Following the 2013 PruHealth World Triathlon Grand Final, the International Triathlon Union (ITU) today announced the schedule for the 2014 ITU World Triathlon Series, as well as various World Cup events.
In 2009, the championships were revamped, expanding the former single-day World Championships event into an exciting multi-city global series, culminating with the Grand Final. Athletes earn points throughout the season and those who win the overall series are crowned the ITU Triathlon World Champions, as Non Stanford and Javier Gomez were over the weekend in London.
Entering its sixth season, triathlon's premier global series will feature eight or nine rounds of race action, culminating with the Grand Final in Edmonton, Canada.
2014 ITU World Triathlon Series
April 5-6: Auckland, New Zealand
May 17-18: Yokohama, Japan
May 31-June1: London, England
June 28-29: Chicago, USA
July 12-13: Hamburg, Germany
August 23-24: Stockholm, Sweden
Grand Final - August 26-September 1: Edmonton, Canada
ITU and its commercial partner Upsolut are currently in negotiations with two additional cities for the early part of the WTS season in April. A complete calendar is expected in the coming weeks.
Every event will feature age-group races and all elite women's and men's races will be broadcast live to an international audience and streamed online live. In 2012 and 2013, the series was broadcast in more than 160 countries.
"The popularity of triathlon continues to soar, which was evidenced by the record participation we had at our Grand Final last week," said ITU President and IOC Member Marisol Casado. "The World Triathlon Series is the premier triathlon circuit, which continues to garner more and more broadcast and spectator attention each year."
The 2014 ITU World Triathlon Series will again open in Auckland as it did for this year's season. Japan will then host the World Triathlon Series for the fourth time in Yokohama, before the series comes back to London, which has been the site of three WTS events, the 2012 Olympics and the 2013 Grand Final.
Chicago will next debut as a WTS race in its preparation to host the 2015 Grand Final. Athletes will endure a beach start as they run into Lake Michigan before hitting a course that meanders through the streets of Chicago.
After hitting the Americas, the circuit moves back to Europe for stops in Hamburg and Stockholm. Hamburg has hosted a WTS race every year since its inception and this year saw Germany take the Mixed Relay World Championship title on home soil.
Stockholm's famous cobblestoned roads will then serve as the penultimate round of the series over a sprint distance in late August before the season culminates in Edmonton August 30-September 1. Edmonton will also welcome the 27th annual ITU Congress prior to the Grand Final.
The event will mark the fourth time Canada has hosted the Grand Final, with Edmonton having organised the race in 2001. Edmonton was also the site of nine world cup events in the last 10 years and has welcomed PATCO Junior Triathlon Pan American races on four occasions, in addition to a stand-alone Paratriathlon race in 2012.
In addition to the World Triathlon Series, ITU has also confirmed a number of World Cup races, including the following:
Confirmed 2014 World Cups
March 15-16: Mooloolaba, Australia
March 22-23: New Plymouth, New Zealand
May 10-11: Chengdu, China
June 14-15: Huatulco, Mexico
August 9-10: Tiszaujvaros, Hungary
While dates are pending, bids to hold a World Cup have been received from and will take place in the following cities:
- Jiayuguan, China
- Cozumel, Mexico
- Alanya, Turkey
- Tongyeong, South Korea
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Expression of interest for World Cups was also received from Spain, Columbia and USA. The full schedule and dates will be confirmed in the coming weeks, with all dates for the WTS and World Cup races subject to change.
