Challenge Family introduced its World Bonus ranking in 2019, creating a season long narrative with athletes competing for points at select Challenge Family races to work their way up the standings. At the end of each year, the top 5 male and female athletes will receive a share of the $100,000 prize purse.
In 2023, Magda Nieuwodt and Mathis Margirier took home the top prize. And while there are couple of points-eligible races left on the Challenge Family calendar, the way the maths works out meant that Challenge Xiamen last weekend would be the decider to cement the top-ranked athletes. The top spots were all to play for pre-race, leaving the door open for plenty of race within the race battles as the Pro triathletes fought to secure prize-winning places.
It was all to play for at Challenge Xiamen
After action-packed racing at Challenge Mallorca and Challenge Barcelona in October, the race for the top spots in the World Bonus rankings was tighter than ever coming into Challenge Xiamen.
In the men’s field, Jack Moody’s lead had been cut down to just 200 points ahead of Ognjen Stojanović. With Stojanović looking in fine form, and hungry to take his first Challenge Family win. If Moody was to retain his top spot, he needed to ensure he finished at least 5th in Xiamen.
A third-place finish for Ognjen Stojanović at Challenge Peguera-Mallorca saw him putting pressure on Jack Moody in the World Bonus standings ahead of Challenge Xiamen. [Photo Jose Luis Hourcade/Challenge Family]
Jesper Svensson was knocked down into 4th place after Tom Hug took the win in Mallorca and catapulted himself up into 3rd place. There’s a $4,000 difference between finishing 3rd and 4th in the World Bonus ranking. And with Hug absent from the start list at Challenge Xiamen, a 5th place or higher for Svensson would score him enough points to take 3rd place back from Hug.
Further down in the rankings, we’d noticed ahead of Xiamen that British Pro Will Draper had an opportunity to make a significant move up the points table into the prize money-eligible top 5 if he was able to finish second or higher.
In the women’s field, Alanis Siffert came into Xiamen as the top-ranked athlete – looking to beat the next contender, Aurelia Boulanger, to cement her top spot. But with Els Visser making her return to racing after injury, Boulanger needed to make sure she got a third place finish or higher to prevent the Dutch star from overtaking her.
So who won the big Challenge bonus?
With all those potential movers and shakers set to toe the start line, Challenge Xiamen had all the makings of an action-packed race. And that it delivered. Now the finish line celebrations are over, the top 5 spots for the Challenge Family World Bonus rankings have been decided. Here’s how it played out.
Top 5 female PROs
The women’s race at Challenge Xiamen saw Alanis Siffert further assert herself as one to watch. At just 22 years old, the rising star had already had a phenomenal season prior to Xiamen, taking 2nd place at her first ever full-distance race at Challenge Almere-Amsterdam, and setting a new course record on her way to the win at Challenge Mallorca. A dominant victory in Xiamen added to her glittering 2024 resume, and secured her spot at the top of the World Bonus rankings.
Rising star Alanis Siffert rounds up a phenomenal year with a win in Xiamen, securing top spot in the World Bonus rankings [Photo: Challenge Family]
Siffert’s strong performance during the race meant that the real battle for World Bonus ranking points was between Aurelia Boulanger and Els Visser. The former looking to hold onto second place in the overall standings. With Boulanger lagging behind during the race, it looked like Visser might be able to move by her and claim that 2nd place World Bonus spot. But a strong run from Boulanger meant she clawed her way back through the field to finish in third. That meant Visser’s second-place finish wasn’t quite enough to move her past Boulanger in the world ranking, but it did bump her up into third place in the final World Bonus standings.
Top five females in the Challenge Family World Bonus
Alanis Siffert (SUI) – 1,350 points
Aurelia Boulanger (FRA) – 975 points
Els Visser (NED) – 950 points
Rebecca Robisch (GER) – 800 points
Anne Haug (GER) – 600 points
Top 5 male PROs
Ognjen Stojanović, Will Draper and Jack Moody made up the men’s podium at Challenge Xiamen [Photo: Challenge Family]
Ognjen Stojanović secured his first Challenge Family victory at Challenge Xiamen. But Jack Moody’s third place finish meant Stojanović will have to settle for second in the overall World Bonus rankings, with Moody holding on to his top spot with a 100 point lead. Jesper Svensson made some serious moves on the bike, but things looked to be hanging in the balance after a major blowup on the run. The Swedish athlete was able to grit his teeth and cling on for 5th place – enough to move him back past Tom Hug in the World Bonus rankings to secure 3rd place in the overall standings. And it was a successful day out for Brit Will Draper, who finished 2nd on the podium in Xiamen – moving him up into that final prize purse-eligible 5th spot in the rankings, knocking fellow Brit Josh Lewis down into 6th.
Top five males in the Challenge Family World Bonus
Jack Moody (NZL) – 1,250 points
Ognjen Stojanović (SRB) – 1,150 points
Jesper Svensson (SWE) – 765 points
Tom Hug (GER) – 750 points
Will Draper (GBR) – 650 points
How much does the Challenge Family World Bonus pay?
Challenge Family were one of the first race organisers to create a season long narrative with a Pro Athlete World Bonus scheme, launching theirs back in 2019. Over the years, next gen up and comers along with triathlon legends such as Patrick Lange and Anne Haug have finished their seasons with a slice of the Challenge Family pie.
The 2024 Challenge Family World Bonus prize purse is worth a total of $100,000 USD, paying 5 deep for the top ranked male and female PROs as follows:
1st place: $22,000
2nd place: $14,000
3rd place: $8,000
4th place: $4,000
5th place: $2,000
For early career PROs and those looking to establish themselves on the world stage, that end of year bonus support from Challenge Family can make all the difference in helping them to pursue a viable career as a PRO triathlete.
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