Search
shop

Lucy rules: Charles-Barclay hits #1 in PTO World Rankings

Lucy Charles-Barclay is now #1 in the PTO World Rankings after the second-best ever 70.3 performance.
Chief Correspondent
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Newly crowned IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion, Lucy Charles-Barclay probably did not wake up in Malibu on Friday to the music of Tina Turner, but based on the newly-released PTO World Rankings, “Simply the Best” would be an appropriate tune to fill the room with sound.

For the first time, the 28 year-old Brit has toppled nine-time World Champion Daniela Ryf in the updated statistical maze that is the Professional Triathletes Organisation ranking system.

The rankings are based on the average points of an athlete’s best three scores over a 13-months period (December 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021). It’s a reasonably complex process quite how those points are determined – one for another feature, perhaps.

This ‘Race for the Rankings’ has a $2million total prize purse to be awarded for the 2021 season, to be allocated across the top-100 men and women – details of that below.

Rating Lucy at St George

Flawless, masterclass, perfection. Just three of the many superlatives to describe Lucy’s race in St. George – fastest swim, fastest bike, fastest run, winning margin of over eight minutes. Another (numerical) verdict was released on Friday by the PTO, on just where that sits within the history of the sport.

Not surprisingly – and thankfully, for the often confusing world of algorithms – the objective(ish) numbers match the subjective brilliance of what we saw. The black box rates it as the second-best performance over the 70.3 distance in history, second only to the 2018 performance of Daniela Ry in Port Elizabeth:

Top Five Women’s 70.3 performances

  1. Daniela Ryf (2018 70.3 World Champs) – 125.13 points
  2. Lucy Charles-Barclay (2021 70.3 World Champs) – 123.98 points
  3. Daniela Ryf (2018 IM 70.3 Switzerland) – 123.88 points
  4. Daniela Ryf (2018 IM 70.3 Gydnia) – 122.25 points
  5. Daniela Ryf (2017 IM 70.3 World Champs) – 118.39

That sits pretty well with me. Should it be #1, #3 etc? Honestly, I not going to argue with any particular authority either way, but what I am pretty certain of, even subjectively, is that the performance we saw last weekend was absolutely ‘one of the best ever’, and seeing that reflected, broadly, in the statistics feels totally appropriate. It truly was that good.

PTO World Rankings, Women – September 2021

  1. Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) – 107.65
  2. Daniela Ryf (SUI) – 107.07
  3. Laura Philipp (GER) – 106.36
  4. Taylor Knibb (USA) – 104.57
  5. Anne Haug (GER) – 103.19

Courtesy of IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder, The Collins Cup and the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, Taylor Knibb for the first time completes the minimum of three ranking races and jumps straight into the rankings at #4, a reflection of the impact she has made in just a few months.

IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship 2021 / Taylor Knibb
Photo by Donald Miralle for IRONMAN

Despite a great race at Challenge Roth, 2019 IRONMAN World Champion Anne Haug actually loses two places in the rankings, moving from third to fifth. In truth Anne’s ranking is being somewhat impacted by a relatively modest performance in Samorin at The Collins Cup. A strong performance in another event before the end of 2021 would likely see her back contending for a top-three position.

Leapfrogging Anne is another German athlete Laura Philipp, who after big wins at IRONMAN Finland and IRONMAN Austria, makes a huge move after a long period of no racing. She is a class act and getting better all the time.

If you want to check out the complete rankings, then click here for the full set.

British women in the top 100

There are now FIFTEEN British female athletes ranked in the PTO’s top 100, with three of those in the top 10 and five in the top 20. Strength in depth personified.

1st – Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) – 107.65
6th – Emma Pallant-Browne (GBR) – 102.08
8th – Kat Matthews (GBR) – 100.09
12th – Holly Lawrence (GBR) – 93.40
19th – Fenella Langridge (GBR) – 83.74
23rd – Nikki Bartlett (GBR) – 81.06
26th – Lucy Hall (GBR) – 77.77
32nd – Kimberley Morrison (GBR) – 71.20
39th – Laura Siddall (GBR) – 68.23
42nd – India Lee (GBR) – 65.70
44th – Ruth Astle (GBR) – 64.45
50th – Jodie Stimpson (GBR) – 57.82
63rd – Simone Mitchell (GBR) – 52.16
66th – Chantal Cummings (GBR) – 50.67
93rd – Tara Grosvenor (GBR) – 36.02

PTO World Rankings prize pool

Race For The Rankings 2021 PTO prize purse


John Levison
Written by
John Levison
TRI247's Chief Correspondent, John has been involved in triathlon for well over 30 years, 15 of those writing on these pages, whilst he can also be found commentating for events across the UK.
Discover more
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumTriathlon’s mid-season report card: Tim Don on who’s raising the bar this triathlon race season
TRI-FIT VANGUARD tri suit review
The entry-level tri suit with a serious amount of performance for the price point – TRI-FIT VANGUARD review
Hayden Wilde bike supertri Boston 2024 photo credit supertri
Premium10 ways to make your road bike faster and more aero for triathlons
Kristian Blummenfelt photo credit: PTO Canadian Open
PremiumIs your gut health impacting your performance? The untapped potential of good gut health for triathletes
Laura Philipp and Kat Matthews on the run at the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship
PremiumHas triathlon reached peak performance? Tri experts and legends on how much faster triathletes could get
latest News
Hayden Wilde bike supertri Boston 2024 photo credit supertri
Hayden Wilde’s comeback moving closer – and why he’s inspired by Clarkson’s Farm
Paris 2024 Women's Triathlon podium - Cassandre Beaugrand, Julie Derron, Beth Potter
GOLDEN opportunity for the sport as first medals of LA2028 will be women’s triathlon
Gordon Ramsay 703 Luxembourg 2025
‘I’M BACK and Cooking!’ – Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay celebrates triathlon return
Danielle Lewis (USA) takes the win in Lake Placid.
Start list for IRONMAN Lake Placid REVEALED – and it’s stacked with world class names
Julie Derron wins T100 San Francisco 2025
IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz 2025: Olympic star wins by MORE than half an hour for first full-distance win
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...