One of the top athletes contracted to the brand new T100 Triathlon World Tour, Frederic Funk, believes the swim will play a crucial part in any athlete’s success over the 100km this season.

The German star, who finished second at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship last season, is one of many top contenders committed to the tour in 2024.

After finishing fifth at the PTO Canadian Open two years ago, the 26-year-old is determined to get on the podium and has been working hard over the off season to achieve his goal.

“The goal is to make the front pack”

Consistently ranked as one of the sport’s brightest talents, Funk told TRI247 that he wants to continue to convert his potential into podiums this year.

Asked if the T100 series required a tweak in his regular training regime, Funk said that the main adjustment has been an increased focus on the swim over the past few months.

“The training is almost completely the same to IRONMAN 70.3 racing, as it is almost the same distance, but this winter one of the things we did change was how much I was swimming.

“I expect the swim to be a crucial part of the T100 races this season, because even if you’re only a minute off the front, the race is already lost.

“Th goal for me is to make the front pack as often as possible this season, so that when it comes down to it I can be right in the mix.”

Ready to make his mark

After a difficult set of results on the PTO Tour last year, Funk said his main ambition is to take the race into his own hands in 2024, something that will only be possible with a strong swim.

“Only when I make the front pack will I have a really good chance to have a great race and fight with the best for the top spots.

“Taking the race into my own hands is definitly important to me, as it’s something I couldn’t really do last year in either Ibiza or Milwaukee.”