The World Triathlon Sprint & Relay Championships will take place in Hamburg from 13 to 16 July 2023. World Triathlon, the German Triathlon Union (DTU) and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg have agreed on this timeframe just over a year before the World Championships.
The Sprint & Relay Championships is a multiple-event programme to be staged in Hamburg. The event includes the World Triathlon Championship Series for the elite athletes, as well as the Junior World Championships, Age-Group Sprint World Championships and the Mixed Relay World Championships for Elites, Junior/U23 and Age-Group categories.
The 2023 Sprint & Relay Championships is expected to attract an estimated 4,000 competitors from all around the world, support teams, officials, family and friends from all over the world. The first edition of this event will take place next June in Montreal (Canada).
Sports Senator Andy Grote said: “The Active City is Germany’s triathlon arena! With the first triathlon in the centre of a major German city, Hamburg thrilled the sports world in 2002 and set standards. Today, Hamburg is a flagship in the international triathlon world with the “World’s Biggest Tri” and has been a continuous venue of the World Series for many years. Next year we will step it up one more time and bring the Triathlon World Championships to the Hanseatic City again after 2007. We are very much looking forward to welcoming the best athletes from all over the world in July 2023 in front of a spectacular city centre backdrop for the big showdown.”
“We are absolutely delighted to return to Hamburg for the 2023 Sprint & Relay Championships”, said Marisol Casado, World Triathlon President and IOC Member. “The Mixed Relay is an event that is and will be linked forever with the city, having hosted our World Championships for so many years. It is also an iconic destination for age-groupers from all over the world. So it made all sense to group them all together in one of our most special events: the Sprint & Relay Championships. We are ready to provide the fans with even more opportunities to enjoy triathlon at its best in Hamburg. The spectators really love it, the venue in the heart of the city is outstanding and the athletes enjoy it so much. We cannot wait to see some more iconic sprint finishes, dives and of course the Hamburg style beer showers.”
DTU President, Martin Engelhardt, said: “It is great that together with our partners World Triathlon and the City of Hamburg we were able to set a date for next year’s season highlight at an early stage. This gives everyone involved the necessary planning security to host an iconic triathlon event in the Active City Hamburg in 2023. I am already looking forward to experiencing a very special atmosphere, which is unique worldwide thanks to the many thousands of spectators along the courses. The world’s best elite athletes, as well as age group athletes from all over the world, will turn Hamburg into the triathlon Mecca and ensure rousing competitions that will be remembered by all.”
At the 2023 World Triathlon Sprint & Relay Championships, medals will be awarded in a total of nine competitions. In addition to the elite individual and mixed relay races, junior and age group athletes will also compete for World Championship medals in individual and relay races.
While the junior and age group athletes will compete in the individual sprint distance (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run), the elite will use the new eliminator format: here, athletes have to qualify for the final over the super sprint distance (300m swim, 7km bike, 1.5km run) via semi-finals or repechages.
To host the World Triathlon Sprint & Relay Championships, DTU will closely cooperate with IRONMAN Germany.