Sam Long makes JUDGEMENT CALL on season plans after ‘temptation’ of IRONMAN World Championship in Kona

American triathlete Sam Long has made a big call following the San Francisco T100 Triathlon World Tour last weekend, where the PTO World #1 finished in eighth.

Originally scheduled to fly straight to Australia to race at IRONMAN Cairns in order to qualify for Kona, the 28-year-old has now announced that he will not be making the trip Down Under.

Sharing the news on his Instagram page, Long revealed that he had fallen into the same trap of being too ambitious in the past, and now wants to fully focus on the T100 Tour.

“The temptation of success”

After a fantastic swim that saw him within a minute of the leaders in T1, Long appeared to struggle on the bike and run in San Francisco, with the Boulder native admitting that “the legs were just a bit off on race day”.

[Photo Credit – PTO]

After five successive podiums so far this season, including two on the T100 Tour, Long still managed to finish inside the Top 10 and move to number one in the T100 standings despite having an ‘off’ day.

Knowing that racing in Cairns and pursuing success in Kona would be a step too far however, Long announced on Monday his decision not to travel out to Australia.

“I have canceled my trip to Australia. This year has started off so perfect that I began to get greedy and wanted to chase it all. The top of the World Rankings, the top of T100, the IM pro series and Kona. 

“Yesterday was a (needed) reminder of the need to focus and specialize. To pursue a goal with all of our being. The T100 is simply too competitive and too strong to do otherwise.”

“I hate to make the same mistakes twice”

Known for his love of racing, the decision can’t have been taken lightly by Long, but as he explained, its the one he had to take in order to ensure he could keep the ball rolling in 2024.

[Photo Credit – PTO]

“I hate to make the same mistakes twice and this is hard because I have gotten too ambitious in the past.

“This year is like a rainbow with pots of gold and leprechauns waiting at it but very hard to actually find it.

“Part one of my 2024 season is now over; I am now on break and will build to my 2024 part two season. Thank you for all the support!”

Written by

Tomos Land

Tomos Land is a triathlon & running journalist whose expertise lies in the professional world of short course & long distance triathlon, though he also boasts an extensive knowledge of ultra-running.

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