http://www.triathlon.org/news/ en merryn.sherwood@gmail.com Copyright 2012 2012-01-31T22:30:08+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/itu_continues_partnership_with_powerman_for_2012_and_2013_long_distance_dua/ http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/itu_continues_partnership_with_powerman_for_2012_and_2013_long_distance_dua/#When:18:17:24Z The International Triathlon Union (ITU) is pleased to announce a continued partnership with the International Powerman Association (IPA) to stage the 2012 and 2013 ITU Powerman Long Distance Duathlon World Championships.  The event will be part of the Powerman Series and will remain in Zofingen, Switzerland, located approximately 60km west of Zurich. “With this continued partnership with Powerman, a stronger, brighter future is in store for international duathlon,” said Marisol Casado, ITU President and IOC Member. “Zofingen offers a beautiful and challenging backdrop for the grueling test of long distance duathlon.” The event will be held on 1-2 September 2012 with the elite duathletes fighting it out for gold over a 10km run followed by a 150km bike then a 30km run.  A total prize purse of $50,000 USD will be on offer, equal for men and women. “In 2011 we established an ITU-Powerman working committee with the mission to boost duathlon and create more awareness for the sport,” said John Raadschelders, President of the International Powerman Association.  “Faith in each other is fundamental to this continued partnership for 2012 and 2013.” This year will mark the 24th edition of Powerman Zofingen and the fifth time it will serve as the ITU Duathlon Long Distance World Championship. “The extension of the co-operation between ITU and Powerman over two years is an important message for the sport of duathlon and opens to athletes and federations new perspectives,” said Stefan Ruf, President of Powerman Zofingen.  “The possibility to win the ITU World Championship title at the epic Powerman Zofingen event makes this race unique for the elite and age-group athletes.” At last year’s ITU Powerman Long Distance Duathlon World Championships in Zofingen, New Zealand’s Melanie Burke won her first world championship while Belgium’s Joerie Vansteelant cemented his position as the king of long distance duathlon by breaking the course record in the men’s race. Click here for more on Powerman Events, Media Centre, Press Release, Multisports, Long Distance Duathlon, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania 2012-02-10T18:17:24+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/mcilroy_royle_triumph_over_dutch_in_kinloch/ http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/mcilroy_royle_triumph_over_dutch_in_kinloch/#When:10:42:12Z Australia’s Aaron Royle made the most of Beijing Olympian Kris Gemmell’s misfortune to win the 2012 Kinloch OTU Sprint Triathlon Oceania Cup. Wearing the number one for the event, Gemmell was forced to retire due to mechanical failure on the bike, when his derailler broke, bringing his race to an abrupt end. But one man’s misfortune was another man’s gain and Royle, runner-up in last year’s Oceania Championship, seized the opportunity to record a 4-second win over Dutchman Jan van Berkel in second with fellow Australians Jamie Huggett and Peter Kerr in third and fourth respectively. Royle produced his trump card on the bike, exiting onto the run alongside New Zealand pair Tom Davison and Edward Rawles with the two Kiwi youngsters keeping the elite company honest. “I came into this race confident, it is my first race for the year and I know I am probably the fittest I have ever been,” said Royle.  “I was able to get a good swim and really take it out on the bike (and it was) the bike that got me the win today. We had a good group, (including) Rawles and Davison and for a while Richard Varga. “I was concerned knowing that there were a few good guys that could bridge the gap on the run if my legs didn’t keep me going but I was able to push through to the end and hold the lead.” Meanwhile in the women’s race, New Zealand’s Kate McIlroy recorded an impressive season opener, running away from the ever improving Dutch pair of Rachel Klamer and Danne Boterenbrood.  McIlroy’s teammates Debbie Tanner ran home fourth and Nicky Samuels finished fifth. This group of five established a strong lead early on the bike after exiting the 750m swim together, with the field trailing behind as the pace went on around the tight and demanding multi-lap 20km bike course. Onto the 5km run it was Samuels who faded first, leaving the two Dutch and two Kiwis to hammer away in front of a huge crowd lining the Kinloch course. Into the home straight for the final time it was McIlroy who proved strongest, pulling away in a great display of strength and leg speed, especially for so early in the season. “I’m really happy, it was a really hard race, we pushed the whole way,” said McIlroy.  “The bike was aggressive and on the run there was a group of us pushing the whole way. Team tactics didn’t come into it at all; I think we all had a plan of trying to bike really hard and keep the chasing group away from us and maintain that gap. “Once on the run the pace was... Events, Continental Cup, Multisports, Sprint Distance Triathlon, Regions, Europe, Oceania 2012-02-06T10:42:12+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/itu_announces_2012_and_2013_itu_cross_triathlon_world_championships/ http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/itu_announces_2012_and_2013_itu_cross_triathlon_world_championships/#When:01:37:40Z The International Triathlon Union (ITU) is pleased to announce the 2012 ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships will be held in Pelham, Alabama, on May 19 in a partnership with the XTERRA Southeast Championship.  The event will feature $20,000 USD in prize money for elite athletes, who will compete over a 1.5km swim, 30km mountain bike and 10km trail run.  Under23, junior, age-group and paratriathlon races will also be contested in Pelham. Marisol Casado, ITU President & IOC Member: “The triathlon and multisport family is extensive and far reaching and ITU is delighted to form a partnership with XTERRA for our 2012 Cross Triathlon World Championships. We are confident the strong race organization and dynamic course will continue to push Cross Triathlon to a new level.” Dave Nicholas, Race Director, XTERRA Southeast Championships “TEAM unlimited is excited about bringing the ITU Cross Triathlon World Championship to the USA.  By combining the XTERRA series with ITU we are reaching new heights in cooperation between directors and the federations. Oak Mountain and Shelby County are the perfect place to host this event.” The course at Oak Mountain State Park in Shelby County, located in the southernmost part of the Appalachian Chain, is praised by competitors as being one of the most fun, fast, scenic and difficult on the XTERRA schedule. Pelham will mark the second ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships, following last year’s successful event in Extremadura, Spain won by Canadian Melanie McQuaid and South Africa’s Conrad Stoltz. Both McQuaid and Stoltz are also the defending champions in Pelham. ITU has also awarded the 2013 ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships to Den Haag (The Hague), Netherlands.  The event is slated for July 13, 2013 and will offer 35,000 EUR in prize money for elite athletes and will also hold under23, junior age-group and paratriathlon categories.  In preparation for the event, the city will host the European Cross Triathlon Championships this year.  Events, Media Centre, Press Release, Multisports, Cross Triathlon, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania 2012-02-01T01:37:40+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/over_500_sign_on_for_vitoria-gasteiz_long_distance_world_titles/ http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/over_500_sign_on_for_vitoria-gasteiz_long_distance_world_titles/#When:05:10:03Z More than 500 athletes have already registered for the 2012 Vitoria-Gasteiz ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships, with just six months to go until the event in Spain. After the first period of registration closed, more than 500 participants had entered from 11 different countries. They included triathletes from Denmark, USA, Canada, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Holland and Portugal. It includes 234 international registrations and over 300 Spanish pre-registered in the different age groups: 264 men, 28 women and five paratriathletes. Vitoria-Gasteiz is the capital city of the province of Álava and of the autonomous community of the Basque Country in northern Spain, and is the home of two-time Olympian and triathlon legend Eneko Llanos. It hosted the European Long Distance Championships in 2010. The course starts with a one-lap 4km swim in lake Ullibarri-Gamboa, before a two-lap 120km bike leg that winds through the plains of Alava, with the lake on one side and the Elguea mountain range on the other. The four-lap 30km run course then starts and finishes in the medieval district of Vitoria-Gasteiz. The second registration period will be open until May 29, with fees at 125 EUR for Spanish entrants and 150 EUR for entrants from other countries. The price difference is due to the 25 EUR subsidy the Spanish Triathlon Federation (FETRI) offers to each Spanish competitor. For late entries from May 30 onwards, the registration fee will rise to 175 EUR. The final participants list will be published on May 29, but forecasts point to a total of 1300 athletes in total, so make sure you sign up now to secure your spot. Spain, as the host, has 25 places for each age-group. All registrations are processed on-line through FETRI, www.triatlon.org. Please proceed to register your athletes through the ITU online entry system and the LOC will invoice each National Federation. Events, Multisports, Long Distance Triathlon, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania 2012-01-31T05:10:03+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/2012_winter_triathlon_season_starts_this_weekend_in_norway/ http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/2012_winter_triathlon_season_starts_this_weekend_in_norway/#When:23:00:35Z The 2012 ITU Winter Triathlon season gets underway this weekend, with 2012 Lygna ITU Winter Triathlon European Cup. In the lead in to the 2012 Jamijarvi ITU Winter Triathlon World Championships on March 24, there will be a total of five European Cup events and the European Championships. It all starts this weekend in Norway. It is the third row that Lygna has hosted a European Cup, and in 2010 it was the successful host of the Winter Triathlon European Championships. It’s the second time it has opened the winter triathlon season and this year’s winners will be decided over a 6km run, a 10km mountain bike and an 8km cross country ski - all on snow. In the women’s race, reigning Winter Triathlon World Champion Borghild Lovset will make her season debut at home at looks hard to beat, but 2010 European champion Marthe K Myhre (NOR) is also on the start list. In the men’sfield, 2010 Winter Triathlon World Champion Andreas Svanebo is up against a field of up and coming Norwegian athletes including Kristian Monsen, who finished 8th at last year’s world titles. But Svanebo is currently undefeated in Lygna, having captured the European title here in 2010 and then last year’s European Cup event. The winter triathlon series then heads to Schwanden, Switzerland on January 29. It’s the first time since 2004 that Switzerland has hosted a winter triathlon event. The circuit then returns to Estonia for the second year in a row, after the first European Cup event in Lahte in 2011. The same venue will host this year on February 11. The host of the 2003 winter triathlon world titles, Germany’s Oberstaufen, is back on the calendar again in 2011 to host a European Cup on February 25 and 26, the last cup event before the 2012 European Championships. This year the European titles are in Valsesia, Italy, on March 4 and 5, and there will be 4000 EUR in prize money. The final European Cup event of the season is also in Italy, the only country to host more than one winter triathlon event this year. The host town, Mals, is also the longest serving host on this year’s tour having hosted a winter triathlon event each year since 2007. This year’s event is on March 10 and 11. For more information on these events, please click here. The world’s best winter triathletes will then descend on Jamijarvi, Finland, for the second consecutive year. The 2012 world titles will be decided on March 24 and there is a total of $8,000 USD in prize money.  The Age-group races will be held... Events, Media Centre, Event Release, Multisports, Winter Triathlon, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania 2012-01-11T23:00:35+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/welcome_to_2012_previewing_the_first_major_events_of_the_new_year/ http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/welcome_to_2012_previewing_the_first_major_events_of_the_new_year/#When:18:36:57Z Welcome to 2012! While there isn’t anything much more exciting than welcoming in an Olympic year, before we get to those two days in London this August there are still dozens of brilliant triathlon events to come in 2012. The very first one is the 2012 Laz Paz PATCO Triathlon Pan American Championships on January 15. The best athletes from the Americas will converge in Argentina to race for the right to be Pan American champion, with the addition of Olympic qualifying points at stake. In the men’s field, there is the trio of Pan Am Games medalists; Brazil’s Reinaldo Colucci, the USA’s Manuel Huerta and Canada’s Brent McMahon and also keep an eye on athletes who have been part of the ITU Development programme in 2011, including Colombia’s Carlos Javier Quinchara Forero, Barbados’ Jason Wilson and Costa Rica’s Leonardo Chacon. La Paz could also be the site of a much anticipated return and debut. The return could be that of Argentina’s Oscar Galindez, a triple World Cup winner and Sydney Olympian, who last competed in Olympic distance in 2003. The debut is that of USA’s Lukas Verzbicas, who won the junior men’s world title in Beijing. He made headlines at home as he dedicated the race to his friend and 2010 junior men’s bronze medallist Kevin McDowell, who was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2010. Verzbicas then went to start a college scholarship to try an athletics career, but just two months in, decided to again focus on triathlon. He’s on the start list in La Paz, and if he does compete, it will be his first ITU elite race. Athletes on the start list to watch in the women’s race include Bermuda’s Flora Duffy, Canadians Lauren Campbell, Kirsten Sweetland, and Kathy Tremblay, Ecuador’s Elizabeth Bravo and Pan Am Games bronze medallist Pamela Nascimento Oliveria. Winter Triathlon January and February will also see a host of Winter Triathlon European Cup events, European Cup, Oceania Cup, African Cup and Pan American Cup events, before the next major event, the 2012 Oceania Championships in Devonport on 10 March 2012. The first World Championship event of the year will then take place on the same weekend as the opening World Cup for the year. In contrasting snow and sun, the 2012 ITU Winter Triathlon World Championships will take place in Jamijarvi, Finland and the ITU World Cup series will kick off in Mooloolaba, both on March 25. The first ITU World Triathlon Series event of the year is in Sydney from April 14 to 15. Click here for more information... Events, Multisports, Winter Triathlon, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania 2012-01-06T18:36:57+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/2012_vitoria-gasteiz_itu_long_distance_triathlon_world_championships_update/ http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/2012_vitoria-gasteiz_itu_long_distance_triathlon_world_championships_update/#When:22:40:46Z Spanish triathlon legend Eneko Llanos has issued an invitation to all triathletes to race with him at home, at the 2012 Vitoria-Gasteiz ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships. Llanos is a two-time Olympian, he competed in Sydney and Athens, as well as a ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Champion and the 2010 European Long Distance Triathlon Champion. He won that title in the first major event in his home town of Vitoria-Gasteiz, and now he extends a warm welcome to everyone for the event on July 29, 2012. “Since I entered in the world of triathlon my dream has been to race a great event on my land, at my home. So many hours of training on these roads, these paths and this nature that surrounds Vitoria-Gasteiz, but always thinking about challenges thousands of miles away from here,” Llanos said. “Now, at last, my dream has come true and my city Vitoria-Gasteiz and my land Araba, is hosting the Long Distance Triathlon World Championship. I invite you all to visit my home, to share my dream.” Vitoria-Gasteiz is the capital city of the province of Álava and of the autonomous community of the Basque Country in northern Spain. An early entry fee of 125 EUR is available for entrants who register before the end of December 2011. Please proceed to register your athletes through the ITU online entry system and the LOC will invoice the National Federations. For more information, visit the event site on www.triathlon.org, or the event website here. Multisports, Long Distance Triathlon 2011-12-15T22:40:46+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/2012_nancy_itu_duathlon_world_championships_update/ http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/2012_nancy_itu_duathlon_world_championships_update/#When:22:23:46Z After hosting the ETU Duathlon European Championships in 2010, Nancy, the old capital of the Dukes of Lorraine in the north-eastern France will step up as the organiser of the biggest world duathlon event in 2012. The course, which consists of a six-lap run, then an eight-lap bike, followed by a three-lap run, is based around Nancy’s UNESCO heritage site, the Place Stanislas. This famous square will be the background scenery for the transition and finish area of the ITU Duathlon World Championships from 20 to 23 September 2012. Sport+ is the host broadcaster for the event, and will broadcast each of the elite men’s, elite women’s and relay races, more than 10,000 spectators are expected on site and there will be a 12 metre high screen in the Place Stanislas that will broadcast each of the three elite races live. As well as this, there will be a duathlon expo, and opening ceremony with pasta party for all athletes. For more information, visit www.triathlon.org or the event website. Multisports, Duathlon 2011-12-15T22:23:46+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/team_triathlon_a_hit_at_the_2011_south_american_beach_sports_games/ http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/team_triathlon_a_hit_at_the_2011_south_american_beach_sports_games/#When:03:34:04Z Team Triathlon keeps gaining momentum as a total of eight teams from eight different South American countries helped the mixed relay triathlon format make its debut at the 2nd South American Beach Sports Games, on Saturday December 3 in Manta, Ecuador. The triathlon event was the first medal event of this year’s games and was decided over a 250swim, 5.8km bike leg and a 1.8km run. Argentina won the overall Team Triathlon gold medal, but medals were also awarded for the best men’s and women’s pairs, with Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and Colombia all collecting medals. Other participants’ countries were Brazil, Uruguay, Peru and Chile. Carlos Froes, the President of the Brazilian Triathlon Federation and COSUTRI threw his support behind the format after the Games. “This was a success, a show worthy of an Olympic Games. We have to work for establish the team relay triathlon in Rio 2016.” The first leg was led off by the women and ITU development athlete Elizabeth Bravo led from the start at home in Ecuador, closely followed by Romina Biagioli from Argentina and Mayra Vargas from Colombia. After an intense cycling leg, Chilean Andrea Llongueira joined the first pack with the Venezuelan Rafalix Martinez and then worked together in the run chase, while Brazil’s Bender Estefanie, Peru’s Sandra Lazo and Uruguay’s Federica Frontini fell behind. After Bravo comfortably led in the first leg, the next stage came down to a competition between Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and Chile. Ecuador’s Landivar Luiggi emerged first from the water, followed by the Chilean Vicente Trewhela, Venezuelan Leandro Lobo and Argentinean Gonzalo Tellechea. Those athletes formed the first pack, which came together after three rounds of cycling, but Tellechea turned on his excellent run leg and took a 48-second lead into the third leg. In that stage, Argentina continued to build on their lead through Rayen Asselborn, who rode and ran by herself. By the end of this stage though, Cristina Farez of Ecuador and Lina Raga of Colombia kept getting closer, and they were closely followed by the experienced Rosemary Lopez from Venezuela. But Luciano Taccone held onto the lead his Argentian teammates had started, before extending it. Although he only had a few metres on Juan Andrade of Ecuador and Venezuela’s Carlos Perez at the end of the swim, he quickly turned that into a 40-second lead and an Argentian gold medal in a time of 1 hour 17 minutes and 3 seconds, 53 seconds ahead of... Multisports, Team Triathlon, Regions, Americas 2011-12-07T03:34:04+00:00 http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/triathlon_mixed_relay_accepted_into_commonwealth_games_programme/ http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/triathlon_mixed_relay_accepted_into_commonwealth_games_programme/#When:09:54:37Z The International Triathlon Union (ITU) is delighted to announce that the Triathlon Mixed Relay has been officially included on the Commonwealth Games programme starting in 2018, continuing its phenomenal growth. Today in St. Kitts & Nevis, the 70 member Commonwealth Games Associations present voted unanimously in favour of including the Mixed Relay event at the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly. The discipline may also be considered by the Organising Committee for the Glasgow 2014 Games. ITU had lobbied for inclusion of Triathlon Mixed Relay in its goal to expand the hugely popular and innovative format of the sport.  Today’s inclusion into the Commonwealth Games is seen as a great boost for the development of the sport across the 71 Commonwealth nations around the globe.  Earlier this year, the format was also accepted onto the programme of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.  Marisol Casado, ITU President and IOC member commented: “We are delighted the Commonwealth Games has embraced the Triathlon Mixed Relay. The event offers a wonderful opportunity for men and women to race together for one Commonwealth medal, signalling the importance of balanced development and performance in the sport.” ITU will next present to the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee in hopes of having the Triathlon Mixed Relay as an optional addition to the sports programme of Glasgow 2014, the 20th edition of the Commonwealth Games. “We believe the discipline can offer the spectators, press and broadcasters a wonderful experience, while placing almost no additional costs on the organising committee as the same venue can be reused and no extra athletes are required,” Casado said. The Triathlon Mixed Relay consists of four athletes: two men and two women, who each complete a short, intense triathlon of a 250m swim, 5km bike and 1.2km run in the order woman, man, woman, man. The new format has enjoyed phenomenal success since the discipline changed from the original single sex team format in 2009. The recent Triathlon Mixed Relay World Championships in the Olympic city of Lausanne, Switzerland boasted its largest field ever, with representation from all five continents. According to research agency IFM, those World Championships—where Great Britain’s “Dream Team” cruised to gold—had over 571 million TV contacts, with over 93 hours of airtime and 253 broadcasts. The recent successes strengthen ITU’s quest to get the Triathlon Mixed Relay event... Events, Major Games, Media Centre, Press Release, Multisports, Team Triathlon, Regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania 2011-11-11T09:54:37+00:00