very little video footage saw the light of day. The World ITU Long Course championships were staged in Perth Australia two weeks after Kona. Crowie didn't compete but was the main attraction anyway. Seems that individuals benefit more than the sport - perhaps because of the WTC / ITU divide in administration?
blog comments powered by Disqus