Posted: September 9, 2005

Triathlon: 2008 World Triathlon Championships Awarded to Vancouver, BC

Vancouver’s bid for the 2008 ITU Triathlon World Championships has been successful!

The ITU Congress meeting in Gamagori, Japan awarded the 2008 Championships today to Canada’s bid group. The group was led by Tom Keough, aided by Mathew Coyne, Mike Shardlow and Triathlon Canada Executive Board members Pamela Fralick and Sheila O’Kelly.

To be awarded the honour of hosting the World Championships in Vancouver demonstrates not only the solid reputation of Canadian triathletes, but also that of Canada’s race organizers. To successfully host an event of this caliber and international importance requires strong leadership and solid dedication, of which Vancouver is proud to offer.

The 2005 World Championships are being held this weekend in Gamagori, Japan. On Saturday, September 10th, the Junior Women and U23 athletes will compete for the title of World Champion. On Sunday, the Junior Men and the Elite athletes will compete against a competitive international field.

Canada has fielded one of the strongest Canadian teams yet, comprising of Olympians and National Champions. The race will be broadcast live on www.triathlon.org on Sunday at 9:15pm EST. Full results for all events will be posted immediately post-race on www.triathloncanada.com.