ABU DHABI // Yas Island, the venue for the ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi in March, has been earmarked as a potential stage for the 2021 ITU Triathlon Grand Final — provided the capital wins the bid to host the annual event.
The grand final comes at the end of the world series calendar and is the world championship race for the elite in which the final standings are settled.
While the date for the bidding process is yet undetermined, winning it would help to strengthen the Abu Dhabi Sports Council’s to realise vision of turning the emirate into a world-class hub for sports.
One man who is excited about the grand final coming to Abu Dhabi is Chris Haber, the managing director of World Sport Arabia, the organisers of the March 3-4 competition.
“What the grand final concept does, apart from bringing the best of the elite, [is] it provides the access as a final for all the amateur triathletes around the world to come and take part every year,” he said.
“That’s around 5,000 international amateur participants in all the various age categories.”
Competitors will include those who qualify through their national federations and other triathlon series events, apart from regional participants.
“We are talking about 10-12,000 participants over the five days,” Haber said, adding the event coincides with the ITU delegates conference during the week: “It really is the annual gathering of triathlon.”
The event could also provide a boost to aspiring triathletes.
“It is also an opportunity for the Emirati participants to prepare for either a relay or sprint course to really work their way up in the next four years and take part in a grand final in front of their home fans,” Haber said.
Meanwhile, it was confirmed the opening event of ITU Triathlon Abu Dhabi has indeed been shifted to Yas Island after the first two stagings were organised at the Corniche in 2015 and 2016.
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