Ironman Triathlon interested participants. In 1990, with the help of Lew Friedland, Dr. James P. Gills acquired and purchased the Hawaii Triathlon Corporation, owner of the Ironman brand, for $3 million from Silk. With the Ironman brand, Gills established the World Triathlon Corporation with the intention of furthering the sport of triathlon and increasing prize money for triathletes. A number of non-WTC full distance triathlons have been held since the mid-1990s. The limited number of WTC-sanctioned events, and the limited number of entries available per race, have combined with a growth in the sport that has created demand for these non-trademarked events.
ITU World Triathlon Series the name standard distance saving the name Olympic on for official Olympic events. The athlete won his first title as World Champion under the old world championship system. The athlete won the title of World Champion under the old world championship system. GF = Grand Final The world champion was formerly crowned in the ITU Triathlon World Championship, a single championship race that was held annually from 1989, the same year as the formation of the International Triathlon Union (ITU), to 2008. ITU World Triathlon Series The ITU World Triathlon Series is the International Triathlon Union's annual series of triathlon