Europe Triathlon

On May 1st, the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee announced that Mixed Relay Triathlon would be included on the sports programme for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

This is a fantastic boost for our sport and the European Triathlon Union are delighted that Glasgow 2014 have made this decision.

ETU President Renato Bertrandi said: “To have Mixed Relay Triathlon at the Commonwealth Games in 2014 is fantastic news.

“We have the best athletes in the World and this will be a great opportunity for them to show off the diversity our sport in this exciting and dynamic format.

Mixed Relay Triathlon has proven to be a huge hit with athletes and spectators alike and our European Federations thrilled the crowds with their speed and power in the Junior and Elite events at the European Championships in Eilat.

Reigning World Champion Alistair Brownlee, speaking to the British Triathlon Federation, said: “It’s great news that team racing will be included in the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

“We missed out on the opportunity to compete in 2010 because triathlon wasn’t included in Delhi, but now we have the potential to race as individuals and as part of a team against some of the strongest triathlon nations in the world.”

The decision to include the Triathlon Mixed Relay in the 2014 Games comes four years earlier than anticipated. It was voted on as an additional optional discipline of triathlon at the Commonwealth Games Federation’s General Assembly in St Kitts in November last year and was understood to be scheduled for the Commonwealth Games programme for 2018 in the Gold Coast.

New Vice-President of the ETU, Dr Sarah Springman, says this is down to the hard work and efforts of the ITU and its partners, the lobbying that was done in November, and subsequently by the British Triathlon Federation and Tri Scotland with colleagues and stakeholders in Glasgow.

She said: “I am absolutely delighted that the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee have included our sport on the bill for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

“This is a great story of partnership and it has helped us achieve our goal of providing athletes with more medal-winning opportunities at major Games, four years early.”

Dr Springman, who herself competed in the 1990 Commonwealth Games demonstration Triathlon in Auckland, says Europe has played a hugely prominent role in helping to get the Triathlon Mixed Relay on the list of optional programme sports.

She said: “British Triathlon has hosted their own Super series event in Strathclyde Park in Glasgow annually since 2007. This has helped to build up confidence in our sport with the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Committee – both from an organisational and spectator point of view.

“The past President of the Maltese Triathlon Federation, Manuel Azzopardi, was incredibly supportive of the plans prior to the Assembly and we received much valued advice from Joseph Cassar, Secretary General of the Maltese Olympic Committee and Sports Committee member for the CGF.

“The Commonwealth Games will offer European Commonwealth countries, such as Malta and Cyprus, a fantastic platform for their athletes the chance to compete against some of the best athletes in the world.”

At the Commonwealth Games, the United Kingdom splits into seven nations: Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man. Gibraltar, as a UK overseas territory, is also entitled to select athletes to compete in the Commonwealth Games.