Fitri

L'Unione Internazionale ha annunciato che il Campionato Mondiale Triathlon a Squadre 2009 si svolgerà il 28 giugno a De Moines (USA).

L'ITU è riuscita a creare un evento nella due giorni americana che metterà in palio un montepremi di un milione di dollari tra la gara di coppa del mondo e il mondiale a staffetta.

Sabato 27 giugno si svolgerà la prova di coppa del mondo e la domenica esordirà la nuova formula a staffetta dei mondiali. Come già proposto per il programma di Giochi Olimpici Giovanili e con l'ambizione di poter proporre una seconda medaglia olimpica, la gara si svilupperà nel seguente modo:

ogni nazione potrà schierare una squadra composta da due donne e due uomini. Ognuno completerà un triathlon supersprint (250m nuoto, 7km ciclismo e 1.8km corsa) e darà il cambio al proprio compagno di nazionale.

Press Release 2009 Hy-Vee ITU Triathlon Team World Championships The 2009 ITU Triathlon Team World Championships location announced Vancouver, Canada (February 24, 2009) - The International Triathlon Union (ITU) is pleased to announce the location for the 2009 ITU Triathlon Team World Championships will be in West Des Moines, Iowa, USA on June 28 in conjunction with the Hy-Vee ITU Triathlon Elite Cup. This is the first time a team world championship has been held on U.S. soil and the first time in ITU history that the teams will be mixed. In total, the weekend will boast $1million USD in prize money.

"The team world championships are crucial in ITU's quest to have a team event on the Olympic programme," said ITU Secretary General Loreen Barnett. "Recently the IOC Executive Board approved the mixed relay for the Youth Olympic Games, signifying the IOC's support of the concept. It also represented an important step forward for the team relay's inclusion in future Olympic Games"

The ITU Triathlon Team World Championships will consist of a 4 x mixed relay. Each federation will enter a team consisting of two women and two men. Each member will complete a super sprint triathlon (250m swim, 7km bike and 1.8km run) in succession, with the first team across the line representing the top triathlon nation in the world. A $70,000 USD prize purse will be available for the top three teams (1st - $40,000, 2nd - $20,000, 3rd - $10,000).

"We would be delighted to be the first to stage the mixed relay format at a world championship level. The quick pace of the race makes it especially exciting to watch. It's a real crowd pleaser," said Andy McCann, Hy-Vee Triathlon co-chair.

The Hy-Vee ITU Triathlon Elite Cup will be staged on Saturday June 27 and the ITU Triathlon Team World Championships on Sunday June 28.

The million dollar weekend will continue to be showcased in 2009 with U.S. national television coverage on NBC.