Multisport World Championships to be held in Townsville in August 2022

The 10-day event will take place in Townsville North Queensland between 18 and 28 August 2022, with thousands of athletes expected to take part.

World Triathlon President and IOC member Marisol Casada said the triathlon community was looking forward to heading to Townsville in 2022.

“We are delighted to return to Queensland, this time for one of our flagship events: the 5th edition of the Multisport World Championships in Townsville” said Casado. “Over the last years, Australia has become synonymous of triathlon on its multiple variations, and has proved to be a magnificent host for the triathlon family, playing host to some truly memorable performances and great champions, staging races the results of which have helped shape the path of entire seasons.

“Being able to hold these important races in one fantastic location and all under the banner of one festival has proved to be hugely beneficial for athletes, spectators and media alike, allowing the global World Triathlon family the opportunity to gather together for a true celebration of the sport, and we are extremely excited to head to Townsville in 2022,” she said.

Queensland Minister for Tourism and Sport Stirling Hinchliffe said it was a coup for Townsville North Queensland, placing the eyes of the global multisport community on the region.

“The Multisport World Championships is the global multisport and triathlon community’s annual pinnacle event, bringing together thousands of elite and age-group athletes,” Minister Hinchliffe said. “The event will directly benefit local tourism operators, hospitality businesses, transport companies, retailers and other businesses, supporting Townsville’s economic recovery.

“In this age of technology, the event broadcast opportunities also mean people around the globe are sure to catch a glimpse of the championship action and its scenic backdrop – the city of Townsville.

“Hosting the event also adds another feather to Queensland’s cap after we became a major sporting hub at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. We will continue to reinforce our standing as a COVID-safe event destination with our growing It’s Live! in Queensland calendar.”

Australian professional triathlete Ellie Salthouse said she was looking forward to the opportunity to race at a World Championships in her home state.

“I think it’s going to be the perfect opportunity to showcase how beautiful Queensland is and how much we have to offer here, especially Far North Queensland with the Great Barrier Reef, it’s going to be an incredible place to host such as big event,” said Salthouse. “The World Championships are the pinnacle of the sport, whether you’re an age-group athlete or professional, a World Championships is going to hold a special place for any athlete, especially if it’s your first time or you’re new to the sport, it’s really special to be able to compete at the highest level. To be able to race with age-group and professional athletes on the same course is something that is unique to triathlon and it makes it even more special.”

Mayor Jenny Hill said Townsville City Council was proud to support the Multisport World Championships, which further reinforced the city’s reputation as the events capital of Northern Australia.

“Bringing the world championships to our city and having the world’s best athletes testing their skills and endurance against a backdrop of our beautiful locations and weather is a real coup of Townsville,” Cr Hill said. “The championships will also provide a platform to promote our city and region to the world, which has the potential to boost our tourism industry for years to come.”

Triathlon Australia CEO, Miles Stewart welcomed the announcement of dates for the Multisport World Championships next August.

“It’s an exciting step forward on the journey to hosting our first ever Multisport World Championships here in Australia,” said Stewart. “Nothing brings you greater pride as an athlete than representing your country, especially on home soil.

“We’ve already received such an enthusiastic response from our members wanting to begin their preparations to qualify for Townsville and compete at a home World Championships,” he said. The Multisport World Championships is a 10-day event that is expected to attract triathletes competing at the duathlon, long distance triathlon, aquathlon and cross triathlon World Championship races organised together, both for elite and age-group athletes.

The World Triathlon Multisport Championships made its debut in the ITU calendar in 2017 in Penticton (Canada), a successful event that was followed by Fyn (Denmark) in 2018 and Pontevedra (Spain) in 2019. In 2021 the event will travel to the city of Almere (The Netherlands), to be followed by Townsville (Australia) in 2022 and Ibiza (Spain) in 2023.