The changes announced by World Triathlon and the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) will see the existing World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) rebranded as the T50 World Championship Tour from 2027.Phil Campbell16:19, 25 Jul 2026Matthew Hauser believes triathlon is finally moving into a strong position on the global sports stage after the launch of the new Triathlon World Tour.‌The reigning world champion insists the long-awaited overhaul will help grow the sport and inspire the next generation. The changes announced by World Triathlon and the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) will see the existing World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) rebranded as the T50 World Championship Tour from 2027, alongside the T100 World Championship Tour under one unified Triathlon World Tour banner.‌The Australian has welcomed the merger and thinks the announcement is the biggest step forward the sport has seen in decades.‌"The sport, particularly in World Triathlon and short-course racing, has been quite stagnant for almost 20 years now," said Hauser, who finished fifth on his T100 debut in Singapore in April."To see it finally change and come into that privatised model is exciting, and it's a great opportunity to grow the sport and get more eyes on it."It's something I would have loved to see 20 years ago as a young kid watching triathlon. To have that opportunity now for young kids to choose whether they want to do the T100 or the T50, specialise in one area or do both, is super exciting."‌The new structure has been created through a partnership between the PTO and World Triathlon, with the aim of bringing together what has previously been a fragmented elite racing calendar. The T50 and T100 World Championship Tours will become the top tier of professional racing, while a new Challenger tier will provide a unified qualification pathway into both series.World Triathlon president Antonio Arimany said the changes were needed to unlock the sport's long-term growth.He said: "By introducing the Triathlon World Tour now, we are creating one unified structure and brand which can unify as many events as possible, creating a win-win situation for all of us in the sport."‌PTO chief executive Sam Renouf added that simplifying the sport would make it easier for fans to understand while creating greater opportunities for athletes, host cities and commercial partners.Hauser's attention now turns to the WTCS London event, which returns to the capital for the first time since 2015. More than 100 of the world's leading triathletes, including Britain's Olympic champion Alex Yee and 2023 world champion Beth Potter, will race around the ExCeL London and Royal Docks course as they battle for valuable championship points.The event forms part of the London T100 Triathlon weekend, with over 5,000 amateur athletes also taking part across the weekend. The 27-year-old arrives in excellent form after claiming two WTCS victories in Yokohama and Hamburg – his third in a row in the German city – already this season and will be looking to strengthen his title challenge with only a handful of races remaining.Article continues below"I think the pressure's on at the top of the leaderboard," Hauser, who currently sits seventh in the standings, added. "I've only got a few opportunities left to put some points on the board, so I'll be looking to try and take the win this weekend."It's cool to be back here. It's such a weird place to have a triathlon, but this is my third time racing here now. I'm looking forward to the first blast of air conditioning as you run through here halfway through the run, and also hearing the crowd cheering. It's going to be awesome."Watch British stars, including Alex Yee, Beth Potter, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Sophie Evans, race at the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) London, with Olympic qualifying points on the line. The elite women start at 1430 and the elite men go at 1615, with live coverage on Triathlonlive.tv and TNT Sports in the UK.