Magnus Ditlev (PTO #2, Denmark, 24)
Qualified: IM Texas 2022 – 7:58
Ditlev debuted at the full distance at IM Texas where he was narrowly beaten in a sprint finish by Ben Hoffman, despite getting a puncture on the bike. He followed this up with a record setting performance at Challenge Roth, where he took the bike course record and was only 9 seconds away from Jan Frodeno’s overall course record. He has improved his run since we first saw him race at Challenge Dayton in 2020, this has turned him into a true threat over any distance. He performed well in the Dallas heat which bodes well for his debut in Kona.

Gustav Iden (PTO #3, Norway, 26)
Qualified: IM Florida 2021 – 7:42
The king of middle distance racing will race only his second full distance race in Kona. He hasn’t lost a middle distance race since 2018, where he came second to Blummenfelt, and his lucky hat has never been beaten. Like Blummenfelt, Iden’s run ability sets him apart from the field. He looked tentative at IM Florida with no experience over the full distance. At the IM 70.3 World Championships in 2021 we saw him ride away from the field. It will be interesting to see if he will be more aggressive on the bike now he has more experience over the full distance.

Lionel Sanders (PTO #4, Canada, 34)
Qualified: IM World Championships 2022 – 7:54
Returning to Kona after a disappointing performance in 2019. Since then he claimed 2nd place at the World Championships in St George. However recent performances call in question whether he will be up to the standard to succeed in Kona. He suffered in the heat at the US Open coming home in 21st position, while his training partner Collin Chartier charged to victory. Full distance racing is very different to the new 100k format but Sanders himself was questioning whether he was up for the challenge. Can he prove us wrong?

Florian Angert (PTO #7, Germany, 30)
Qualified: IM Mallorca 2021 – 7:57
He came second at IM Mallorca in 2021, getting his Kona qualification, after the 2021 championship race was delayed. He went on to come 5th in St George with a breakthrough performance. He is a front pack swimmer and strong over all three disciplines. We saw the ability to bike away from the field at the US Open and he ran 2:43 off the bike in Mallorca. Even with a stronger field in Kona than there was in St George, don’t be surprised to see him make the top 5 again.

Sam Laidlow (PTO #8, France, 23)
Qualified: IM World Championships 2022 – 8:02
A breakthrough year for Laidlow, finishing 8th in St George and 4th at both the Canadian Open and US Open. His pre-match antics at the Collins Cup made the match up with Sam Long and Lionel Sanders the one to watch. Laidlow struggled with cramps in the race and went on to finish nearly half an hour back. Having suffered with cramps at the Canadian Open, as well as the Collins Cup, he was able to prove doubters wrong and out last athletes in the Dallas heat to take 4th. He is one of the strongest swimmers in the field and likes to push the pace on the bike. As in Dallas, we could see a breakaway with Laidlow and Angert on the bike.

Daniel Baekkegard (PTO #9, Denmark, 26)
Qualified: IM World Championships 2022 – 8:02
Another strong year for Baekkegard who followed up his 3rd in St George at the IM 70.3 world championships, with 7th back in St George at the IM world championships. He is a strong all round athlete and will swim with the front pack. He seemed to struggle at the US Open with the heat but he is one of the four athletes from the 10 we have highlighted that have raced in Kona before. This could give him an advantage over the other contenders to improve on his 15th place finish in 2019.

Collin Chartier (PTO #11, USA, 28)
Qualified: IM Mont Tremblant 2022 – 8:08
A surprise win at the US Open rocketed Chartier up the PTO rankings. The performance he displayed in the heat was outstanding and makes it difficult to leave him out of contender discussions. He started in ITU so is a strong swimmer and demonstrated he can ride with the best at the US Open, where he was able to hang with Sam Long and Ditlev. He qualified at IM Mont Tremblant where he finished with a 2:45 marathon. He has displayed all the qualities of a Kona winner so it will be interesting to see how he performs in his Kona debut.

Joe Skipper (PTO #13, Great Britain, 34)
Qualified: IM Switzerland 2021 – 7:41
His year got off to a bad start when he picked up covid while in South Africa, forcing him to miss the championship race in St George. However a month later he was able to step in for Alistair Brownlee as a last minute replacement for the SUB7 event. He broke the 7 hour barrier, showing his strength on the bike, but was bested by Blummenfelt on the day. He chose to focus on full distance and not take part in any of the PTO tour events. He returned to racing at IM Wales where he went on the set a new course record by over 12 minutes, despite having to stand by the side of the road for 20 minutes due to an issue with his chain. What was most impressive about this performance was the 2:37 marathon, on a slow course and in tough conditions. He has admitted himself that he struggles in the heat but if he can run like that in Kona, expect to see him on the podium.

Patrick Lange (PTO #42, Germany, 36)
Qualified: IM World Champion 2018 – 7:52
Lange wasn’t able to retain his Challenge Roth title as he was beaten by Ditlev. However he demonstrated his strength on the run, throwing down a 2:35 marathon. With his run ability and Kona experience he will always be a contender on race day. He struggle after Roth with illness but has had plenty of time to recover and build the fitness back. The two time Kona winner will have athletes worried and looking over their shoulder on the run.