Sarasota-Bradenton Triathlon Festival Highlighted by Top Athletes

Top U.S. and international triathletes will take part in in this weekend’s Sarasota-Bradenton Triathlon Festival at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota, FL 34235

Atheletes and VIPs in attendance include:

Barry Siff, USA Triathlon Board President and ITU Executive Board Member
Siff is the President of the USA Triathlon Board of Directors and a member of the Executive Board of the International Triathlon Union. He has been an integral part of the multisport scene since 1986 as an athlete, race organizer, writer and executive leader. In addition to his roles with USA Triathlon and the ITU, Siff serves on the Executive Board of the American Triathlon Federation (CAMTRI) and is a USA Triathlon Level I Certified Coach.

Stephen Rodriguez, SANCA President and CEO
Rodriguez is the President and CEO of Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates, Inc. (SANCA), the not-for-profit business that manages Nathan Benderson Park. SANCA has served as the local organizing committee for the Sarasota-Bradenton Triathlon Festival for the last two years. SANCA served as the local organizing committee for the2017 World Rowing Championships, and last week was the local organizing committee for the World Rowing Masters Regatta, both held at Nathan Benderson Park.

Kirsten Kasper, U.S. Elite Triathlete
Kasper is a member of the USA Triathlon National Team and an eight-time ITU World Cup medalist. She finished the season-long ITU World Triathlon Series ranked fourth in the world in 2017 and 2018. In September, she took fourth at the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Gold Coast, Australia. Kasper is the 2017 ITU World Triathlon Yokohama bronze medalist and helped Team USA to the podium for the last three years at the ITU Mixed Relay World Championships.

Eli Hemming, U.S. Elite Triathlete
Hemming finished the 2018 ITU World Triathlon Series as the top-ranked U.S. male triathlete in the world. Hemming is the 2017 USA Triathlon Under-23 National Champion and has represented the U.S. at three ITU U23 World Championships. He placed 16th, leading the U.S. squad at his first senior-level Grand Final in Gold Coast last month. Hemming is a five-time ITU Continental Cup champion and helped the U.S. to gold at the ITU World Mixed Relay Series in Nottingham, England, in June.

Amy Dixon, U.S. Elite Paratriathlete (with guide Kirsten Sass)
Dixon is an elite paratriathlete in the women’s visually-impaired class. She is a two-time ITU Paratriathlon World Cup gold medalist, including last year here in Sarasota-Bradenton. Dixon owns eight medals in ITU World Paratriathlon Events, and recently placed seventh at the ITU Paratriathlon World Championships in Gold Coast. She competes with sighted guide Kirsten Sass, an accomplished amateur triathlete and multi-time age group world champion.

Tayler Reid, New Zealand Elite Triathlete
Reid is a 22-year old triathlete from New Zealand. He is the current ITU Under-23 Men’s World Champion after his victory in Gold Coast in September. Other accolades include a silver medal at the 2018 Antwerp ITU World Cup, bronze at the 2017 Karlovy Vary World Cup and helping the New Zealand mixed relay team earn bronze medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the 2018 ITU Triathlon Mixed Relay Series stop in Edmonton, Canada.

ABOUT THE SARASOTA-BRADENTON TRIATHLON FESTIVAL:
The Sarasota-Bradenton Triathlon Festival is a weekend of elite and amateur triathlon racing taking place at Nathan Benderson Par from Oct. 13-14. The schedule includes the following events (all times ET):

Saturday, Oct. 13

• 7:30 a.m.: USA Triathlon Age Group Draft-Legal National Championships (amateur event)

• 1:30 p.m.: ITU Triathlon World Cup and USA Triathlon Elite National Championships, women (elite event)

• 3:30 p.m.: ITU Triathlon World Cup and USA Triathlon Elite National Championships, men (elite event) 

Sunday, Oct. 13

• 8 a.m.: ITU Paratriathlon World Cup (elite event)

• 1 p.m. CAMTRI Triathlon Mixed Relay American Championships (elite event) 

For more information about the Sarasota-Bradenton Triathlon Festival, visit usatriathlon.org/2018sbtrifest.

About USA Triathlon: USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 events and connects with more than 400,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work at the grassroots level with athletes, coaches, and race directors – as well as the USA Triathlon Foundation – USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of the ITU and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).