USA Triathlon President Barry Siff Elected to ITU Executive Board

USA Triathlon Board of Directors President Barry Siff was recently elected to the International Triathlon Union (ITU) Executive Board following a vote from member National Federations at the ITU Congress in Chicago.

All ITU Executive Board term lengths run parallel with the Olympic quadrennial, and Siff and the other 14 Executive Board member seats will be up for re-election in 2016. The 2016 ITU Congress will take place in early December in Madrid.

"Barry has been an invaluable member to the Executive Board in the last year in his pro tem capacity, and I have no doubt he will continue to be a significant contributing member to the Board in the coming year," said Marisol Casado, ITU President and IOC Member. "Barry comes to the Board with perspective as an athlete and race organizer, as well as strong understanding of a National Federation's needs in a territory where triathlon is the largest in the world, which is very important."

"It's an enormous honor, and it allows me to focus on developing triathlon throughout the world and assisting other countries in their development," Siff said. "It also gives USA Triathlon the opportunity to engage with the world's leadership in the sport. In other words, we have the ability to listen to our fellow federations and be involved at the highest level on the major decisions such as rules, race formats, venues, race locations, funding and what we focus on as a sport."

Siff was elected as the USA Triathlon Board of Directors President in April 2014, following a two-year stint as Vice President. He represents the Rocky Mountain, Pacific Northwest and Midwest Regions, and has been involved in the triathlon community for nearly 30 years - first as a competitor, then as a race director and coach. Siff is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Race Director and a Level I Certified Coach.

Siff began his triathlon career in 1986 in Omaha, Nebraska, and has completed 10 IRONMAN events and more than 50 marathons, including the Leadville 100 Trail Run. Siff was also a full-time adventure racer from 1998-2003, having completed numerous events in over 20 countries. He has co-authored two books on the sport, and continues to be a contributor to many triathlon and sports magazines, and other media outlets worldwide. He is currently involved with USA Triathlon's International Relations and Strategic Planning Committees and previously served as Chair of USA Triathlon's Race Director Committee. He also served on the National Coaching Committee and the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame Committee, an event he emceed for the past six years.

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 races and connects with nearly 500,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work with athletes, coaches and race directors on the grassroots level, 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).