With the 2015 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final and World Championships set for Sept. 15-20 at Grant Park, an open age-group sprint race has been added to allow amateur triathletes an opportunity to compete at the same venue as the world's best triathletes.
The 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike, 5-kilometer run sprint-distance race will be contested on Saturday, Sept. 19. General registration begins on Thursday, Dec. 18, and triathletes ages 15 and up can register for one of 2,000 spots for individuals, relays and the Physically Challenged Open Division. Participants of the 2014 ITU World Triathlon Chicago, held this past June, will receive an invitation via email to pre-register from Dec. 10-17. Once the event reaches capacity, a limited number of charity spots benefiting the Chicago Park District and local paratriathlon club Dare2tri will be made available.
In addition to the open age-group race, world champions will be crowned in 10 events held in five days of competition at Grant Park. Action will begin with the ITU Aquathlon World Championships on Wednesday, Sept. 16 and will conclude with the age-group ITU Standard (Olympic-distance) World Championships on Sunday, Sept. 20. Athletes who have qualified to represent their countries in the 2015 ITU World Championships should contact their National Federation for more information on registration for championship events.
The elite ITU World Triathlon Grand Final and the Paratriathlon World Championships will showcase Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls in advance of the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Top finishers in the elite events on Sept. 18-19 will earn valuable points toward their ranking on the ITU Olympic Qualification List, which will allocate National Federation spots in mid-May 2016. Paratriathletes who win their respective sport classes in Chicago on Sept. 19 will earn a spot for their National Federation for the 2016 Paralympic Games.
"Adding the open age-group sprint race is a testament to the incredible success of 2014 ITU World Triathlon Chicago, thanks to an outstanding collaboration among our partners, including USA Triathlon, Lagardère Unlimited Events North America, the Chicago Park District and the City of Chicago," said Kara Bachman, Chicago Sports Commission Executive Director. "We look forward to welcoming not only the thousands of amateur athletes who will now be able to participate, but also the world's most elite triathletes, including those competing for their chance to represent their countries in Rio."
Proposed Schedule - ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Chicago
With the exception of the open age-group race, dates are subject to change.
Date Event
Sept. 16 Aquathlon World Championships
Sept. 17 Under-23 World Championships - Women
Sept. 17 Under-23 World Championships - Men
Sept. 17 Junior World Championships - Women
Sept. 18 Junior World Championships – Men
Sept. 18 Sprint World Championships - Age-Group
Sept. 18 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final - Elite Women
Sept. 19 Open Age-Group Sprint Race
Sept. 19 Paratriathlon World Championships
Sept. 19 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final - Elite Men
Sept. 20 Standard World Championships - Age-Group
Festivities the week of Sept. 15-20 include a parade of nations as well as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. For more information on the event, including any changes to the proposed event schedule, visit chicago.triathlon.org.
The ITU World Triathlon Series is an innovative series that allows the world's top elite athletes to compete head-to-head throughout the year. Expanding upon the previous single-day World Championship, the format features nine regular-season events which then culminate with a Grand Final race in which overall champions are crowned based on points earned throughout the season.
About the ITU World Triathlon Chicago: The City of Chicago joined the ITU World Triathlon Series in 2014 and will host the 2015 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final and World Championships in September 2015. Chicago will welcome 150 of the world's top Olympic-distance triathletes as they compete for a world championship title less than a year prior to the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games. In addition to the elite races, the event features top-flight sprint and Olympic-distance races for age-group athletes, paratriathletes, juniors and under-23s, as well as an aquathlon to kick off the action. In all, more than 8,000 of the world's best triathletes will compete for world titles over five days of competition. The ITU World Triathlon Grand Final and World Championships are hosted by USA Triathlon, the National Governing Body for the sport of triathlon in the United States, and Lagardère Unlimited Events North America. Launched in 2009, the ITU World Triathlon Series is televised in more than 160 countries. Visit chicago.triathlon.org for more information.
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