2015 ITU Worlds site up for bids
After the 2013 ITU World Triathlon Series Grand Final in London and a renamed 2014 WTS conclusion in Edmonton, Canada, interested parties may contact the International Triathlon Union about hosting the 2015 ITU World Championships finale.
"ITU is committed to hosting top level events in iconic cities," ITU President and IOC Member Marisol Casado said in an invitation playing to the civic pride, self-interest and checkbooks of prospective hosts. "As our sport continues to rise in popularity, we believe hosting the ITU World Triathlon Championships offers cities the possibility to showcase their city to a global audience."
After years of concluding a series of World Cups races with a single day World Championship event, ITU reconfigured the championships, expanding the former single-day World Championship race into a multi-city global series, during which athletes vie for prize money totaling more than $2 million. From 2009, the series culminated with the ITU World Triathlon Championship Grand Final, which will continue to be called the World Triathlon Grand Final through 2013.
Going forward, the ITU will designate the year end race as the ITU World Triathlon Championships – yet another slight change in the naming of their most prestigious year-end Olympic dis6tace event. However, in today’s release, the ITU did not specify whether the World Champion will be determined by points accrued throughout the year – or if they will revert to determining the World Champions solely by performance in the year end event.
In their advertisement to prospective hosts, the ITU noted that the recent 2012 Barfoot & Thompson ITU World Triathlon Grand final “generated a 307 percent return on national investment, while television exposure for the overall series increased by 18 percent.”
The ITU stated that they will announce the 2015 ITU World Triathlon Championships host city at the ITU World Triathlon in Yokohama, Japan in May.
