PTO World #1 makes decision to chase Kona “dream” after perfect start to the season

Having rocketed up the rankings thanks to a brilliant start to the season, PTO World #1 Sam Long has set his sights on qualifying for the pinnacle of long distance triathlon as his next goal in 2024.

Announcing the decision on YouTube, the American shared that he plans on qualifying for the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona next month, via IRONMAN Cairns.

Set to compete at the T100 Triathlon World Tour event in San Francisco the week before, Long is now gearing up for another huge double header, which will mark his sixth and seventh races of the season.

“A lot of things had to go right”

For Long, racing in Kona had been at the back of his mind since the start of the season, but other priorities, such as a successful T100 Tour campaign, had taken precedence.

[Photo Credit – Sean Haffey Getty Images for IRONMAN]

Now, five races deep and with a string of podium performances to his name, the American thinks the timing is right to go for Kona qualification, which he will attempt in a fortnight.

“I am going to try and qualify for the Ironman World Championship in Kona. At the start of the year, it was always on the back of my mind, but a lot of things had to go right to be able to do it.

“My top goal this year is the PTO races and one I’ve tackled with all my energy. My other goal was to go after some key middle distance races and bring the family with me and pick up some wins.

“Everything has gone really well so far, which needed to happen in order for me to be able to do this.”

“Its been a huge nugget of motivation”

A common theme for Long this season has been finding joy in his racing, with the boulder native strongly believing that a happy athlete is a fast athlete. His decision to race Cairns, he confirms, is a product of this mindset.

“It’s been a dream that has been long deferred and it’s a huge nugget of motivation and excitement for me. Because of how well things have gone, I want to go and I want to give it a try.

“The current plan is I’m going to the PTO race in San Francisco, before flying direct from there to race in Cairns at the IRONMAN event there.

“I’m super jazzed to race there.I spent three months in Noosa in 2018 and so I’m super excited to come back to Australia.”

“The goal is to get a Kona slot”

In his sole IRONMAN World Championship appearance to date, which came at the postponed “2021” edition in St. George, Long finished in 15th, almost half an hour back from Norwegian champion Kristian Blummenfelt.

[Photo credit: Julio Aguilar / Getty Images for IRONMAN]

In his first full distance race since September 2023, Long does not have any grandiose objectives to win, but is instead content to shoot for his Kona slot, which with four available should still see him at the front of the race.

“The goal is not to win the race, the goal is to get a Kona slot, and there are four available. I want to have a good race, I want to have fun and it’s a good process for me.”