The International Triathlon Union (ITU) is pleased to announce the addition of the inaugural ITU Elite Sprint Triathlon World Championship to its 2010 race calendar, to be held in Lausanne, Switzerland on August 21. There will be a $50,000 prize purse up for grabs at this first-of-a-kind event.
“We are very excited to host the ITU Triathlon Elite Sprint World Championship in Lausanne, a city with a history of great sporting events,” said ITU President Marisol Casado. “The distances are short, exciting, and we think the spectators and viewers will enjoy watching our athletes race at such a high intensity. The shorter distances present a great opportunity for our younger athletes to compete in the sport in a sustainable way as well.”
Athletes competing in this first-ever event will complete a 750-metre swim, 20-km bike and 5-km run. Expect the men’s podium to finish in less than 55 minutes and the women’s podium break the tape in under an hour.
Lausanne hosted the 1998 and 2006 ITU Triathlon World Championship as well as the 2005 ETU Triathlon European Championship. The city has hosted an ITU Triathlon World Cup on five occasions, dating back to 1998.
The ITU Triathlon Team World Championship will also take place in Lausanne on August 22.
A sprint-distance triathlon will also be on the programme for the first-ever Youth Olympic Games in Singapore from August 14-26, 2010. Read more on what countries have qualified already here