Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) has announced that the World Triathlon Para Championships will be added to the event schedule at the upcoming World Triathlon Championship Series Abu Dhabi presented by Daman taking place on Yas Island on 5-6 November. After sadly missing out on the 2020 World Championships due to the pandemic, the world’s best para triathletes will now gather on Yas Island on the first weekend of November, just two months after their incredible performances at the Paralympic races in Tokyo.

The race format will include nine sport classes of para triathlon competing in six medal events per gender, with 12 World Champions to be crowned in Abu Dhabi. The Para Championships had previously been scheduled to take place in Milan, Italy.

Abu Dhabi will now host two consecutive World Triathlon Para Championships, with the race in 2021 serving also as a test for the 2022 World Championships that will be part of next year’s World Triathlon Championship Finals.

Alongside the Para Championships, 110 elite athletes will compete in the World Triathlon Championship Series Abu Dhabi. The 2-day triathlon event will also host a variety of races for amateur triathletes, including waves dedicated to athletes of determination. Participants can choose from the Super Sprint, Sprint, and Olympic race distances – either as an individual or as part of a relay team. The selection of race categories means that the event is welcoming to athletes of all abilities – from first-timers looking for a new challenge, up to seasoned pros looking for a new personal best. In line with government guidelines and to ensure the safety of all participants, the field will be limited and the event will host races for athletes aged 18 years and over only. The junior races are expected to return in 2022.

World Triathlon Championship Series Abu Dhabi presented by Daman will mark the second stop of the World Triathlon Championship Series in 2022, a season that will finish in style with Abu Dhabi hosting again the best triathletes of the world in November 2022 for the World Triathlon Championship Finals. From 2015 – 2019, Abu Dhabi hosted the season-opening event of the World Triathlon Series annually in March. The event was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the global triathlon calendar has been re-shaped and divided into events counting for the 2022 Final happening at the end of the 2021 year, and other events taking place during spring and summer of 2022, to then finish at the Championships Final in Abu Dhabi in November.

His Excellency Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “We are delighted to welcome the World Triathlon Championship Series back to Abu Dhabi in 2021. The addition of the World Triathlon Para Championship adds to that excitement – as a country dedicated to inclusion, we simply could not pass on the opportunity to host some of the most inspirational elite para triathletes from around the world here in the Capital, just weeks after they competed at the Tokyo Paralympic Games.

“The World Triathlon Abu Dhabi presented by Daman encompasses everything that Abu Dhabi Sports Council strives to achieve – an internationally acclaimed sporting spectacle for all to enjoy, from those just starting out in triathlon up to newly-crowned Olympic and Paralympic champions fresh from Tokyo.

“This event also highlights Abu Dhabi’s unique ability to host major events and Championships with the highest possible standards of safety and security, in line with our role as a leading global destination for sports events.”

World Triathlon President and IOC member, Marisol Casado added “We are absolutely delighted and grateful to our friends in Abu Dhabi who have stepped up to organize the Para Triathlon World Championships after Italy were unable to host.

“I know that the last year and a half has been a difficult time for all para triathletes, so bringing them the opportunity of competing at the highest level and for the world titles is great news. To be able to have them taking the stage once more just a few months after the Paralympics will give them extra exposure and engagement that will be valuable for them and our sport”.

The World Triathlon Championship Series Abu Dhabi presented by Daman will run from 5 – 6 November 2021 on Yas Island. Entries for the age group race will open at 12pm, Tuesday 21st September 2021.