TriaThlon 2013 · London Grand FinaL 134 TriaThlon 2013 · London Grand FinaL 134
agE groUP
WorlD ChaMPionShiPS
triathLon on the rise – record-BreaKinG
aGe-Group WorLd championships in London
Grand final week is always a celebration of triathlon
and London was one of the best on record, with a
total of 8500 athletes from 85 different nations
competing across the different events on offer in
Hyde Park.
The Great Britain team didn't disappoint on home soil,
topping the overall medal tally with 76 medals in total,
27 of them gold. The United States team finished up
second on the ladder with 46 medals, ahead of Swit-
zerland who collected eight overall but five gold. Ger-
many and Italy rounded-out the top five. And while she
didn't win a medal, Shirin Gerami made history as the
first woman from Iran to compete at a triathlon world
championships in the women's 25 to 29 age-group.
One of the unique aspects of triathlon remains the
ability to unite people of all walks of life and ages, and
2013 saw athletes racing for world titles in catego-
ries from 16-19 through to 85-89 years old, across
sprint and standard distance. Triathlon is perhaps one
of the only Olympic sports to stage an Age-Group
World Championships alongside its Elite events.
Participation in triathlon is on the rise across all
levels. This year, over 32,000 amateur athletes par-
ticipated in the ITU World Triathlon Series, up more
than 4,000 from the previous 2012 season.
