ITU awards 2013 World Championship Series Grand Final to London

At its 24th annual Congress, the International Triathlon Union (ITU)
today named London as the host city for the 2013 ITU Triathlon World
Championship Grand Final.  The 25th edition of the biggest and most
prestigious triathlon on the ITU calendar will be held at Hyde Park, the
venue that will host the 2012 Olympic Games triathlon competitions.

“It’s always very special to come back to an Olympic Games venue so
we are thrilled to return to London for the ITU World Championship Grand
Final in 2013,” said Marisol Casado, ITU President and IOC Member. “We
are confident London will set a new standard for ITU’s premier event.”

In addition to crowning the 2013 ITU World Champions, the event will
also host world championships in junior and U23 categories, as well as
Paratriathlon, which will debut in the Paralympics beginning at Rio
2016. Thousands of age-group triathletes from around the world will
descend on London for what could be the largest age-group triathlon in
ITU history.

The 2013 event will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the only other
time Great Britain has hosted the Triathlon World Championships.
Manchester was the site of the 1993 championships.

The ITU Triathlon World Championships were first held in Avignon,
France in 1989.  In 2009, the championships were revamped, expanding the
former single-day World Championship race into an exciting multi-city
global series, culminating with the ITU Triathlon World Championship
Grand Final. Athletes earn points throughout the season and those who
win the overall series are crowned the ITU Triathlon World Champions.