Canadian triathlete Lionel Sanders, currently ranked fifth in the world by PTO, has shared his tentative race schedule for the remainder of the 2023 season on his YouTube channel. Despite enduring a mixed start to the season, including a crash and DNF at CLASH Miami, Sanders is concentrating on the middle distances this year as he works towards a championship event in Europe at the end of the summer.
Sanders will miss the PTO European Tour in Ibiza in May but will compete in St George, where he has previously won five times, including in 2016, 2018, and 2021. The battle for the win in St George is expected to be fierce, with Sam Long and Jackson Laundry also on the start list. After St George, Sanders will head back to Canada to race in IRONMAN 70.3 Mont Tremblant on June 25, where he has won five titles since 2015.
Sanders has no races scheduled for July but plans to compete in the PTO US Open in Milwaukee in August, followed by a championship event. He hopes to make it to the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in Finland on August 27, which he has yet to compete in since finishing ninth in 2016. Sanders has never been in the top three at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, but he could be a strong contender with a heavy focus on the 70.3 distance this season.
Despite missing some major start lines, Sanders is focused on his season goals and may compete in November in IRONMAN Cozumel or Arizona. He could be a top contender in Milwaukee and Lahti if he remains healthy.
