The Collins Cup
The Collins Cup finally became reality after years of waiting on Saturday August 28, 2021.
Team Europe, Team USA and Team Internationals all lined up in Samorin, Slovakia for the biggest team event in elite triathlon history.
The result was 36 of the world’s finest stars – 18 women and 18 men – completing in 12 races to determine the inaugural winner of the trophy.
Broadcast across most of the world by Eurosport, the event drew in a global audience of 7million viewers – seemingly proof that the sport of triathlon can be a big deal and can attract new fans.
The next Collins Cup will take place in 2022, with the final date and venue still to be confirmed by the PTO.
Collins Cup Results
As we said, so far we have had only one staging of the Collins Cup:
2021: Team Europe 42.5, Team USA 31.5, Team Internationals 25.5
How does the Collins Cup work?
The teams for the Collins Cup are chosen partly by the PTO’s Collins Cup rankings and then partly via Captain’s Picks.
The first eight positions on each team (four men and four women) are automatic via the rankings positions, and then each team can make four of those Captain’s Picks (two men and two women).
The event proper then features 12 races, each featuring one member of each team. The matches are chosen Ryder Cup style during a ‘Draft’ event midway through race week.
The scoring for each race is as follows:
- Winner = 3 points
- Second Place = 2 points
- Third Place = 1 points
There are also bonus points awarded based on athletes achieving the following margins:
- 1.5 points for six minutes or more
- 1 point for four minutes
- 0.5 points for two minutes
Why the Collins Cup?
The name for this very special event comes from Judy and John Collins, who played a major part of establishing the sport of triathlon more than four decades ago.
They designed a long distance, around-the-island event in Hawaii, by adding a long bicycle leg to existing swimming and running events. The winner was to be considered the best all-round athlete.
Thanks to the PTO, their name will now be as central to the growth of triathlon globally as it was instrumental in the inception of the sport.
