Digital magazines from the International Triathlon Union (ITU) and the World Triathlon Series
Issue link: http://worldtriathlon.uberflip.com/i/258454
TriaThlon 2013 · inside the itu 6 TriaThlon 2013 · inside the itu 6 7 inside the itu · TriaThlon 2013 nEW for ThE 2013 SEaSon This year, the ITU World Triathlon Series featured a sprint race format at the world's largest triathlon in Hamburg, while Kitzbühel debuted a new dynamic course that was hailed as one of the toughest triath- lon courses in the world. With a 867-metre bike climb over 11.5 kilometres before another ascent on the run, the course shook up the competition as tri- athletes were put to the ultimate test. In its WTS debut last year, Stockholm offered elite athletes a quick sprint race, but it covered twice the distance this year in the Standard Distance format. Hamburg also hosted the 2013 ITU Mixed Relay World Championship, while Yokohama and San Diego each staged international paratriathlon events to com- pete. All events also had successful age-group races, with over 32,000 triathletes taking part across the entire series. While age group-athletes were required to qualify for the Grand Final at the WTS races, this year title sponsor PruHealth also offered the chance for 1,000 members to win a spot in the open age-group race, which allowed even more triathletes the opportunity to compete in Hyde Park, where the London 2012 Olympics also took place. SEriES ovErviEW The ITU World Triathlon Series was introduced in 2009, creating a series of world championship races rather than a single-day world championship. From 2009 until 2011, it was called the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship series, but was re-branded in 2012 as the ITU World Triath- lon Series. There were eight rounds in the 2013 season, Auckland, San Diego, Yokohama, Madrid, Kitzbühel, Hamburg and Stockholm, before it all cul- minated with the Grand Final in London in Septem- ber. The world's top triathletes competed head-to- head for rankings points that determined the overall ITU world champion, with media and fans able to watch from everywhere with a live international broadcast feed available from every event. A total of $2.25 million USD was available for elite athletes racing the 2013 ITU World Triathlon Series, making it the richest series in triathlon.